door for something to eat, and I being there baking; 't is my time in
the morning whin the early trains does be gone, and I 've a fine
stretch till the expresses are beginnin' to screech,--the tin, and the
tin-thirty-two, and the Flying Aigle. I was in a great hurry with word
of an excursion coming in the afternoon and me stock very low; I 'd
been baking since four o'clock. He 'd no coat on him, 't was very
warm; and I thought 't was some tramp. Lucky for me I looked again and
I said, 'What are you wanting, sir?' and then I saw he 'd a beautiful
shirt on him, and was very quiet and pleasant.

"'I came away wit'out me breakfast,' says he. 'Can you give me
something without too much throuble?' says he. 'Do you have anny of
those buns there that I hear the men talking about?'

"'There's buns there, sir,' says I, 'and I 'll make you a cup of tay or
a cup of coffee as quick as I can,' says I, being pleased at the b'ys
giving me buns a good name to the likes of him. He was very hungry,
too, poor man, an' I ran to Mrs. Ryan to see if she 'd a piece of
beefsteak, and my luck ran before me. He sat down in me little place
and enjoyed himself well.

"'I had no such breakfast in tin years, me dear,' said he at the last,
very quiet and thankful; and he l'aned back in the chair to rest him,
and I cleared away, being in the great hurry, and he asking me how I
come there, and I tolt him, and how long I 'd been out, and I said it
was two months and a piece, and she being always in me heart, I spoke
of me mother, and all me great hopes.

"Then he sat and thought as if his mind wint to his own business, and I
wint on wit' me baking. Says he to me after a while, 'We 're going to
build a branch road across country to connect with the great
mountain-roads,' says he; 'the junction 's going to be right here; 't
will give you a big market for your buns. There 'll be a lunch-counter
in the new station; do you think you could run it?' says he, spaking
very sober.

"'I 'd do my best, sir, annyway,' says I. 'I 'd look out for the best
of help. Do you know Patrick Quin, sir, that was hurt on the Road and
gets a pinsion, sir?'

"'I do,' says he. 'One of the best men that ever worked for this
company,' says he.

"'He 's me mother's own brother, then, an' he 'll stand by me,' says I;
and he asked me me name and wrote it down in a book he got out of the
pocket of him. 'You shall have the place if you want it,' says he; 'I
won't for