Great Southern?"

"We can try," Mr. Cullen assented. "Come into my car." He made
way for Mr. Camp, and was about to follow him, when Madge took
hold of her father's arm, and, making him stoop, whispered
something to him.

"What kind of a place?" asked Mr. Cullen, laughing.

"A good one," his daughter replied.

I thought I understood what was meant. She didn't want to rest
under an obligation, and so I was to be paid up for what I had
done by promotion. It made me grit my teeth, and if I hadn't
taught myself not to swear, because of my position, I could have
given Sheriff Gunton points on cursing. I wanted to speak up
right there and tell Miss Cullen what I thought of her.

Of the interview which took place inside 218, I can speak only at
second-hand, and the world knows about as well as I how the
contest was compromised by the K. & A. being turned over to the
Missouri Western, the territory in Southern California being
divided between the California Central and the Great Southern,
and a traffic arrangement agreed upon that satisfied the G. S.
That afternoon a Missouri Western board for the K. & A. was
elected without opposition, and they in turn elected Mr. Cullen
president of the K. & A.; so when my report of the holding-up
went in, he had the pleasure of reading it. I closed it with a
request for instructions, but I never received any, and that
ended the matter. I turned over the letters to the special agent
at Flagstaff, and I suppose his report is slumbering in some
pigeon-hole in Washington, for I should have known of any attempt
to bring the culprits to punishment. Mr. Cullen had taken a big
risk, but came out of it with a great lot of money, for the
Missouri Western bought all his holdings in the K. & A. and C. C.
But the scare must have taught him a lesson, for ever since then
he's been conservative, and talks about the foolishness of
investors who try to get more than five per cent, or who think of
anything but good railroad bonds.

As for myself, a month after these occurrences I was appointed
superintendent of the Missouri Western, which by this deal had
become one of the largest railroad systems in the world. It was a
big step up for so young a man, and was of course pure favoritism,
due to Mr. Cullen's influence. I didn't stay in the position long,
for within two years I was offered the presidency of the Chicago
& St. Paul, and I think that was won on merit. Whether or not, I
hold the position sti