which was shunted back and forth between
the places in which he happened to be working. He was a builder of
concrete platforms, culverts, coal-bins, sidewalks, bridge and building
piers, and, in fact, anything that could be made out of crushed stone
and cement, or bricks and stone, and he was sent here and there, as
necessity required. As he explained to me at the time, he sometimes rose
as early as four a.m. in order to get to his place of labor by seven.
The great railroad company for which he toiled was no gentle master, and
did not look upon his ease, or that of his men, as important. At the
same time, as he himself confessed, he did not mind hard work--liked it,
in short. He had been working now for the company for all of twenty-two
years, "rain or shine." Darkness or storm made no difference to him.
"Shewer, I have to be there," he observed once with his quizzical,
elusive Irish grin. "They're not payin' me wages fer lyin' in bed. If ye
was to get up that way yerself every day fer a year, me b'y," he added,
eyeing my spare and none too well articulated frame, "it'd make a man av
ye."

"Yes?" I said tolerantly. "And how much do you get, Rourke?"

"Two an' a half a day."

"You don't say!" I replied, pretending admiration.

The munificence of the corporation that paid him two and a half dollars
a day for ten hours' work, as well as for superintending and
constructing things of such importance, struck me forcibly. Perhaps, as
we say in America, he "had a right" to be happy, only I could not see
it. At the same time, I could not help thinking that he was better
situated than myself at the time. I had been ill, and was now earning
only twelve cents an hour for ten hours' work, and the sight of the
foreman for whom I was working was a torture to my soul. He was such a
loud-mouthed, blustering, red-headed ignoramus, and I wanted to get out
from under him. At the same time, I was not without sufficient influence
so to do, providing I could find a foreman who could make use of me. The
great thing was to do this, and the more I eyed this particular specimen
of foreman the better I liked him. He was genial, really kindly,
amazingly simple and sincere. I decided to appeal to him to take me on
his staff.

"How would you like to take me, Mr. Rourke, and let me work for you?" I
asked hopefully, after explaining to him why I was here.

"Shewer," he replied. "Ye'd do fine."

"Would I have to work with the Italians?" I aske