had to sit through it all like a confounded oyster!"

"Oh, nonsense!" said Mrs. Burton, sweetly; "you know a good many things
that they never dreamed of. But how did you manage to get Gertrude away
from them all?"

"I didn't; she managed it for me. When we got up from the table the
train was just slowing into Carvalho. I was going to run away, as
befitted me, but she proposed a breath of fresh air on the platform."

"Then you had a chance to show her that you weren't born dumb, and I
hope you improved it. But how did you dodge Mr. Vennor?"

"We missed a turn and went forward to look at the engine. Then Ger--Miss
Vennor thought she would like to take a ride in the cab, and----"

"And, of course, you arranged it. You knew that was just the thing of
all others that would reinstate you. It was perfectly Machiavellian!"

Brockway opened his eyes very wide. "Knew what?" he said, bluntly. "I
only knew it was the thing she wanted to do, and that was enough. Well,
we skipped back and notified Mrs. Dunham--she's the chaperon, you
know--and then we chased ahead again and got on the engine."

"Where I'll promise you she enjoyed more new sensations in a minute than
you had all through their chilly dinner," put in Mrs. Burton, who had
ridden on many locomotives.

"She did, indeed," Brockway rejoined, exultantly, living over again the
pleasure of the brief hour in the retelling. "At Arriba, the engineer
turned the 926 over to me, and I put Miss Vennor up on the box and let
her run between Arriba and Red Butte."

"Well--of all things! Do you know, Fred, I've had a silly idea all
afternoon that I'd like to help you, but dear me! you don't need my
help. Of course, after that, it was all plain sailing for you."

Brockway shook his head. "You're taking entirely too much for granted,"
he protested. "It was only a pleasant bit of 'distraction,' as she
called it, for her, and there was no word--that is I--oh, confound it
all! I couldn't presume on a bit of good comradeship like that!"

"You--couldn't--presume! Why, you silly, _silly_ boy, it was the chance
of a lifetime! So daringly original--so utterly unhackneyed! And you
couldn't presume--I haven't a bit of patience with you."

"I'm sorry for that; I need a little sympathy."

"You don't deserve it; but perhaps you'd get it if you could show
cause."

"Can't you see? Don't you understand that nothing can ever come of it?"
Brockway demanded, relapsing fathoms deep into the aby