"It seems that my brother in starting in for himself had to run in debt for his principal machinery. His old partner managed somehow to buy the debt from the machinery people. He has put the screws to my brother, got out an execution for four thousand dollars against him, and unless that amount and the costs of the judgment are paid by tomorrow, he takes possession, and my brother loses everything." "There's lots of mean work in the world, and this is one of the hard cases," observed Ralph. "The worst of it is," continued Glidden, "my brother never let me know about the tight fix he was in. I never should have heard of it if he had not got sick in bed. He could do no business and his lawyer wrote to me. I got the letter only an hour ago. You see how fast I must work. I've got to raise that four thousand dollars before court time tomorrow." "Four thousand dollars?" repeated Ralph seriously--"that's a big sum of money, Mr. Glidden." "Yes, for a poor man like me, but brother John shall have it. I can't see a good twenty thousand dollar investment wrecked to satisfy the malice of an enemy. See here--take that," and Glidden extended a package and Ralph regarded it wonderingly. "What is it, Mr. Glidden?" he inquired. "One thousand dollars--five years' savings, I just drew it from the bank here. I want you to take the three o'clock train for Derby. Go to my brother's lawyer, whose address I will give you. Pay him that one thousand dollars, and see if he can't use it to stave off proceedings until I get on hand bright and early tomorrow morning with the balance of the money." CHAPTER XXI A DASTARDLY PLOT Ralph was greatly interested in the affairs of the Gliddens. The old dispatcher was a good fellow all around; he had proven himself a loyal friend to the young railroader, and Ralph could not resist the compliment implied in entrusting him with an important mission. "Sure the leave of absence is all right?" he suggested. "Saw the superintendent himself." "Very well, I'm glad to go for you," said Ralph, and he stowed the one thousand dollars in a safe inside pocket. "How are you going to raise the other three thousand dollars, though?" "I have a sister living at Wilston, who I know has as much as I had in bank. I'm going to take the express for there, jump to Myron, where a brother-in-law runs a small country bank, and I'm not afraid of results. My sister owns a two thousand dollar mortgage that I have an interest in, too. I'll take that on to the bank to put up as security, if it's needed." "You're a pretty good brother, Mr. Glidden," said Ralph earnestly. The old operator mumbled in his throat and turned away to hide the emotion that lay under his gruff manner.