d for himself. But his steps got slower and slower as he
approached the gate and when he reached it he set the bags down, got his
ticket out and waited. After all, it would be a pretty mean trick to
leave Steve. At least, he'd wait there until the last moment. The
minutes passed and the hands on the clock further along the barrier
crept nearer and nearer to the time set for the departure of the
Brimfield accommodation. Tom wondered when the next train after this one
would leave.

"Going on this train, son?" asked the gateman.

"Yes," answered Tom, and took a step toward the gate. Then he stopped
and shook his head. "No, I guess not," he muttered. "When does the next
one go, sir?"

"Where to?" asked the gateman, punching the ticket of a late arrival.

"Brimfield."

"Four-twelve." The gate closed and the matter was irrevocably settled.
Tom took his bags and hurried back to the waiting-room and found his
place again. No Steve was in sight!

"I'll give him ten minutes," said Tom savagely. "Then I'll go. And--and
I won't come back the next time!"

And then, just as the clock announced the hour Steve appeared, a little
flushed and breathless, but smiling broadly.

"Gee, you ought to have been with me, Tom!" he said excitedly. "There
was a peach of a fire just around in the next street! Seven engines and
a hook-and-ladder and hundreds of hose-carts and one of those
water-towers! And most of the engines were automobiles, Tom! It was
corking!"

"Maybe it was," replied Tom coldly. "I'm going to Brimfield on the
four-twelve. What you going to do? Find another fire?"

"Why, no. When I saw I'd lost that other train I thought I might as
well wait and see the fire out. There's lots of time, anyway. We'll have
plenty of school before we get through with it, Tom."

"That's all right," responded Tom bitterly, "but you're way off if you
think it's any fun for me sitting around here and waiting for you while
you have a good time going to fires!"

"You said you didn't want to go----"

"Well, what if I did?" demanded Tom, working himself into a very
respectable fit of anger. "I _didn't_ want to go. But that's no reason
why you should leave me alone for the rest of the day to--to stave off
robbers and thieves and confidence-men and--and all!"

"Oh, well, come on," said Steve. "We haven't done anything but lose a
train----"

"We've lost two trains!"

"And the man says there's another at twelve minutes after."

"And we'll