"I thought you would like to go out to the Zoo this morning while I am busy. What do you say?"
"That would be bully."
"It is a simple trip which you can easily make alone. If you like, you can start along now," Mr. Tolman suggested.
"But you said last night that if I would hurry to bed, to-day you would tell me about the Western railroads," objected Stephen.
He saw his father's eyes twinkle.
"You have a remarkable memory," replied he. "I recall now that I did say something of the sort. But surely you do not mean that you would prefer to remain here and talk railroads than to go to the Zoo."
"I can go to the Zoo after you have gone out," maintained Steve, standing his ground valiantly.
"You are a merciless young beggar," grinned his father. "I plainly see that like Shylock you are determined to have your pound of flesh. Well, sit down. We will talk while I smoke."
As the boy settled contentedly into one of the comfortable chintz-covered chairs, Mr. Tolman blew a series of delicate rings of smoke toward the ceiling and wrinkled his brow thoughtfully.
"You got a pretty good idea at the theater last night what America was before we had trans-continental railroads," began he slowly. "You know enough of geography too, I hope, to imagine to some extent what it must have meant to hew a path across such an immense country as ours; lay a roadbed with its wooden ties; and transport all this material as well as the heavy rails necessary for the project. We all think we can picture to ourselves the enormity of the undertaking; but actually we have almost no conception of the difficulties such a mammoth work represented."