“Right? What do you mean?”
“That you was f-fair and square, sir.”
“H’m!” says the president. “Sit down and be quick. I haven’t any time to waste. Tell me what you want and tell it briefly. No beating around the bush.” Anybody would have thought he was going to bite our heads off.
So Mark told him the whole thing from beginning to end, and he told it quick. I hadn’t any idea so much could be told to anybody in such a short time; but then I might have known Mark could do it if he wanted to. When he got right down to business he could be mighty brief, I’ll tell you.
“And that’s what you’ve dared to break into my office to bother me with, is it? For a cent I’d have you thrown out. I don’t know but I ought to do worse.”
Mark he never said a word, but just looked at the president respectful and confident.
The president turned around to his desk and wrote, and then he fairly threw a paper at Mark. “There,” says he. “Now git out.”
Mark looked at the paper and I looked over his shoulder. It said:
To all officials and employees of the P. G. R. R.: See to it that the bearer, Mark Tidd, is provided with freight-cars at any point to be transported to any other point in the United States within twelve hours of a request. This order is superior to all other rules or embargoes that may be at this time in force.
And his name was signed.