"No, sir--on duty," answered Slavin with great dignity.
"What"s that?" demanded Ralph sharply.
"Sure," coolly nodded Slavin, giving the levers a truly professional swing. "Don"t talk to the leverman when he"s busy--rule of the office, you, know, for outsiders."
"Ho! ho!" chuckled old Jack Knight.
"Outsiders?" repeated Ralph. "Call me one?"
"Ask Mr. Knight."
Ralph looked inquiringly at the veteran towerman.
"That"s right," a.s.sented Knight. "Superintendent was just here. Put Slavin on the levers, and wants you up at headquarters."
"What for?" asked Ralph.
"Says you"re due for promotion. Asked me what I thought about your choice. I told him fireman."
Ralph"s eyes sparkled with pleasure.
"Thank you, Mr. Knight," he said. "If it"s to be another step up the ladder, I would like it to be in just that line."
"You take another rung sure, that"s settled," declared old Jack proudly.
"And--you"ll get to the top!"
One hour later Ralph Fairbanks was officially instructed by the superintendent of the Great Northern, that he had been promoted to a new branch of service.
How did he succeed? How well, and how his influence and example helped the success of his loyal railroad friends, will be told in a succeeding volume to be called "Ralph on the Engine; or, The Young Fireman of the Limited Mail."
For the time being he was very happy and so was his mother. Mrs.
Fairbanks felt certain that they would soon be in possession of the property Gasper Farrington had so long kept from them.
"I think so myself, mother," said Ralph, and then he added with enthusiasm: "Isn"t it wonderful how we have prospered!"
"Yes, Ralph."
"And to think that I am to be a regularly appointed fireman," he continued.
"I can see that you are bound to be a railroad man, Ralph," answered the fond parent with a faint smile. "Well, you take after your father. I surely wish you the best of luck in your chosen calling."
And so do we; is that not so, gentle reader?
THE END