"That you, Fairbanks?" sounded the voice of the paymaster.

"Yes, Mr. Little."

"How is that arm of yours this morning?"

"Not quite as well as I would like it to be."

"I called you up to tell you that you will probably hear from the general superintendent this forenoon," continued Mr. Little.

"About last night's affair I suppose?"

"In a line with that, yes. He was with me for over three hours last night, and he's pretty well stirred up. Your injured arm will be a good excuse for canceling your run for a few days."

"But I have no idea of canceling my run," declared Ralph. "I'll have that arm in working shape when the Overland pulls out today."

"I'm giving you a hint, that's all," answered the paymaster. "I feel pretty sure the superintendent intends to schedule you for special duty."

CHAPTER VIII

THE OLD SWITCH SHANTY

Ralph came out of the house with a thoughtful look on his face. His arm was in a sling and he quite looked the invalid. His mother followed him to the door.

"You see, I was the wisest," spoke Mrs. Fairbanks.

"Yes, mother, you predicted that I wouldn't feel quite so spry this morning as last night. All the same, if it wasn't for the word just sent me by the general superintendent, you would see me on the regular Overland trip."

"It wouldn't be right," dissented Mrs. Fairbanks. "Suppose your arm gave out at a critical moment of your run?"

"I shouldn't let it," declared Ralph. "It puzzles me, though--the word from headquarters."

"It was rather strange," a.s.sented his mother.

"The superintendent simply 'phoned me that I was to remain on the invalid list for a day or two. He said he was going to Rockton, and would be back tomorrow morning, and would expect me then at a conference at ten o'clock. In the meantime all I need to do, he said, was to hang around town, show myself about the yards and the general offices, but to be sure to wear my arm in a sling."

"He has some purpose in view in that last direction, believe me, Ralph,"

said Mrs. Fairbanks.

"Yes," replied the son thoughtfully, "I'm beginning to guess out a certain system in his methods. I shouldn't wonder if something lively were on the programme. Well, I'll try and put on the enforced vacation as the superintendent suggests. h.e.l.lo, there's a fine hullaballoo!"

Ralph walked down the steps and to the street to trace the cause of a great outcry beyond the cottage grounds. As he pa.s.sed through the gate he made out a haggard looking urchin standing on the planking of the crossing crying as if his heart would break.

"Why, it's Ted Rollins, our little neighbor who lives over near the flats," said Ralph, recognizing the ragged and begrimed lad.

The latter was half bent over as if squinting through the cracks in the sidewalk. Then he would let out a yell of distress, dig his fingers into his eyes, resume his looking, and wind up with a kind of frenzied dance, bewailing some direful disaster at the top of his voice. Ralph approached him un.o.bserved.

"h.e.l.lo, there," he hailed, "what's the trouble here?"

"I've lost it!" wailed the little fellow, without looking up. "It slipped out of my ha-a-and."

"What did?"

"A nickel."

"A nickel?"

"Yes, I earned it, and it rolled down one of those cracks in the sidewalk."

"Which one?" inquired Ralph.

"Don't know which one--boo-hoo! and say--it was for you."

For the first time the weeping lad, glancing up through his tears, recognized Ralph. He instantly dug his hand down into a pocket and began groping there.

"What was for me?" asked Ralph, "the nickel?"

"No, not the nickel, that was for me. The note was for you, though, that I got the nickel to fetch--that I don't get the nickel for fetching, though I fetched it," added Ted Rollins dolefully. "That's it."

The lad brought out a folded creased slip of paper wet with his tears and grimed with contact with his fingers. He extended this to Ralph.

"For me, eh?" he inquired wonderingly.

"Yes, 'Ralph Fairbanks,' he said. He asked me if I knew Ralph Fairbanks, and I said you bet I did. 'Why,' says I, 'he's a regular friend of mine.'"

"That's right, Ted," said Ralph.

"Then he gave me the nickel and the note."

"Who did?"

"The boy."

"What boy?"

"The one I'm telling you about. I never saw him before. He was down near the elevator tracks where the old switch tower shanty is, you know."

"Why, yes, I know," a.s.sented Ralph, "but I can't imagine who the note can be from. Oh, I understand now," added Ralph, his eye brightening as he opened the note and caught a glimpse of the signature. "Here, Ted, there's a dime for your faithfulness, and maybe you can find a chum with a big axe who will pry up a few of those sidewalk spikes, and if you find the lost nickel you can have that, too."

"You're a capital fellow, Ralph Fairbanks," cried the delighted little urchin. "If you ever run for president of the Great Northern, my sister says the whole town will vote for you."

"Thank you, Ted," laughed the young railroader, "but they don't elect railroad presidents that way."

"Dad says you'll get there, anyway."