That evening at dinner, after Eleanor had given her father an account of her day, with which she always beguiled him, including a description of her visit to the two old ladies, she suddenly asked, "Father, what railroad was it that used to be known as the Transcontinental Something and Something?'" "The what?" "The 'Transcontinental Something and Something Else?' It was about sixty miles long, and was bought up by some bigger road and reorganized." "I suppose you mean the 'Transcontinental, North-western and Great Iron Range Road.' That about meets the condition you mention. What do you know about it?" "Was it reorganized?" "Yes; about twenty years ago, and again about ten years ago. I never quite understood the last reorganization. Mr. Argand had it done--and bought up most of the stock." "Was any one squeezed out?" "Sure--always are in such cases. That is the object of a reorganization--partly. Why are you so interested in it?" Mr. Leigh's countenance wore an amused look. "I have two friends--old ladies--who lost everything they had in it." "I guess it wasn't much. What is their name?" "It was all they had. They are named Tipps." Mr. Leigh's expression changed from amusement to seriousness. "Tipps--Tipps?" he repeated reminiscently. "Bassett Tipps? I wonder if they were connected with Bassett Tipps?" "They were his daughters--that was their father's name. I remember now, Miss Pansy told me once." "You don't say so! Why, I used to know Colonel Tipps when he was the big man of this region. He commanded this department before I came out here to live, and the old settlers thought he was as great a man as General Washington. He gave old Argand his start. He built that road,--was, in fact, a man of remarkable foresight, and if he had not been killed--Argand was his agent and general factotum--They didn't come into the reorganization, I guess?" "That's it--they did not--and now they want to get their interest back." "Well, tell them to save their money," said Mr. Leigh. "It's gone--they can't get it back." "They want you to get it back for them." "Me!" exclaimed Mr. Leigh. "They want me to get it back! Oh, ho-ho! They'd better go after your Aunt Sophia and Canter." "Yes; I told them you would." "You did?" Mr. Leigh's eyes once more lit up with amusement. "Yes: you see they were robbed of every cent they had in the world, and they have not a cent left." "Oh! no, they were not robbed. Everything was properly done and absolutely regular, as I remember. It must have been. I think there was some sort of claim presented afterward by the Tipps Estate which was turned down. Let me see; McSheen had the claim, and he gave it up--that was when? Let me see. He became counsel for your Uncle Argand in--what year was it?--you were a baby--it must have been eighteen years ago." "That was nineteen years ago, sir. I am now twenty," said his daughter, sitting up with a very grand air.