"It is a peculiar situation," mused the invalid. "The last thing I remember is being in the thick of a railroad wreck, and here I wake up in bed, with a trained nurse in the room, to find myself the guest of a man whose name I do not even know."
"Appleton—H. D. Appleton, of Minneapolis. I am a lumberman—just returning from the National Lumberman's Convention in Buffalo. And yours?"
He was interrupted by a tap at the door and a couple of waiters entered bearing trays.
CHAPTER IX
BILL GETS A JOB
After luncheon, over cigars, the conversation again became personal. Appleton regarded the younger man thoughtfully.
"You spoke of being temporarily out of funds. Allow me to loan you what you require."
"Thank you, sir, but I could not think of it. I am already deeply indebted to you. If it were only a temporary embarrassment I wouldn't mind. But I have no definite plans. I must find work, and I freely confess I don't know exactly how to go about it. It might be a long time before I could repay the loan. Then, too, if a man is broke he will tackle the first job that comes along, whereas if he had money in his pocket he would be tempted to wait for something better, no matter what was offered."
"If you work it right you can easily get a couple of thousand out of the railroad company—damages, you know."