“What? Oh! Nothing, dad! I was just thinking.”
“Terrible thing, my boy—thinking at meal-time,” said E. H. Merriwether, with a self-conscious look of badinage.
“Yes, it is. I'll quit.”
“Is it anything about which you need advice—or help, my boy?” said the great little railroad dynast, very carelessly.
His eyes never left his son's face; but when Tom raised his gaze to meet his father's the elder Merriwether showed no interest. Tom knew his father and felt the paternal love that insisted on concealing itself as though it were a weakness.
“No, indeed. There is nothing the matter—really. I was thinking I'd like to do a man's work. I guess you'd better let me go with you on your next tour of inspection.”
The face of the czar of the Southwestern & Pacific lighted up.
“Will you?” he said, with an eagerness that made his voice almost tremble.
“Yes.”
And that evening E. H. Merriwether delivered a long lecture on railroad strategy and railroad financing to his son, which brought them very close to each other.