re not going to _San Leon_ on a
buckboard with me! Take them off our hands, lad, and do a good deed once
in your life!"

By this time Mr. Ford had placed his own two strong hands over the
shrivelled one of the peddler and was pressing it warmly, while the two
looked into one another's eyes with mutual respect and liking. Then when
the hands unclasped there was left on Andy's palm a glittering double
eagle.

Dorothy, watching, wondered at this, after hearing Leslie's boast of the
cripple's independence; and there did a flush rise in his face for a
moment, till Mr. Ford said:

"For Laddie, you know. If you can't use it--pass it on!"

The flush died out of the vender's cheek and a soft look came over it.
"So I will, man, so I will. Thank God there's always somebody poorer
than me! Good-by, and good luck, Boss! By that token I never seen you
look that happy as you do this day, man alive, never!"

"I never had such reason to be glad, Andy boy! Good-by, good-by!"

Mr. Ford started off at a brisk pace, the young folks trying to equal
his long strides, and Alfaretta asking:

"Is that cripple crazy? What'd he mean by sellin' things to 'Cookies'
and what's a 'school-ma'am-racket'?"

Leslie laughed and answered:

"A 'racket' of that sort has nothing to do with tennis, Miss Babcock, at
your service; and 'Cookies' are just Cook's tourists. All railroaders
call them that; and I suppose the 'racket' was a cheap excursion the
school-ma'ams were taking. Odd, isn't it? That though all Andy's trouble
came from the railroad he claims to belong to it as one of its 'boys.'
He's rippin', Andy is. He told father 't he 'teached school' himself,
once! But he got so tired of it that the sight of a spelling-book made
him sick."

"It does me, too," said Alfy, with sympathy.

"So he 'cut and run,' and rode on trains in every direction as long as
his money held out. Then he stole the ride that ended his travels right
here in Denver. Hello! where's Dad?"

They had loitered along the way and he had simply outstripped them. So
without even a quarter in his purse but in his most lordly air, Leslie
hailed a cab to carry them to the hotel he knew was that habitually
patronized by his father; and a few minutes later they rode up to the
entrance in state.

An attendant hastened to the curb to assist the "young ladies" out of
the cab, but the hackman laid a detaining hand upon Leslie's shoulder
with the remark:

"Fares, please."

"Eh? Jus