ore that time there was a tap at the door of the
bedroom.

"Ralph, dear," spoke up his mother, "I dislike to disturb you, but a
messenger boy has just brought a telegram, and I thought that maybe it
was something of importance and might need immediate attention."

"That's right, mother. I will be down stairs in a minute," answered
the young railroader, and he dressed rapidly and hurried down to the
sitting room, where his mother stood holding out to him a sealed
yellow envelope. Ralph tore it open. He looked for a signature, but
there was none. It was a night message dated at Bridgeport, the
evening previous, and it ran:

"Clark--Porter--whatever you know don't speak of it, or great
trouble may result. Will see you within two days."

"I wonder what the next development will be?" murmured Ralph. "'Great
trouble may result.' I don't understand it at all. 'Will see you in
two days'--then there is some explanation coming. Clark, or whatever
his real name is, must suspect or know that his cousin, Dave Bissell,
has told me something. Well, I certainly won't make any move about
this strange affair until Clark has had an opportunity to straighten
things out. In the meantime, I've got a good deal of personal business
on my hands."

Ralph was a good deal in doubt and anxious as to his railroad career,
immediate and prospective. As has been told, his trip to Bridgeport
had been a record run. The fact that the China & Japan Mail could be
delivered on time, indicated a possibility that the Great Northern
might make a feature of new train service. It would not, however, be
done in a day. No. 999 might be put on the Dover branch of the Great
Northern, or accomodation service to other points, and the Overland
Express connection canceled.

There had been all kinds of speculation and gossip at the dog house as
to the new system of business expansion adopted by the Great
Northern. That road had acquired new branches during the past year,
and was becoming a big system of itself. There was talk about a
consolidation with another line, which might enable the road to
arrange for traffic clear to the Pacific. New splendid train service
was talked of everywhere, among the workmen, and every ambitious
railroader was looking for a handsome and substantial promotion.

Ralph could not tell until he reported at the roundhouse after twelve
o'clock when and how he would start out again. On the Bridgeport run
he was not due until the next