Allen Chapman

“ Farrington squirmed against the doorway, fumbling his cane, and puffing and purple with violent internal commotion.
"Then what's the matter with that idle, good-for-nothing, son of yours going to work and paying the honest debts of the family!" he stormily repeated.
The widow looked up. Her lips fluttered, but she said calmly: "Mr. Farrington, Ralph is neither idle nor good-for-nothing."
"Huh! aint! What's he good for?"
The widow's face became momentarily glorified, the true mother love shone in the depths of her pure, clear eyes.
"He is the best son a mother ever had." ”

“ CHAPTER XXXV--CONCLUSION Ralph stepped across the turntable entrance to the roundhouse at Stanley Junction just as the one o'clock whistles were blowing.
It was like coming home again. Limpy, shining up a locomotive headlight, gave a croak of welcome, jumped down from the pilot, and slapped his greasy, blackened hand into that of his young favorite with genuine fervor.
The engineers, firemen and extras in the dog house called out the usual variety of cheery chaff, but all pleasant and interested.
"This is a great place to find friends!" ”

“ At Ralph's allusion to the company Ike kept, two of the biggest of his cohorts sprang forward.
"Your turn later," said Ike. "This is my personal affair just now."
"You will force things?" questioned Ralph calmly.
"What! Do you mean will I let you off? Nixy! No baby act, Fairbanks! Peel, and put up your fists."
"Very well," said Ralph. "I think I can manage you with my coat on."
Ralph was not a particle in doubt as to the ultimate result of the "scrap." He had gone through a half-vacation course of splendid athletic training, and his muscles were as hard as iron. ”

“ The foreman sank into a chair, started to speak, arose, paced the floor restlessly, finally halted in front of Ralph, and looked him squarely in the face.
"Fairbanks," he said, "I believe I have done you an injustice. Don't answer. Let me speak while the mood is on me. I am a proud man, and it's hard for me to root out my settled suspicions. I won't say they are all gone yet, but after what has happened it would be wrong and churlish for me to hold back what is on my lips. When you came here this morning, I was satisfied that you came here as a spy upon my actions."
"Oh, Mr. Forgan!" ”

“ Ralph did not halt. His challenger was Grif Farrington, his arm linked in that of a chum whom Ralph did not know, both smoking cigarettes, and both showing the rollicking mood of young would-be sports who wished it to be believed they had been making a night of it, and thinking it smart.
"What's the uniform, Fairbanks?" cried Grif, affecting a critical stare--"going fishing? Is that a bait box?"
"Not a bit of it. It's my dinner pail, and I'm going to work, at the roundhouse."
"Chump!"
"Oh, I guess not."
"Double-distilled! Make more money going on the circuit with the club. ”

“ Ike's ferret face worked queerly as he noted Ralph's departure. He seemed struggling with uneasy emotions, as if one or two troublesome thoughts bothered him.
"Hold on, Fairbanks!" he called, edging farther over the sill. "I say, that dinner pail----"
"Oh, I'm not interested in your dinner pail," observed Ralph.
"Course not--what is there to be curious about? I say, though, was you in earnest about getting a job here?"
"I must get work somewhere."
"And it will be railroading?"
"If I can make it,"
"You're the kind that wins," acknowledged Ike. "Got any coin, now?" ”

“ It was choked with smoke, burning cinders fell in showers on and under the cab.
"Shove in the coal--shove in the coal!" roared Griscom, eyes ahead, lever under a tensioned control. "Good for you!" he shouted to the nervy brakeman as there was a bump and a snap. "Reverse. We've made it!"
A sweep of flame wreathed the pilot. The air was suffocating. Ralph staggered at his work. As the locomotive reversed and drew quickly out of that dangerous vortex of flame, the boy noticed that the last of the four cars was blazing at the roof.
"Just in time," he heard old Griscom chuckle. "Hot? Whew!" ”

“ If not, we will do our duty--what we might think a burden may be a blessing in disguise."
"You're always 'casting bread on the waters,' Mrs. Fairbanks!" declared Will, in his crisp, offhand way.
To return after many days--light-headed, light-hearted Will Cheever! There are incidents in every boy's life which are the connecting links with all the unknown future, and for Ralph Fairbanks, although he little dreamed it, this was one of them. ”

“ It took one breathless, arduous hour to cover a mile, and their clothes and hands were scratched and torn with thorns and brambles.
"It's a little better beyond the creek," said Van. "A man could hide in a wilderness like this a good many years in a safe way, eh, Fairbanks?"
"Yes, indeed," answered Ralph, and mentally wondered if his companion was alluding to the mysterious Farwell Gibson. ”

“ Ralph must have been two full minutes taking in all this, and when he had concluded his inspection he turned to confront Gibson, whose face showed lively satisfaction over the fact that the layout had interested and visibly impressed his visitor.
"Well," he challenged in a pleased, proud way, "how does it strike you?"
"Why," said Ralph, "to tell the truth, I am somewhat astonished."
"That is quite natural," responded Gibson. "The idea of the world in general of a railroad headquarters is plate glass, mahogany desks and pompous heads of departments, looking wise and spending money. ”

“ Ralph arose.
"Mr. Forgan," he said, "I am much obliged to you, and I hope I shall deserve and win your good opinion. But I want to earn my way. I don't wish to slip over one single branch of the course that will make a thorough, all-around, first-class railroad man out of me, and too fast promotion might spoil me."
The foreman understood him, but the liquor had exhilarated him, and he said:
"All the same, I'm your friend for life, Fairbanks--and I give you my word, when you ask me a favor, I'll grant it." ”

“ The boy rubbed the knuckle of one hand across his coat to wipe off the blood of an abrasion, and groped in a pocket.
"Where is that?" he asked, bringing to light an envelope, and holding it slantingly for Ralph's inspection. "Can you tell me?"
"Why," said Ralph, with a start--"let me look at that!"
"No," demurred the other cautiously. "It's near enough to read. I want to find that person."
"It's my name," said Ralph, quickly and with considerable wonderment. "Give it to me."
"I guess not!" snapped the stowaway. "I don't know who John Fairbanks is, but I know enough to be sure you ain't him." ”

“ With the dog house crowd Ralph had become a general favorite. He had won the regard of those rough and ready fellows, and his loyal adhesion to Griscom in the fire at the shops, his rescue of little Nora Forgan, and his manly, accommodating ways generally, had enforced their respect, and more than one dropped his oaths and coarseness when Ralph approached, and they tipped over the liquor bottle of one of the "extras" who had the temerity to ask Ralph to test its contents. ”

“ He had but one glad, glorious thought--Van had been recalled to life and reason, and that meant everything!
Toot! toot! Ralph glanced at the locomotive where Griscom was impatiently waving his hand. The Great Northern could not check its schedule to suit the convenience of two dead-head passengers.
"Quick, Van," said Ralph, seizing the arm of his companion--"hurry, we shall be left."
"Left--how? where?" inquired Van, resisting, and with a vague stare.
"To the locomotive. We must get back, you know. They won't wait." ”

“ Ralph went home. As he expected, his mother was waiting up for him. She was not the kind of a woman to faint or get hysterical at the sight of a little blood, but she was anxious and trembling as she helped Ralph to get into comfortable trim.
"Don't worry, mother," said Ralph. "This is probably the end of trouble with the Ike Slump complication."
"I always fear an enemy, Ralph," sighed the widow. "It seems as if you are fated to have them at every step. I keep thinking day and night about Gasper Farrington's unmanly threat." ”

“ Ralph, at a momentary cessation of operations, wiped the grime and perspiration from his baked face, to take a scan of the fire-swept area.
A railroad official had come up to the engine, hailed Griscom, and pointed directly into the heart of the flames to where, hemmed in a narrow runway between the walls of two smoking buildings, were four freight cars.
"They'll be gone in five minutes," he observed.
"I can reach them in two," announced Griscom tersely, setting his hand to the lever. "Get a good man to couple--our share won't miss. Let her go!" ”

“ Forgan. Let go my arm."
"Why, you impudent young jackanapes! I'll lick the daylight out of you now, just to drive some truth into you!"
"Don't you dare to touch me!" cried Ralph. He was fully aroused now. The natural glitter had returned to his eye, and with a quick move he jerked free from the grasp of the foreman, powerful as it was. "I allow no man to punish me for what I did not do, and this is a place where we stand as man to man."
The foreman had been surprised at Ralph's exhibition of genuine strength, but that manifestation had only served to increase his rage. ”