ew building was to be erected. They had on their new
clothes and were smoking cigars which Cavanaugh had bought. Some of the
negroes and whites who had worked under them came to the depot to see
them off, and they all stood on the platform, waiting for the train.
There was much mild gaiety and frequent jests. Cavanaugh was quite
talkative, but John, as usual, was silent. The men had jested with the
contractor about his new clothes, but no one dared to allude to John's.
Indeed, John seemed unconscious of his change of appearance. But for his
coarse red hands, his rough, tanned face, and stiff, unkempt hair, he
would have appeared rather distinguished-looking. A bevy of young ladies
of the best social set of the town, accompanied by several of their
young men associates, had gathered to see one of their number off. They
passed close to John, but paid not the slightest attention to him, and
they made no impression on him. That there was such a thing as social
lines and castes had never occurred to him. He saw the young lawyer who
stealthily visited Jane Holder join the group and stand chatting, but
even this gave him no food for reflection. In regard to extraneous
matters John Trott seemed asleep, but in all things pertaining to his
work he was wide awake. His mental ability, strength of will, and dearth
of opportunity would have set a psychologist to speculating on his
future, but there were no psychologists in Ridgeville. Ministers,
editors, teachers, fairly well-read citizens, met John Trott almost
daily and passed him without even a thought of the complex conditions of
his life and of the inevitable awakening ahead of him.

When the train came, John and Cavanaugh said good-by to their friends
and got aboard. They threw their cigars away and found seats in the best
car on the train. It was the first trip of any length that John had ever
taken, and yet he did not deport himself like a novice. Cavanaugh bought
peanuts, candy, and a newspaper from the train "butcher," but John
declined them. His employer had spoken to him about some inside walls
and partitions which had to be so arranged in the new building as to
admit of some alcoves and recesses not down in the specifications, and
John was turning the matter over in his mind.

A few miles from Ridgeville a young couple got on the train and came
into the car. The young man was little older than John and looked like a
farmer in his best clothes. He was flushed and nervous.