[Illustration: Something swished through the air from behind Clive’s head. Page 137.] Caleb Conover, Railroader By ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE _Author of “Syria from the Saddle,” “Dr. Dale” (in collaboration with Marion Harland), “Columbia Stories,” Etc._ NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY Publishers COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE. _Entered at Stationers’ Hall._ _All rights reserved._ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. CALEB CONOVER RECEIVES 5 II. CALEB CONOVER MAKES A SPEECH 27 III. CALEB CONOVER REGRETS 44 IV. IN TWO CAMPS 74 V. A MEETING, AN INTERRUPTION AND A LETTER 90 VI. CALEB WORKS AT LONG RANGE 115 VII. CALEB UNDERGOES A “HOME EVENING” 145 VIII. CALEB CONOVER LISTENS AND ANSWERS 173 IX. A CONVENTION AND A REVELATION 193 X. ANICE INTERVENES 207 XI. CALEB CONOVER MAKES TERMS 227 XII. CALEB CONOVER FIGHTS 247 XIII. THE FOURTH MESSENGER OF JOB 272 XIV. CALEB CONOVER LOSES AND WINS 291 XV. DUNDERBERG SOLVES THE DIFFICULTY 314 [Illustration: (FACSIMILE PAGE OF MANUSCRIPT FROM CALEB CONOVER, RAILROADER)] CALEB CONOVER, RAILROADER CHAPTER I CALEB CONOVER RECEIVES “The poor man!” sighed Mrs. Greer. “He must think he’s a cemetery!” The long line of carriages was passing solemnly through a mighty white marble arch, aglare with electric light, leading into the “show place” of Pompton Avenue. Athwart the arch’s pallid face, in raised letters a full foot in length were the words: “CALEB CONOVER, R.R., 1893.” In the ghastly, garish illumination, above the slow-moving procession of sombre vehicles, the arch and its inscription gave gruesome excuse for Mrs. Greer’s comment. She herself thought the phrase rather apt, and stored it away for repetition. Her husband, a downy little man, curled up miserably in the other corner of the brougham, read her thought, from long experience, and twisted forward into what he liked to think was a commanding attitude.