“I suppose you think that dummy isn’t much of an engine,” he added, with a very pleasant smile upon his face.
“I think it works very well, sir.”
“I dare say you do; but I want to say, a thing like that is not the height of our ambition,” he continued, rubbing his hands under the influence of some undeveloped idea.
“I’m sure I shouldn’t wish for anything better than the dummy.”
“It answers very well to begin with; but I have a regular locomotive and two cars in process of building, and I shall have them on the track this fall.”
“Is it a big locomotive?” I asked, curiously.
“No, it’s a small one; and it will be the prettiest plaything you ever saw. I’m determined that the Toppleton Institute shall be the most popular one in the country.”
“I suppose Colonel Wimpleton will do something to offset this movement on your part,” I suggested.
“What can he do?” asked the major, anxiously. “Have you heard of anything?”
“No, sir. I only know they feel very bad about the Lake Shore Railroad over there.”