t
method of proceeding while in New York, Mr. Bradner had said nothing to
his son about what he might expect on his railroad trip. Therefore the
boy was totally unprepared for the novelties of modern travel. Mr.
Bradner had thought it wise to let his son find out things for himself.

Roy had never been in anything but an ordinary day coach, and those
were of an old-fashioned type. But his father had purchased for him
tickets all the way to New York in the Pullman parlor and sleeping
cars, and it was in a luxurious parlor car, then, that Roy found
himself when he boarded the express.

At first the boy did not know what to make of it. The car had big
chairs instead of the ordinary seats, the windows were nearly twice as
large as those in other coaches, and there were silk and plush curtains
hanging over them. Besides there was a thick, soft velvety carpet on
the floor of the coach, and, what with the inlaid and polished wood,
the hangings, mirrors, brass and nickel-plated fixtures, Roy thought he
had, by mistake, gotten into the private car of some millionaire.

He had occasionally seen the outside of these fine coaches as they
rushed through Painted Stone, but he had never dreamed that he would be
in one. So, as soon as he entered the coach, he started back.

"What's de matter, sah?" inquired a colored porter in polite tones, as
he came from what seemed a little cubby-hole built in the side of the
car.

"Guess I'm in the wrong corral," remarked Roy, who was so used to using
western and cattle terms, that he did not consider how they would sound
to other persons.

"Wrong corral, sah?"

"Yes; I must be mixed in with the wrong brand. Where's the regular
coach?"

"Oh, dis coach am all reg'lar, sah. Reg'lar as can be. We ain't got
none but reg'lar coaches on dis yeah express. No indeed, sah."

"But I guess my ticket doesn't entitle me to a ride in a private car."

"Let me see youh ticket, sah."

Roy passed the negro the bit of pasteboard.

"Oh, yes indeedy, sah. Youh is all right. Dis am de coach youh g'wine
to ride in. We goes all de way to Chicago, sah."

"Is this for regular passengers?" asked Roy, wondering how the railroad
could afford to supply such luxurious cars.

"Well, it's fo' them as pays fo' it, sah. Youh has got a ticket fo' de
Pullman car, an' dis am it, sah. Let me show yo' to youh seat, sah."

"Well, I s'pose it's all right," remarked Roy a little doubtfully. He
saw several