rs?"

"I was in this one," confessed Janice. Then she told him of the
occurrence--and its cause, of course.

"Well, I declare!" said Frank Bowman, happily. "For once I fully
approve of Marty."

"Do you? Well, to tell the truth, so do I!" gasped Janice, laughing
again. "But I know it is wicked."

"Guess the whole Day family feels friendly toward Nelson," declared the
engineer. "I hear Mr. Day went on Nelson's bond Saturday night."

"Yes, indeed. Dear Uncle Jason! He's slow, but he's dependable."

"Well, I am glad Nelson Haley has some friends," Bowman said quickly.
"But I didn't stop you to say just this."

"No?"

"No," said the civil engineer. "When I asked you, 'How goes the
battle?' I was thinking of something you said the other night when we
were rounding up that disgraceful old reprobate, Hopewell Drugg," and
he laughed.

"Oh, poor Hopewell! Isn't it a shame the way they talk about him?"

"It certainly is," agreed Frank Bowman. "But whether Hopewell Drugg is
finally injured in character by Lem Parraday's bar or not, enough other
people are being injured. You said you'd do anything to see it closed."

"I would," cried Janice. "At least, anything I could do."

"By jove! so would I!" exclaimed Frank Bowman, vigorously. "It was pay
night for my men last Saturday night. One third of them have not shown
up this morning, and half of those that have are not fit for work.
I've got a reputation to make here. If this drunkenness goes on I'll
have a fat chance of making good with the Board of Directors of the
railroad."

"How about making good with that pretty daughter of Vice President
Harrison's?" asked Janice, slily.

Bowman blushed and laughed. "Oh! she's kind. She'll understand. But
I can't take the same excuses for failure to a Board of Directors."

"Of course not," laughed Janice. "A mere Board of Directors hasn't
half the sense of a lovely girl--nor half the judgment."

"You're right!" cried Bowman, seriously. "However, to get back to my
men. They've got to put the brake on this drinking stuff, or I'll
never get the job done. As long as the drink is right here handy in
Polktown, I'm afraid many of the poor fellows will go on a spree every
pay day."

"It is too bad," ventured Janice, warmly.

"I guess it is! For them and me, too!" said Bowman, shaking his head.
"Do you know, these fellows don't want to drink? And they wouldn't
drink if there was anything else for them to do