CHAPTER III.--OFF FOR NEW YORK.

It was the morning of the twelfth of June that the party of five went early to Paris to catch the eight o'clock train for Cincinnati. Dick had arrived the night before, and in spite of the fact that they would have to be up very early in the morning, all sat up talking, for the young people were too excited to go to sleep.

All through the long hours of the night the girls tossed about, scarcely closing their eyes. They were up with the break of day, which was soon after four o'clock.

At last the time for departure came, and they jumped gaily into the large automobile which was to take them to town.

"What time shall we leave Cincinnati, sir?" Dick asked of Mr. Willing, as the train pulled out from the station.

"Twelve o'clock," was the reply. "We'll get there a little after eleven, which will give us time to get across town to the Pennsylvania station. I have made reservations on the New York train."

Nevertheless it lacked only twenty minutes of the noon hour when the train pulled into Cincinnati.

"Hurry girls," ordered Mr. Willing. "We have no time to lose. We can just about make it."

They dashed through the station and out the Third street entrance, where Mr. Willing immediately engaged two taxicabs.

"Pennsylvania Station!" he ordered, and they were off at a good gait.

Through the narrow streets congested with traffic they were forced to go more slowly, and Mr. Willing looked at his watch impatiently from time to time.

"Seven minutes!" he said, and they were still some distance from their destination, and then the first cab stopped to let a car pass in front of it.

"Hurry!" commanded Mr. Willing of his driver. "We haven't got all day to get there. Let the street cars do the waiting after this."

The chauffeur nodded and the cab leaped forward, scattering pedestrians right and left, darting in and out among other vehicles, avoiding a collision as though by a miracle. The second cab came close behind.

At last the station was reached and all dismounted hurriedly. With Mr. Willing in the lead they ran through the station to the train shed. Here the conductor had just called "All aboard!"

Mr. Willing heard him, and urged the others on faster. They passed through the gate, Mr. Willing assisted the girls and Colonel Ashton up the steps, then climbed up himself. And as he did so, Shirley, who had turned to look at him, cried:

"Where's Dick?"

Mr. Willing looked around, then stood nonplussed. Dick was not here. The train began to move.

There came a shout from behind and a young man came dashing after the train. Shirley cried out in alarm. It was Dick.

The train had gathered headway now and was slipping along beneath the shed more rapidly. Dick sprinted, gained, clutched the handrail of the car and swung himself aboard just as the train gathered even greater speed.

He climbed to the platform, wiped the moisture from his brow, fanned himself vigorously and then smiled.

"Close call, that," he exclaimed.

"Young man," said Mr. Willing dryly, "hereafter let there be no loitering behind. You gave me a scare and I don't care for any more of the same."

"Daddy!" exclaimed Shirley. "I am sure Dick didn't do it intentionally."

"No, sir," agreed Dick. "As I followed after you I bumped into a lady and knocked her suitcase from her hand. It came open and the contents scattered about. For a moment I forgot all about the train and stopped to help her pick them up. Then I happened to remember we were late, and ran after you."

"Your gallantry is bound to get you in trouble if you are not careful," commented Mr. Willing.

They went inside.

Mr. Willing had engaged the two drawing rooms, one at either end of the car. Dick and the two older men were to occupy one and the two girls the other.

It was almost eight o'clock when the train pulled into Pittsburgh. They had just finished dinner, so Dick stepped off to look about for a few moments.

As he stood beside the steps of the Pullman, another man, probably several years his senior, approached and engaged him in conversation. He was an agreeable sort of a chap. He spoke English with the faintest of accents, however, and this Dick was not slow to notice.

It appeared that the man had a berth on the same car, and they climbed aboard together. In the smoking compartment was Mr. Willing, to whom Dick introduced the newcomer. Mr. Ashton came in a few moments later, and all sat talking.

The stranger, who introduced himself as Henry Bristow, made himself very agreeable and Mr. Willing took an instant liking to him.

During the course of the conversation, Dick chanced to mention that they would sail from New York for San Francisco on the fifteenth.

"On what ship?" demanded Bristow eagerly.

"_Yucatan_," was the reply.

"Is that so?" exclaimed the other. "I shall sail on the same vessel."

"For San Francisco?" asked Dick in surprise.

"That all depends," was the answer. "I shall only take passage as far as Colon. Whether I shall go further depends upon my--upon circumstances."

"We shall be glad to have you as a fellow passenger," declared Mr. Willing. "As you are going to be such, you must meet my daughter, and the daughter of the colonel here."

"I shall be pleased," was the reply.

He accompanied the others to the drawing room, where introductions followed.

Young Bristow conversed fluently upon many topics and the others were delighted with him. From his remarks it was gathered that he had traveled considerably.

He spoke familiarly of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and apparently had a personal knowledge of London, Paris, Berlin and other European cities. He was equally as well acquainted with the larger southern cities.

The two girls were eager listeners to the tales of his travels, and even Mr. Willing and Colonel Ashton gave an attentive ear to these stories.

"And where do you live?" asked Mr. Willing suddenly. "What did you say your business is?"

The young man's face suddenly turned red.

"My home is in New York," he replied quietly, "and as for my business, I fear that must remain a secret for the present."

"Daddy, you shouldn't be so inquisitive," said Shirley with a smile.

"I'm sure I'm sorry," apologized her father. "I didn't mean--"

"Say no more about it," replied the young man with a pleasant smile. "For certain reasons, I am not now able to reveal the nature of my business."

Dick had been thinking rapidly. Suspicions had entered his head, and he could not shake them off. And still he knew that they would sound foolish to another.

"I'll keep them to myself," he said, "but I'll keep an eye open."

The train was just pulling into North Philadelphia when Shirley and Mabel opened their eyes the next morning. Mabel glanced at her watch.

"Seven o'clock," she exclaimed. "We'll have to hurry, Shirley. You know these fast trains don't take long to reach New York from here. Besides, we want to get breakfast on the train."

They dressed as rapidly as possible, and emerged from their drawing room just in time to see young Bristow stride down the aisle.

He gave them a cheery "good morning" and turned as Mr. Willing came up.

"I hope you will join us at breakfast, sir," said Mr. Willing.

The young man accepted, and as Dick and Colonel Ashton appeared at this moment, all made their way to the diner together.

"Where shall you stay in New York, sir?" asked Bristow of Mr. Willing.

"At the McAlpin," was the reply. "We shall spend the two days looking about the city, going aboard the _Yucatan_ a couple of hours before time for her departure."

Bristow turned to Dick.

"I shall look you up either this afternoon or to-morrow, and we'll take a stroll," he said.

"I'll be glad to walk with you," Dick replied.

Breakfast over, they returned to the Pullman, where they began to get their things together, for they were close to New York.

Half an hour later the train plunged into the tunnel under the Hudson river. Mr. Willing, who had been to New York before, explained how the tunnel had been constructed and gave other interesting information.

"You wouldn't think we were in a tunnel," exclaimed Shirley. "There is no smoke."

"Electric engine," replied Mr. Willing.

"And we go right under the river?"

"Yes."

"My goodness!" exclaimed Mabel. "Just to think that there is a river running right over the top of us. Suppose it would come through."

Mr. Willing smiled.

"It won't," he said quietly.

And now the porter came for their baggage, and carried it to the vestibule. The conductor poked his head in the door and called out:

"New York!"

"Here we are," exclaimed Shirley eagerly. "The city I have always wanted to see. The greatest city in the world!"