Ralph of the Roundhouse; Or, Bound to Become a Railroad Man

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XVI--FACE TO FACE

  Ralph Fairbanks' second day of service at the roundhouse passedpleasantly, and without any incident out of the common.

  With the disappearance of Ike Slump a new system of order and harmonyseemed to prevail about the place. The foreman's rugged brow was lessfrequently furrowed with care or anger over little mishaps, and Ralphcould not help but notice a more subdued tone in his dealings with themen.

  When Ralph came home that evening, his mother told him of a visit fromthe foreman's daughter-in-law and little Nora. They had brought Mrs.Fairbanks a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and their praises of Ralph hadmade the widow prouder of her son than ever.

  That morning, Van, as they now called their guest, had insisted on goingwith Ralph to his work as far as the next corner, and it was withdifficulty that the young railroader had induced him to return to thecottage.

  That evening, Van met him nearly two squares away, and when he reachedthe house Ralph expressed some anxiety to his mother over their guest'swandering proclivities.

  "I don't think he would go far away of his own will," said Mrs.Fairbanks. "You see, Ralph, he counts on your going and coming. Thismorning, after you sent him home, I found him on the roof of the house.He had got up there from the ladder, and was watching you till you werefinally lost to view among the car tracks."

  Ike Slump did not show up the third day. A fireman told Ralph that hehad run away from home, and that his father had been looking for him.Ike had been seen in the town by several persons, but always at adistance, and evidently keeping in hiding with some chosen cronies mostof the time.

  "He's no good, and you'll hear from him in a bad way yet," was therailroader's prediction.

  When No. 6 came into the roundhouse next morning, the extra who hadtaken engineer Griscom's place for two days told Ralph that the oldveteran would be on hand to take out the afternoon west train himself.

  Ralph got Limpy to help him put some fancy touches on the heaviestrunner of the road. At noon he hurried home and back, and brought withhim a bright little bouquet of flowers.

  No. 6, standing facing the turntable at two o'clock that afternoon, wasabout as handsome a piece of metal as ever crossed the rails.

  Old Griscom came into the roundhouse a few minutes later, his runningtraps slung over his arm, reported, and was surrounded by the dog housecrowd.

  This was his first public appearance since the fire at the yards. Hestill looked singed and shaken from his rough experience, but as he sawRalph he extended his hand, and gave his young favorite a twist thatalmost made Ralph wince.

  "On deck, eh?" he called cheerily. "Well, I call first choice when youget ready to fire coal."

  "That's a long ways ahead, Mr. Griscom!" laughed Ralph.

  "Forgan don't say so. Hi! what you giving me? A brand-new runner?"

  The veteran engineer gave a start of prodigious animation and realpleased surprise as his glance fell on No. 6.

  The headlight shone like a great dazzling brilliant, the brass worklooked like gold. In the engineer's window stood the little bouquet,and the cab was as neat and clean as a housewife's kitchen.

  Griscom swung onto his cushion with a kind of jolly cheer, and theforeman, catching the echo, waved his welcome and approbation in anunusually pleasant way from the door of his little office.

  Big Denny had been a periodical visitor to the roundhouse since therescue of little Nora Forgan.

  He had taken a strong fancy to Ralph, it seemed, and whenever he had afew minutes to spare would seek out the young wiper, and seemed to takea rare pleasure in posting him on many a bit of technical experience inthe railroading line.

  He chatted with Ralph on this last occasion while the latter sat fillingthe firemen's cans with oil, and drew him out as to his home life, hismother and his reason for going to work.

  "So Farrington holds a mortgage on your home?" said Denny. "I didn'tknow that. He's pretty rich, I hear. I remember the time, though, whenpeople thought your father was his partner in some of his bond deals."

  "Yes, mother supposed so, too," said Ralph.

  "Your father put him onto the good thing the railroad was, first of all.I know that much," declared Denny.

  "It looks as if my father lost all his holdings just before he died,"said Ralph.

  "Then Farrington got them, I'll wager that--the sly old fox!" commentedDenny, who was generally strong in his personal convictions.

  "Well, some day, when I am in a position to do so, I'm going to have Mr.Gasper Farrington hauled into court about the matter," observed Ralph."If he has anything belonging to my mother and me, we want it."

  "It seems to me you ought to find something among your father's papersshedding light on the subject?" suggested Denny.

  "It looks as if my father had had blind confidence in Mr. Farrington,"said Ralph.

  "Yes, the old fox has a way of winding himself around his victims,"declared the outspoken watchman. "I remember a fellow he wound up goodand proper, about three years ago."

  "Who was that?" asked Ralph.

  "His name was Farwell Gibson. He got the railroad fever, sold his farm,came to the Junction, and he and Farrington had some deals. They had abig row one night, too, and Farrington threw Gibson out of his house,and some windows were broken. The neighbors heard Gibson accuseFarrington of robbing him. Next day, though, Farrington swore out awarrant against Gibson for forgery, and Gibson has never been seensince. Maybe," concluded Big Denny, "he killed him."

  "Oh, he wouldn't do that!"

  "Gasper Farrington has a heart as hard as flint," said Denny, "and woulddo anything for money."

  "Farwell Gibson," murmured Ralph, memorizing the name.

  When quitting-time came that evening, Ralph left the roundhouse alone,Limpy having been sent with a message to the depot.

  As usual, he saved distance by following the tracks where they curved,then at a certain point cut through the unfenced back yards of somesmall stores fronting the depot street.

  Beyond this was a prairie. Turning a heap of ties to take a laststraight shoot for home, Ralph found his progress abruptly blocked.

  "Thought we'd get you!" announced a familiar voice, and Ike Slumpstepped into view.