OFF FOR TEXAS
"Glorious news!"
"Oh, Dave! have you heard from Mr. Ramsdell?" cried his sister Laura.
"Yes, here is a letter. And it enclosed another from the Mentor
Construction Company. They are going to give me an opening with that
portion of the concern that is now operating in Texas, building
railroad bridges."
"Oh, Dave! then you will really have to go away down there?" burst out
Jessie, her face falling a trifle. "It's a dreadfully long way off!"
"Well, it's what I expected," he answered. "A fellow can't expect to
become a civil engineer and work in his own backyard," and he grinned
a trifle. "This letter from Mr. Ramsdell states that Roger will be
given an opening also."
"With you, of course?" queried Laura.
"He doesn't state that. But he knew we wanted to stick together, so I
suppose it's all right."
"When do you have to start?" questioned Jessie.
"Just as soon as we can get ready--according to Mr. Ramsdell's letter.
He says he is also sending word to Roger."
As was to be expected, the tidings quite excited our hero. Now that he
had passed the preliminary examination and was to go out for actual
field practice, he felt that he was really and truly on his way to
becoming a civil engineer. It was the first step towards the
realization of a dream that had been his for some time.
Dave's father and his uncle, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth, were
greatly interested in the news.
"There is one thing about it, Dave," said his parent; "I have made a
number of inquiries, and have learned that the Mentor Construction
Company is one of the largest and finest in this country. They employ
a number of first-class engineers; so it is likely that you will
receive the very best of instruction, and I sincerely hope that you
will make the best of your opportunities."
"I am going to do my level best, Dad," he returned earnestly. "I think
I'm a mighty lucky boy," he added, with a smile.
"I think you owe Mr. Ramsdell a good deal," said his Uncle Dunston.
"Of course, we have paid him for his services, but that isn't
everything."
"I know it," Dave returned; "and I'm either going to thank him in
person or else send him the nicest letter that I can write."
Now that he was really going to leave home, Mrs. Wadsworth, as well as
Laura and Jessie, took it upon their shoulders to see that Dave should
be properly taken care of so far as wearing apparel went.
"But oh, Dave! it's awful to think of your going so far away!" said
Jessie, one day, when the two were alone in the library. "The house
will be dreadfully lonely after you are gone."
"It won't be much different from when I was at Oak Hall, Jessie," he
answered.
"Oh, yes, it will be, Dave. Texas is a long way off. And my father
says the construction work that the Mentor Company is doing is close
to the Mexican border. What if you should have trouble with some of
those awful Mexican bandits?" and the girl shuddered.
"I don't expect any trouble of that kind. Practically all the fighting
that has been going on has been on Mexican soil on the other side of
the Rio Grande. As I understand it, the nearest point that the Mentor
Construction Company reaches to Mexico is some miles from the
border."
"Well, that's close enough with so much fighting going on," Jessie
pouted. "I don't want any of those awful Mexican revolutionists to
fire at you."
"Don't worry, Jessie," Dave answered; and then caught her by both
hands and drew her closer. "You're going to write to me regularly,
aren't you?" he continued, earnestly.
"Of course, Dave! And don't you forget to answer every letter," she
replied quickly.
"Oh, I'll do that, never fear!"
"And do you really think you are going to enjoy becoming a civil
engineer?"
"I'm positive of it, Jessie. The more I see of the profession, the
more I am in love with it. It's a wonderful thing. Just think of being
able to plan out a great big bridge across a broad river, or some
wonderful dam, or a tall sky-scraper, or an elevated railroad, or a
tunnel under a gigantic mountain, or a tube under some river, or--"
"Oh, my gracious me, Dave! are you going to do all those wonderful
things?" gasped the girl, her eyes opening widely.
"I don't expect I'll ever have the chance to do all those things,
Jessie; but I'm going to try my best to do some of them. Of course,
you must remember that at the present time civil engineering is
divided into a great many branches. Now, for instance, I didn't
mention anything about mining engineering, and that's a wonderful
profession in itself."
"Oh, Dave! it's wonderful--simply wonderful!" cried the girl. "And you
are going to be a wonderful man--I know it!" and she looked earnestly
into his eyes.
"If I ever do get to be a wonderful man, it's going to be on your
account, Jessie," he returned in a low voice. "You have been my
inspiration. Don't forget that;" and he drew her closer than before.
"Oh, Dave!"
"It's true, Jessie. And I only hope that I'll make good--and that too
before I am very much older. Then I think you already know what I am
going to do?"
"What?" she whispered, and dropped her eyes.
"I am going to ask your folks for your hand in marriage," he continued
firmly, reading his answer in her face.
Word had come in from Roger that he too was getting ready to go to
Texas, and that both of the youths were to work together, as had been
anticipated. As the senator's son was in Washington, it was arranged
that Dave was to join him in the Capitol City, and then the two were
to journey to Texas.
Ben had heard about Dave's proposed departure for the South, and he
came over several times to see his former Oak Hall chum before the
latter left home.
"Any news regarding the miniatures?" questioned Dave, during the last
of these visits.
"Not much," answered the real estate dealer's son. "The police thought
they had one or two clues, but they have all turned out to be false.
They arrested one fellow in Pittsburgh, thinking he was Tim Crapsey,
but he turned out to be somebody else."
"Then they haven't any word at all about Ward Porton?"
"No, that rascal seems to have disappeared from the face of the
earth."
"How is your father getting along, Ben?"
"He isn't doing so well, Dave. This loss of the miniatures was a
terrible blow to him. You see, the real estate business lately has not
been quite as good as it might be. My father went into several pretty
heavy investments, and he needed a little more money to help him
through. So when he got word about this fortune in pictures, he at
once thought that he could sell some of the miniatures and use the
proceeds in his real estate deals. Now that end of the business is at
a standstill."
"Is your father actually suffering for the want of some cash?" asked
our hero, quickly. "If he is, I think my father or my Uncle Dunston
can help him out."
"Your father has already promised to assist him, and so has Mr.
Wadsworth, Dave. But that isn't the thing. You know my father is an
independent sort of man, and it worries him to think that he can't
stand entirely on his own feet in his real estate transactions. Of
course, if he were well enough to be around I suppose he could adjust
matters without any special assistance. But it's hard lines when
things go wrong and you are flat on your back in bed."
"Yes, I can understand that. And it must worry your mother, too."
"Oh, it does! Ma isn't the same woman. She is awfully pale and quite
thin. The doctor told her not to worry so, or she'd be down on her
back, too."
"Well, you'll have to do what you can to cheer up both of them." Dave
drew a long breath. "I do wish somebody would catch those two rascals,
not only on your account but on my account also. I'd like to settle
matters with Porton, for having impersonated me at those stores, and
for taking my cap and overcoat."
"We've offered a reward of five thousand dollars for the return of the
miniatures, and another thousand each for the capture of the thieves,"
announced Ben. "That ought to be a strong inducement for the
detectives to do all they possibly can."
"We thought you might possibly get an offer from Porton or Crapsey, or
both of them, to return the miniatures for a certain amount," went on
Dave. "But you say no such offer has come in?"
"No."
"Would your father consider it if it did come in?"
"I don't know what he would do, Dave. Of course, he'd hate to give up
money to a thief; but, just the same, he'd hate it worse if he never
got the miniatures back."
At last came the time for Dave to leave home. His trunk had been
packed and shipped on ahead. There was still considerable snow on the
ground; so he was taken to the depot in the big Wadsworth sleigh, the
girls and his father accompanying him.
"Good-bye, Davy, my boy!" cried his Uncle Dunston, when he was ready
to leave the house. "Now I expect you to give a good account of
yourself while with that construction company."
"I'll do what I can," he answered.
"And do keep away from the Mexicans," added Mrs. Wadsworth with a
sigh.
"You trust David to do the right thing," came from old Caspar Potts,
his mellow eyes beaming brightly. "David is all right. He's my boy,
and I'm proud of him," and he nodded his head over and over again.
For the girls, the drive to the depot was all too short. Laura had so
many things to say to her brother that she hardly knew what to speak
of first. As for poor Jessie, she felt so bad she could scarcely
speak, and when she looked at Dave there were unbidden tears in her
eyes.
"Now don't look at it that way," David whispered, when he caught sight
of the tears. "I'll be back again before a great while."
"Oh, Dave, I--I--ca--can't help it," she murmured. "I--I--think
so--so--much of--of--you!" and then, for the moment, she hid her face
on his shoulder.
Mr. Porter had a few words of advice to give, and he had hardly
finished when the train rolled into the station. Then Dave shook hands
with his father, and kissed each of the girls, and climbed on board.
"Good-bye, my son!" called Mr. Porter.
"Good-bye, Dad! Take care of yourself while I'm gone," he shouted
back. "Good-bye, Laura! Good-bye, Jessie!"
"Good-bye, Dave!" returned the sister, waving her hand.
Jessie tried to speak but could not, and so she too waved a farewell.
Then the train rolled from the Crumville station, slowly gathering
speed, and finally disappearing in the distance.
At last our hero was off to become a full-fledged civil engineer.