concerning Hugh as were all the people of the Indiana town, and hoped to
get him into talk in order that he might find out why he walked alone at
night, why he sometimes worked all evening over books and figures in his
room at the country hotel, and why he had so little to say to his fellows.
Hoping to fathom Hugh's silence he abused the town in which they both
lived. "Well," he began, "I guess I understand how you feel. You want to
get out of this place." He explained his own predicament in life. "I got
married," he said. "Already I have three children. Out here a man can make
more money railroading than he can in my state, and living is pretty cheap.
Just to-day I had an offer of a job in a good town near my own place in
Ohio, but I can't take it. The job only pays forty a month. The town's all
right, one of the best in the northern part of the State, but you see the
job's no good. Lord, I wish I could go. I'd like to live again among people
such as live in that part of the country."

The railroad man and Hugh walked along the street that ran from the station
up into the main street of the town. Wanting to meet the advances that had
been made by his companion and not knowing how to go about it, Hugh adopted
the method he had heard his fellow laborers use with one another. "Well,"
he said slowly, "come have a drink."

The two men went into a saloon and stood by the bar. Hugh made a tremendous
effort to overcome his embarrassment. As he and the railroad man drank
foaming glasses of beer he explained that he also had once been a railroad
man and knew telegraphy, but that for several years he had been doing other
work. His companion looked at his shabby clothes and nodded his head. He
made a motion with his head to indicate that he wanted Hugh to come with
him outside into the darkness. "Well, well," he exclaimed, when they had
again got outside and had started along the street toward the station. "I
understand now. They've all been wondering about you and I've heard lots of