o
could not visit this magic city were to be profoundly pitied.

In the purchase of stamps for these egoistic missives the remainder of
the time passed, and before he realized the half-hour was gone, he saw
his father standing in the doorway.

"I am going up to the room now to hunt up some cigars, Steve," announced
the elder man. "Do you want to come along or stay here?"

"I'll come with you, Dad," was the quick reply.

The elevator shot them to the ninth floor in no time and soon they were
in their room looking down on the turmoil in the street below.

"Some city, isn't it?" commented Mr. Tolman, turning away from the busy
scene to rummage through his suit case.

"It's a corker!"

"I thought you would like to go out to the Zoo this morning while I am
busy. What do you say?"

"That would be bully."

"It is a simple trip which you can easily make alone. If you like, you
can start along now," Mr. Tolman suggested.

"But you said last night that if I would hurry to bed, to-day you would
tell me about the Western railroads," objected Stephen.

He saw his father's eyes twinkle.

"You have a remarkable memory," replied he. "I recall now that I did say
something of the sort. But surely you do not mean that you would prefer
to remain here and talk railroads than to go to the Zoo."

"I can go to the Zoo after you have gone out," maintained Steve,
standing his ground valiantly.

"You are a merciless young beggar," grinned his father. "I plainly see
that like Shylock you are determined to have your pound of flesh. Well,
sit down. We will talk while I smoke."

As the boy settled contentedly into one of the comfortable
chintz-covered chairs, Mr. Tolman blew a series of delicate rings of
smoke toward the ceiling and wrinkled his brow thoughtfully.

"You got a pretty good idea at the theater last night what America was
before we had trans-continental railroads," began he slowly. "You know
enough of geography too, I hope, to imagine to some extent what it must
have meant to hew a path across such an immense country as ours; lay a
roadbed with its wooden ties; and transport all this material as well as
the heavy rails necessary for the project. We all think we can picture
to ourselves the enormity of the undertaking; but actually we have
almost no conception of the difficulties such a mammoth work
represented."

He paused, half closing his eyes amid the cloud of smoke.

"To begin with, the promoters of the enterpr