his private life was pure, and he was a most tender husband
and father. He had never deceived Esther before in her life.
Once he had ridden all night in a freight-car to keep a promise
that he had made the child. It hurt him to be hoodwinking her now.
But he was too angry and too frightened to cry back.

The interview with the lawyer did not take any long time,
but he spent two hours with the superintendent of the road,
who pronounced him "a little nice fellow with no airs about him.
Asked a power of questions about Harry Lossing; guess there is
something in that story about Lossing going to marry his daughter!"

Marston drove him to Lossing's office and left him there.

He was on the ground, and Marston lifting the whip to touch the horse,
when he asked: "Say, before you go--is there any danger in leaving
off the conductors?"

Marston was raised on mules, and he could not overcome a vehement distrust
of electricity. "Well," said he, "I guess you want the cold facts.
The children are almighty thick down on Third Street, and children
are always trying to see how near they can come to being killed,
you know, sir; and then, the old women like to come and stand on
the track and ask questions of the motorneer on the other track,
so that the car coming down has a chance to catch 'em. The two together
keep the conductors on the jump!"

"Is that so?" said Armorer, musingly; "well, I guess you'd better
close with that insurance man and get the papers made out before we
run the new way."