“But you forget, Mildred,” I cried astonished, and sitting up quickly; “these people are all going to switch off at the Junction and go twenty-five miles on another road. The conductor told us so, you know, and we can’t follow them, for it would make us a day late in reaching Tacoma, and auntie really must have her ulcerated tooth attended to.” She had in fact hardly held her head up that day and was suffering terribly. “Certainly,” said Mildred; “I have thought of all that, and it is all arranged. Alice and Will are to go on with her in this car and take the best of care of her, and if you will join Hélène [the maid] and me, we will go with the immigrants and see little Frau Kopp well started in the new home before we leave her. I consider it quite a fortunate circumstance on the whole. I have wanted an excuse to mingle with the people more and learn something further of frontier life than can be seen from the windows of a parlor-car.” Will remonstrated vigorously, however. “See here, Mildred,” he said seriously, “it will never do in the world for you to start off this way at night into an unknown region, and ride in these wretched cars. Very likely you will have to sleep on a straw bed in some vile little tavern no one knows where. You can give this woman some money, and”— “I haven’t time to argue,” interposed Mildred, packing her bag. “I have made up my mind to go. Don’t think me stubborn, but money can’t do for that disconsolate, frightened little woman what I can do. She has not a single friend; her baby is ill; some Yankee sharper would swindle her out of her money; and, besides, I want to go. I want to know from experience a little about the life of these people.” “Then if I can’t dissuade you I must go with you. Mother can”— “No, she can’t; and I can’t let you leave her, cousin Will,” replied Mildred with quiet determination. “Nothing can possibly happen to us. We are in a civilized land, and robbers are not wont to attack an immigrant train. We shall not be hurt by ‘roughing it’ for twenty-four hours, and if anything happens to delay us longer we will telegraph you.” “Let me go _instead_ of you,” insisted Will, still frowning upon the project; “there is no need of you three interrupting your journey when I can manage the affair perfectly well.” “But you don’t speak German and I do,” replied Mildred, decisively.