of the cab air-whistle, Gallagher brought
it to a stand on the summit of the mountain.

Alicia looked more than ever the artist's ideal of the American womanly
felicities when Ford lifted her from the step of the Nadia.

"You are quite sure Mr. Gallagher won't mind?" she was saying, as they
walked forward together.

"Mind? Wait till you hear what he says. Michael is an Irish diamond in
the rough, and he knows when he is honored."

They discovered the red-headed little man industriously "oiling around"
for the swift glide down the western declivities.

"Michael," said the first vice-president, "Mrs. Ford thinks she would
like to take the Pannikin loop in the cab of the Six-eighty-eight. Can
you make room for us?"

Gallagher snatched his cap from his fiery head.

"Could we make room? 'Tis by the blessing av the saints that I'm a
little man, meself, Missis Foord, and don't take up much room in the
c-yab. And as f'r Johnny Shovel, he'll be riding on the coal f'r the
pure playsure av ut. My duty to ye, ma'am; and 'tis a pity ut isn't a
black night, whin the swate face av ye would be lighting the thrack f'r
us."

Ford lifted Alicia to the gangway and made her comfortable on the
fireman's box, fixing a footbrace for her, and giving her his arm for a
shoulder rest when Gallagher sent the steam whistling through the
cylinder-cocks for the impulse needful to start the downward rush.

"'With a michnai--ghignai--'" she began; but when the engine plunged
over the summit and the matchless view to the westward came suddenly
into, being, the quotation lapsed in a long-drawn, ecstatic "O-o-oh!"

"You are not afraid, are you?" said the bridegroom, man-like, letting
her feel the support of his arm.

"Afraid? No, indeed; I am just happy--happy! There lies the world before
us, Stuart; _our_ world, because, more than any other man's, yours were
the brain that conceived it and the hands that brought it to pass. Let
us go down quickly and possess it. Tell Mr. Gallagher that he may run as
fast as ever he dares." Then with a sigh of contentment and a
comfortable nestling into the hollow of the strong arm of protection:
"Was there ever another wedding journey just like ours, Stuart, dear?"

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EMPIRE BUILDERS***

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