ed but now over-fed
conceit, my bloating egotism, but I gave the woman a grateful thought as
I stood on the platform gazing at the train as it faded away in the dusk
that appeared to come down the road to meet it.

I had expected to alight at a town, but the station was a lonely place,
a wagon-maker's shop, the company's building and a few shanties. I asked
the station master if he knew where the school teacher was wanted, and
he answered that from the people thereabouts one must be needed in every
household.

"And I should think," I replied, giving him what I conceived to be a
look of severe rebuke, "that a teacher of common decency and politeness
is most needed of all."

"I reckon you are right," he rejoined. "Is he the man you are looking
for?"

"I don't want to get into trouble here," said I, "but I insist upon fair
treatment and I'm going to have it."

"All right, sir. Now, what is it you want to know?"

"Why, I was told that there was an opening for a school teacher in this
neighborhood."

"And so there is, but don't you know that no neighborhood could be proud
of such a fact? Therefore, you ought to be more careful as to how you
make your inquiries."

I saw that he wanted to joke with me and I joked with him. And I soon
found that this was the right course, for he invited me into his office
and insisted upon my sharing his luncheon, cold bread and meat and a tin
bucket of boiling coffee. I soon learned that he was newly graduated
from a school of telegraphy, and that this was his first position. He
had come from a city and he gave me the impression that he was buried
alive; he said that he had entered an oath in his book that if some one
didn't get off at his station pretty soon he would set the whole thing
on fire and turn train robber. "Don't you think that would be a pretty
good idea?" he asked, laughing.

"It would be a pretty dangerous one, at least," I answered.

"Yes, but without danger there is never any fun. My old man insisted
upon my taking that night-school course; and the professor of the
institution held out the idea that I could be a great man within a short
time after graduating; led me to believe I could get charge of a big
office in town, but here I am stuck up here in these hills. No rags
about here at all."

"No what?"

"Rags, calico, women--catch on?"

"You mean no society, to speak of."

"That's it. Oh, away off in the country it's all right, but I can never
go more than