Page:Teeftallow-1926.djvu/378

see; an' if he fin'ly gits away with the money, the people will say he's one of the smartest men they ever see—an' they won't know which to admire the most."

"Well," admitted Abner, "they's something to that."

"There you air!" cried Railroad. "No matter what happens he'll be more thought of than he ever was before by the voters. You jest go explain that to him. An' tell him, too, the suit'll be over in a few days, an I'll pay off the county the first thing, an' he'll be out an' in office same as ever. So now, gimme a hand at this sack."

Abner went forward, swung the sack up on his shoulder, and started for a delivery wagon which he could see through the library window standing outside the Jones lawn. As he did so, he recalled that the fat man, with his clear, hard reasoning, had allowed his father, Linsey Teeftallow, to die in the county jail.

However, that personal aura about Railroad Jones, which made all the magnate did and said more arresting and dramatic than the commonplaces of ordinary mortals, drew Abner after the great man on to the delivery cart, and thence to the courthouse with the precious bag of papers. Abner reflected, as they jolted along, that he could tell Railroad's message to Jim later.

Railroad himself rode in the delivery van in deep thought, his body jostling about like a tub of jelly. Abner wondered what he was thinking about; certainly not Jim Sandage; his lawsuit probably. Abner suddenly felt sure the fat man would win the suit. It was impossible to sit near Railroad Jones and not feel that he would win.

As they approached the courthouse square Abner saw crowds of country folk moving about in the cold sunshine, attracted by the million-dollar railroad suit. As the delivery wagon passed the groups, Abner could hear, "There goes Railroad now!" "Well, he's met his match at last!" "He's been a good ol' dawg, but he's about run down . . ."

These gloomy predictions angered Abner, and he mentally