get,' and off he wint as quiet as he came."

"Tell me who was it?" said Johnny O'Callahan, listening eagerly.

"Mr. Ryan come tumbling in the next minute, spattered with water from
the tank. 'Well, then,' says he, 'is your fine company gone?'

"'He is,' says I. 'I don't know is it some superintendent? He 's a
nice man, Mr. Ryan, whoiver he is,' says I.

"''T is the Gineral Manager of the Road,' says he; 'that's who he is,
sure!'

"My apron was all flour, and I was in a great rage wit' so much to do,
but I did the best I could for him. I 'd do the same for anny one so
hungry," concluded Nora modestly.

"Ain't you got the Queen's luck!" exclaimed Johnny admiringly. "Your
fortune 's made, me dear. I 'll have to come off the road to help you."

"Oh, two good trades 'll be better than one!" answered Nora gayly, "and
the big station nor the branch road are n't building yet."

"What a fine little head you 've got," said Johnny, as they reached the
house where the Ryans lived, and the train was whistling that he meant
to take back to town. "Good-night, annyway, Nora; nobody 'd know from
the size of your head there could be so much inside in it!"

"I'm lucky, too," announced Nora serenely. "No, I won't give you me
word till the ind of the month. You may be seeing another gerrl before
that, and calling me the red-headed sparrow. No, I 'll wait a good
while, and see if the two of us can't do better. Come, run away,
Johnny. I 'll drop asleep in the road; I 'm up since four o'clock
making me cakes for plinty b'ys like you."

The Ryans were all abed and asleep, but there was a lamp burning in the
kitchen. Nora blew it out as she stole into her hot little room. She
had waited, talking eagerly with Johnny, until they saw the headlight
of the express like a star, far down the long line of double track.

IV.

The summer was not ended before all the railroad men knew about Johnny
O'Callahan's wedding and all his good fortune. They boarded at the
Ryans' at first, but late in the evenings Johnny and his wife were at
work, building as if they were birds. First, there was a shed with a
broad counter for the cakes, and a table or two, and the boys did not
fail to notice that Nora had a good sisterly work-basket ready, and was
quick to see that a useful button was off or a stitch needed. The next
fortnight saw a room added to this, where Nora had her own stove, and
cooking went on steadily. Then there was anot