Dick had dreaded the question. It looked as if truthfulness would cost him much; but he determined that his new friends should know the worst. "Yes." "Then why did you quit?" Dick glanced at Ida, and imagined that she was interested, though she did not look up. "I was turned out, sir." "Ah!" said Fuller, without surprise. "May I ask why? It's not impertinent curiosity." "I was sent with some important papers, which I lost. This was bad enough, but there was some ground for suspecting that I had stolen them." "Do you know how they were lost?" Dick was grateful for the way the question was put, since it hinted that Fuller did not doubt his honesty. "No," he said. "That is, I have a notion, but I'm afraid I'll never quite find out." Fuller did not reply for a minute or two, and Dick, whose face was rather hot, glanced back at Ida. Her eyes were now fixed on him with quiet interest, and something in her expression indicated approval. "Well," said Fuller, "I'm going to give you a chance of making good, because if you had done anything crooked, you wouldn't have told me that tale. You'll quit driving the locomotive and superintend on a section of the dam. I'm not satisfied with the fellow who's now in charge. He's friendly with the dago sub-contractors and I suspect I'm being robbed." Dick's eyes sparkled. His foot was on the ladder that led to success; and he did not mean to stay at the bottom. Moreover, it caused him an exhilarating thrill to feel that he was trusted again. "I'll do my best, sir," he said gratefully. "Very well; you'll begin to-morrow, and can use the rooms behind the iron office shack. But there's something you have forgotten." Dick looked at him with a puzzled air; and Fuller laughed. "You haven't asked what I'm going to pay you yet." "No," said Dick. "To tell the truth, it didn't seem to matter." "Profession comes first?" Fuller suggested. "Well, that's right, but I've hired professional men, engineering and medical experts, who charged pretty high. Anyhow, here's my offer--" Dick was satisfied, as was Fuller. The latter was often generous and would not have taken unfair advantage of Dick's necessity, but he did not object to engaging a talented young man at something below the market rate. "While I'm here you'll come over twice a week to report," he resumed. "And now if there's anything you'd like to ask." "First of all, I owe you a dollar," Dick remarked, putting the money on the table. "The pay-clerk wouldn't take it, because he said it would mix up his accounts. I'm glad to pay you back, but this doesn't cancel the debt." "It wasn't a big risk. I thought you looked played out." "I was played out and hungry. In fact, it took me five minutes to make up my mind whether I'd pay the agent who gave me your address his fee, because it meant going without a meal." Fuller nodded. "Did you hesitate again, after you knew you'd got the job?"