Miss Eleanor did not need to vocalize her approval of Judson; the dark eyes were alight with excitement.

“How fine!” she applauded.  “Of course, after that, you took Mr. Judson back into the railway service?”

“Indeed, I did nothing of the sort; nor shall I, until he demonstrates that he means what he says about letting the whiskey alone.”

“’Until he demonstrates’—­don’t be so cold-blooded, Howard!  Possibly he saved your life.”

“Quite probably.  But that has nothing to do with his reinstatement as an engineer of passenger-trains.  It would be much better for Rufford to kill me than for me to let Judson have the chance to kill a train-load of innocent people.”

“And yet, a few moments ago, you called yourself a coward, cousin mine.  Could you really face such an alternative without flinching?”

“It doesn’t appeal to me as a question involving any special degree of courage,” he said slowly.  “I am a great coward, Eleanor—­not a little one, I hope.”

“It doesn’t appeal to you?—­dear God!” she said.  “And I have been calling you ... but would you do it, Howard?”

He smiled at her sudden earnestness.

“How generous your heart is, Eleanor, when you let it speak for itself!  If you will promise not to let it change your opinion of me—­you shouldn’t change it, you know, for I am the same man whom you held up to scorn the day we parted—­if you will promise, I’ll tell you that for weeks I have gone about with my life in my hands, knowing it.  It hasn’t required any great amount of courage; it merely comes along in the line of my plain duty to the company—­it’s one of the things I draw my salary for.”

“You haven’t told me why this desperado wanted to kill you—­why you are in such a deep sea of trouble out here, Howard,” she reminded him.

“No; it is a long story, and it would bore you if I had time to tell it.  And I haven’t time, because that is Williams’s whistle for the Angels yard.”

He had risen and was helping his companion to her feet when Mrs. Brewster came to the car door to say: 

“Oh, you are out here, are you, Howard?  I was looking for you to let you know that we dine in the Nadia at seven.  If your duties will permit——­”

Lidgerwood’s refusal was apologetic but firm.

“I am very sorry, Cousin Jessica,” he protested.  “But I left a deskful of stuff when I ran away to the wreck this morning, and really I’m afraid I shall have to beg off.”

“Oh, don’t be so dreadfully formal!” said the president’s wife impatiently.  “You are a member of the family, and all you have to do is to say bluntly that you can’t come, and then come whenever you can while we are here.  Carolyn Doty is dying to ask you a lot more questions about the Red Desert.  She confided to me that you were the most interesting talker——­”

Miss Eleanor’s interruption was calculated to temper the passed-on praise.