“A good one,” his daughter replied.

I thought I understood what was meant.  She didn’t want to rest under an obligation, and so I was to be paid up for what I had done by promotion.  It made me grit my teeth, and if I hadn’t taught myself not to swear, because of my position, I could have given sheriff Gunton points on cursing.  I wanted to speak up right there and tell Miss Cullen what I thought of her.

Of the interview which took place inside 218, I can speak only at second-hand, and the world knows about as well as I how the contest was compromised by the K. & A. being turned over to the Missouri Western, the territory in Southern California being divided between the California Central and the Great Southern, and a traffic arrangement agreed upon that satisfied the G.S.  That afternoon a Missouri Western board for the K. & A. was elected without opposition, and they in turn elected Mr. Cullen president of the K. & A.; so when my report of the holding-up went in, he had the pleasure of reading it.  I closed it with a request for instructions, but I never received any, and that ended the matter.  I turned over the letters to the special agent at Flagstaff, and I suppose his report is slumbering in some pigeon-hole in Washington, for I should have known of any attempt to bring the culprits to punishment.  Mr. Cullen had taken a big risk, but came out of it with a great lot of money, for the Missouri Western bought all his holdings in the K. & A. and C.C.  But the scare must have taught him a lesson, for ever since then he’s been conservative, and talks about the foolishness of investors who try to get more than five per cent, or who think of anything but good railroad bonds.

As for myself, a month after these occurrences I was appointed superintendent of the Missouri Western, which by this deal had become one of the largest railroad systems in the world.  It was a big step up for so young a man, and was of course pure favoritism, due to Mr. Cullen’s influence.  I didn’t stay in the position long, for within two years I was offered the presidency of the Chicago & St. Paul, and I think that was won on merit.  Whether or not, I hold the position still, and have made my road earn and pay dividends right through the panic.

All this is getting away ahead of events, however.  The election delayed us so that we couldn’t couple on to No. 4 that afternoon, and consequently we had to lie that night at Ash Fork.  I made the officers my excuse for keeping away from the Cullens, as I wished to avoid Madge.  I did my best to be good company to the bluecoats, and had a first-class dinner for them on my car, but I was in a pretty glum mood, which even champagne couldn’t modify.  Though all necessity of a guard ceased with the compromise, the cavalry remained till the next morning, and, after giving them a good breakfast, about six o’clock we shook hands, the bugle sounded, and off they rode.  For the first time I understood how a fellow disappointed in love comes to enlist.