“And you must know, Mr. Armorer,” said Harry, in a dismal tone at which the president chuckled within, “that there is no man whose favor I would do so much to win!”

“Well, here’s your chance!” said Armorer.

Harry swung round in his chair, his clinched fists on his knee.  He was frowning with eagerness, and his eyes were like blue steel.

“See here, Mr. Armorer,” said he, “I am frank with you.  I want to please you, because I want to ask you to let me marry your daughter.  But I CAN’T please you, because I am mayor of this town, and I don’t dare to let you dismiss the conductors.  I don’t DARE, that’s the point.  We have had four children killed on this road since electricity was put in.”

“We have had forty killed on one street railway I know; what of it?  Do you want to give up electricity because it kills children?”

“No, but look here! the conductors lessen the risk.  A lady I know, only yesterday, had a little boy going from the kindergarten home, nice little fellow only five years old ——­”

“She ought to have sent a nurse with a child five years old, a baby!” cried Armorer, warmly.

“That lady,” answered Harry, quietly, “goes without any servant at all in order to keep her two children at the kindergarten; and the boy’s elder sister was ill at home.  The boy got on the car, and when he got off at the crossing above his house, he started to run across; the other train-car was coming, the little fellow didn’t notice, and ran to cross; he stumbled and fell right in the path of the coming car!”

“Where was the conductor?  He didn’t seem much good!”

“They had left off the conductor on that line.”

“Well, did they run over the boy?  Why haven’t I been informed of the accident?”

“There was no accident.  A man on the front platform saw the boy fall, made a flying leap off the moving car, fell, but scrambled up and pulled the boy off the track.  It was sickening; I thought we were both gone!”

“Oh, you were the man?”

“I was the man; and don’t you see, Mr. Armorer, why I feel strongly on the subject?  If the conductor had been on, there wouldn’t have been any occasion for any accident.”

“Well, sir, you may be assured that we will take precautions against any such accidents.  It is more for our interest than anyone’s to guard against them.  And I have explained to you the necessity of cutting down our expense list.”

“That is just it, you think you have to risk our lives to cut down expenses; but we get all the risk and none of the benefits.  I can’t see my way clear to helping you, sir; I wish I could.”

“Then there is nothing more to say, Mr. Lossing,” said Armorer, coldly.  “I’m sorry a mere sentiment that has no real foundation should stand in the way of our arranging a deal that would be for the advantage of both the city and our road.”  He rose.