brakeman's?" demanded Mr. King.

"I don't know, sir," said the little, thin clerk. "Jim--that was all I
knew him by. I used to see him of a morning when I was coming to the
office, and he was waiting to take his train. He was a steady fellow,
Jim was," he added, anxiously scanning the handsome face beneath the
white hair.

"I don't doubt that," said old Mr. King hastily. "I don't in the least
doubt it."

"And he wasn't given to drink, sir," the little, thin clerk cried
abruptly, "although some did say it who shouldn't; for there were many
after Jim's place. He had an easy run. And----"

"Yes, yes; well, now what I want to know," said Mr. King interrupting
the stream, Polly and Jasper on either side having a hard time to
control their impatience, "is where this 'Jim,' as you call him, lived,
and what was his last name."

"That I don't know, sir," said the little, thin clerk. "I only know he
had a family, for once in a while when I had a minute to spare he'd get
to talking about 'em, when we met. Jim was awful fond of 'em; that any
one could see."

"Yes, well, now what would he say?" asked the old gentleman, trying to
hurry matters along. The pompous official had his eye on the clock. It
might go hard for the little, thin clerk in his seedy coat, if he took
too much time from office hours.

"Why, he had one girl who was crazy about music," said the little clerk,
"and--"

"Oh dear me!" exclaimed Polly. Old Mr. King heard her sigh at his side,
and he cried, "Well, what else?"

"Why, I've heard Jim say more'n once he'd live on bread and water if he
could only give his daughter a chance. And there were his three boys."

"Three boys," echoed Mr. King sharply.

"Yes, sir. I saw 'em round the train once or twice; they were likely
chaps, it seemed to me." The little, thin clerk, a bachelor with several
unmarried sisters on his hands for support, sighed deeply.

"Well, now," cried Mr. King, thinking it quite time to bring the
interview to a close, "I'd take it quite kindly if you'd find out for me
all you can about this Jim. A member of my family was on the train last
night, who but for this noble brakeman might--might--bless me! There is
my card." The old gentleman pulled out one from his cardcase, then fell
to wiping his face violently.

"What is your name?" asked Jasper, seeing that his father couldn't
speak.

"Hiram Potter," said the little clerk. The pompous official drew near,
and looked over his shoulder