he had been calling me for
fifty minutes, that I told him the first thing that came into my mind.
Then, the next day I was angry at you, because I thought you were
chaffing me, as I was the only woman on the line, and I suppose I was
rather impudent. But do you think it is fair to discharge me for the
same thing that you only gave Mr. Ferral fifteen days for? Are you not
doing it simply because I am a woman?"

I never could stand a woman's tears, especially a pretty one, and when
she cited the case of Ferral, I realized that I had lost my game. I let
myself down as easily as I could and that night Miss Ross went back to
work at Bentonville, and the man there was put on the waiting list.

It was very funny after this how many times I had to run down to
Bentonville. That Sandia branch line had to be inspected; the switch
board had to be replaced by a new one in "BN" office; wires had to be
changed, a new ground put in, and many other things done, and always I
had to go myself to see that the work was done properly. The agent at
Bentonville came, before very long, to smile in a very knowing way
whenever I jumped off the train; Mr. Antwerp had a peculiarly wise look
in his eye when I mentioned anything about Bentonville, but I didn't
mind it. I was in love with the sweet little girl, and was walking on
the clouds. If I hadn't been I would have seen that my cake was all
dough in that quarter. I might have noticed that big Dan Forbush had an
amused look in his eye when I went off on one of these trips. If I had
watched the mail I might have seen numerous little billets coming daily
from Bentonville, addressed in a neat round hand to "Mr. Dan Forbush."
But I didn't, I kept right on in my mad career, and one day when my
courage was high I offered my hand and my heart to Miss Ross. She
refused and told me that while she was honored by my proposal, she had
been engaged to Mr. Forbush for two years, having known him down on the
"Sunset" before he came to our road. I took my defeat as philosophically
as I could and the next spring she left Bentonville for good, and Dan
took a three weeks' leave. When he came back he brought sweet Ellen as
his bride. One evening not long after that I was calling there, when
Mrs. Forbush looked up at me very naively and said:

"Mr. Bates, did I pay you back for discharging me?"

[Illustration: "Are you not doing it just because I am a woman?"]

There's no doubt about it, she did, and I felt it.