and Curly's hat was pushed back from a forehead wrinkled in
deep thought.

"It's a good deal like you say, Tom," he assented; "I know that.
Unless we can get Dan Anderson and that girl to some sort of an
understandin', the jig's up, and there ain't a-goin' to be no railroad
at Heart's Desire. But how're you a-goin' to _do_ that?"

"Well, I done told you what I thought," said Tom Osby. "I'm a married
man, been married seven times, or maybe six. There's just two things I
understand, and them is horses and women, which I ought to, from
associatin' with them constant. Now, I tell you, if I'm any judge of
women, that girl thinks a heap of Dan Anderson, no matter what she lets
on. It's her that's got the railroad up her sleeve. The old man just
thinks she's a tin angel with fresh paint. Why, he's done _give_ her
the whole railroad. He don't want it. He's got money now that's
sinful. Now, I say, she's got the railroad. Dan Andersen's chances,
they go with the railroad. If she could just get _him_ to go with the
business _chances_, that'd about fix things; and I more'n half believe
she'd drop into line right free and gentle."

"Well, why don't she _say_ so, then," grumbled Curly, "and stop this
foolishness?"

"Now there you go!" replied Tom. "Can't you see that any woman on
earth, even a married woman, is four-thirds foolishness and the rest
human? With girls it's still worse'n that. If I'm any judge, she's
wishin' a certain feller'd come along and shake the tree. But she
ain't goin' to fall off until the tree's done shook. Consequently,
there she is, still up the tree, and our railroad with her."

"Looks like _he_ ought to make the first break," observed Curly,
sagely.

"Of course he ought. But _will_ he, that's the question."

"No, he won't," admitted Curly, pushing his hat still farther back on
his head. "He's took his stand, and done what he allowed was right.
After that, he ain't built to crawfish. He's passed up the girl, and
the railroad, too, and I reckon that settles it."

"And yet he thinks a heap of the girl."

"Natural? Of course he does. How can he help it? That's where the
trouble is. I tell you, Tom, these here things is sort of _personal_.
If these two folks is havin' trouble of their own, why, it's _their_
trouble, and it ain't for us to square it, railroad or no railroad."

"When two people is damn fools," commented Tom Osby, gravely, "it's all
right for foreign powers to me