car and swung himself aboard just as the train gathered even greater speed.

He climbed to the platform, wiped the moisture from his brow, fanned himself vigorously and then smiled.

“Close call, that,” he exclaimed.

“Young man,” said Mr. Willing dryly, “hereafter let there be no loitering behind. You gave me a scare and I don’t care for any more of the same.”

“Daddy!” exclaimed Shirley. “I am sure Dick didn’t do it intentionally.”

“No, sir,” agreed Dick. “As I followed after you I bumped into a lady and knocked her suitcase from her hand. It came open and the contents scattered about. For a moment I forgot all about the train and stopped to help her pick them up. Then I happened to remember we were late, and ran after you.”

“Your gallantry is bound to get you in trouble if you are not careful,” commented Mr. Willing.

They went inside.

Mr. Willing had engaged the two drawing rooms, one at either end of the car. Dick and the two older men were to occupy one and the two girls the other.

It was almost eight o’clock when the train pulled into Pittsburgh. They had just finished dinner, so Dick stepped off to look about for a few moments.

As he stood beside the steps of the Pullman, another man, probably several years his senior, approached and engaged him in conversation. He was an agreeable sort of a chap. He spoke English with the faintest of accents, however, and this Dick was not slow to notice.

It appeared that the man had a berth on the same car, and they climbed aboard together. In the smoking compartment was Mr. Willing, to whom Dick introduced the newcomer. Mr. Ashton came in a few moments later, and all sat talking.

The stranger, who introduced himself as Henry Bristow, made himself very agreeable and Mr. Willing took an instant liking to him.

During the course of the conversation, Dick chanced to mention that they would sail from New York for San Francisco on the fifteenth.

“On what ship?” demanded Bristow eagerly.

“Yucatan,” was the reply.

“Is that so?” exclaimed the other. “I shall sail on the same vessel.”

“For San Francisco?” asked Dick in surprise.

“That all depends,” was the answer. “I shall only take passage as far as Colon. Whether I shall go further depends upon my—upon circumstances.”

“We shall be glad to have you as a fellow passenger,” declared Mr. Willing. “As you are going to be such, you must meet my daughter, and the daughter of the colonel here.”

“I shall be pleased,” was the reply.

He accompanied the others to the drawing room, where introductions followed.

Young Bristow conversed fluently upon many topics and the others were delighted with him. From his remarks it was gathered that he had traveled considerably.

He spoke familiarly of New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and apparently had a personal knowledge of London, Paris, Berlin and other European cities. He was equally as well acquainted with the larger southern cities.

The two girls were eager listeners to the tales of his travels, and even Mr. Willing and Colonel Ashton gave an attentive ear to these stories.

“And where do you live?” asked Mr. Willing suddenly. “What did you say your business is?”

The young man’s face suddenly turned red.

“My home is in New York,” he replied quietly, “and as for my business, I fear that must remain a secret for the present.”

“Daddy, you shouldn’t be so inquisitive,” said Shirley with a smile.

“I’m sure I’m sorry,” apologized her father. “I didn’t mean—”

“Say no more about it,” replied the young man with a pleasant smile. “For certain reasons, I am not now able to reveal the nature of my business.”

Dick had been thinking rapidly. Suspicions had entered his head, and he could not shake them off. And still he knew that they would sound foolish to another.

“I’ll keep them to myself,” he said, “but I’ll keep an eye open.”

The train was just pulling into North Philadelphia when Shirley and Mabel opened their eyes the next morning. Mabel glanced at her watch.

“Seven o’clock,” she exclaimed. “We’ll have to hurry, Shirley. You know these fast trains don’t take long to reach New York from here. Besides, we want to get breakfast on the train.”

They dressed as rapidly as possible, and emerged from their drawing room just in time to see young Bristow stride down the aisle.

He gave them a cheery “good morning” and turned as Mr. Willing came up.

“I hope you will join us at breakfast, sir,” said Mr. Willing.

The young man accepted, and as Dick and Colonel Ashton appeared at this moment, all made their way to the diner together.

“Where shall you stay in New York, sir?” asked Bristow of Mr. Willing.

“At the McAlpin,” was the reply. “We shall spend the two days looking about the city, going aboard the Yucatan a couple of hours before time for her departure.”

Bristow turned to Dick.

“I shall look you up either this afternoon or to-morrow, and we’ll take a stroll,” he said.

“I’ll be glad to walk with you,” Dick replied.

Breakfast over, they returned to the Pullman, where they began to get their things together, for they were close to New York.

Half an hour later the train plunged into the tunnel under the Hudson river. Mr. Willing, who had been to New York before, explained how the tunnel had been constructed and gave other interesting information.

“You wouldn’t think we were in a tunnel,” exclaimed Shirley. “There is no smoke.”

“Electric engine,” replied Mr. Willing.

“And we go right under the river?”

“Yes.”

“My goodness!” exclaimed Mabel. “Just to think that there is a river running right over the top of us. Suppose it would come through.”

Mr. Willing smiled.

“It won’t,” he said quietly.

And now the porter came for their baggage, and carried it to the vestibule. The conductor poked his head in the door and called out:

“New York!”

“Here we are,” exclaimed Shirley eagerly. “The city I have always wanted to see. The greatest city in the world!”

CHAPTER IV.—DICK HAS AN ADVENTURE.

The two days spent in New York City were days of wonder to Shirley, Mabel and Dick. They were on the go every minute of the time, sightseeing. From one end of the city to the other they travelled with wide-open eyes.

The great skyscrapers impressed them, perhaps, more than any one other thing, though they saw much to amaze them; and next to the great buildings they were impressed by the crowds.

Crowds they had seen in some of the other large cities, but never anything like this.

They took a trip to Coney Island on the second day, and the girls were for going back again that night. Mr. Willing agreed, and they were about to fare forth from the hotel, when young Bristow was announced.

“I’ve come to take you for that promised stroll,” he told Dick.

Dick looked at the others inquiringly.

“You go with him,” nodded Colonel Ashton, “the rest of us can get along without you for one evening.”

“If I’m breaking up a party—” began Bristow.

“Never mind,” said the colonel with a wave of his hand. “You two young fellows run along. We don’t need you.”

“All right, sir,” agreed Dick.

Personally he was glad to have a chance to look about the town a little with one of his own