so to speak,
outside the circle, the presence of a well-dressed, attractive girl had
its charm. Indeed, Dick felt half embarrassed by the pleasantness of his
surroundings. They were unusual and reminded him poignantly of the
privileges he had enjoyed in England.

"Where did you learn to make these calculations?" Fuller asked after a
time.

"In the British Army, Royal Engineers," Dick answered with a flush.

"Were you an officer?"

Dick had dreaded the question. It looked as if truthfulness would cost
him much; but he determined that his new friends should know the worst.

"Yes."

"Then why did you quit?"

Dick glanced at Ida, and imagined that she was interested, though she did
not look up.

"I was turned out, sir."

"Ah!" said Fuller, without surprise. "May I ask why? It's not impertinent
curiosity."

"I was sent with some important papers, which I lost. This was bad
enough, but there was some ground for suspecting that I had stolen them."

"Do you know how they were lost?"

Dick was grateful for the way the question was put, since it hinted that
Fuller did not doubt his honesty.

"No," he said. "That is, I have a notion, but I'm afraid I'll never quite
find out."

Fuller did not reply for a minute or two, and Dick, whose face was rather
hot, glanced back at Ida. Her eyes were now fixed on him with quiet
interest, and something in her expression indicated approval.

"Well," said Fuller, "I'm going to give you a chance of making good,
because if you had done anything crooked, you wouldn't have told me that
tale. You'll quit driving the locomotive and superintend on a section of
the dam. I'm not satisfied with the fellow who's now in charge. He's
friendly with the dago sub-contractors and I suspect I'm being robbed."

Dick's eyes sparkled. His foot was on the ladder that led to success; and
he did not mean to stay at the bottom. Moreover, it caused him an
exhilarating thrill to feel that he was trusted again.

"I'll do my best, sir," he said gratefully.

"Very well; you'll begin to-morrow, and can use the rooms behind the iron
office shack. But there's something you have forgotten."

Dick looked at him with a puzzled air; and Fuller laughed.

"You haven't asked what I'm going to pay you yet."

"No," said Dick. "To tell the truth, it didn't seem to matter."

"Profession comes first?" Fuller suggested. "Well, that's right, but I've
hired professional men, engineering and medical experts, who cha