"It was when
they first had palaces."
Still thinking of Nimrod's palace and Priam's, I said
that must have been a great while ago.
"Yes, indeed," said he. "You would not call them
palaces now, since you have seen Pullman's and Wagner's.
But we called them palaces then. So many looking-
glasses, you know, and tapestry carpets and gold spit-
boxes. Ours was the first line that run palaces."
I asked myself, mentally, of what metal were the
spit-boxes in Semiramis's palace; but I said nothing.
"Our line was the first line that had them. We were
running our lightning express on the `Great Alleghanian.'
We were in opposition to everybody, made close
connections, served supper on board, and our passengers
only were sure of the night-boat at St. Louis. Those
were the days of river-boats, you know. We introduced
the palace feature on the railroad; and very successful
it was. I was an engineer. I had a first-rate
character, and the best wages of any man on the line.
Never put me on a dirt-dragger or a lazy freight loafer,
I tell you. No, sir! I ran the expresses, and nothing
else, and lay off two days in the week, besides. I don't
think I should have thought of it but for Todhunter,
who was my palace conductor."
Again this IT, which bad appeared so mysteriously in
what the man said before. I asked no question, but
listened, really interested now, in the hope I should
find out what IT was; and this the reader will learn.
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