Steve and the Steam Engine

"It was the conquering of this multitude of defects that gave to the world the intricate, exquisitely made machine."—Frontispiece. See pag e 103. The Invention Series STEVE AND THE STEAM ENGINE BY SARA WARE BASSETT WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY A. O. SCOTT BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1921 Copyright, 1921, By Little, Brown, and Company. All rights reserved Published September, 1921 THE PLIMPTON PRESS NORWOOD MASS U S A Contents I AN UNPREMEDITATED FOLLY 1 II A MEETING WITH AN OLD FRIEND 19 III A SECOND CALAMITY 34 IV THE STORY OF THE FIRST RAILROAD 51 V STEVE LEARNS A SAD LESSON 67 VI MR. TOLMAN'S SECOND YARN 77 VII A HOLIDAY JOURNEY 94 VIII NEW YORK AND WHAT HAPPENED THERE 110 IX AN ASTOUNDING CALAMITY 125 X AN EVENING OF ADVENTURE 145 XI THE CROSSING OF THE COUNTRY 156 XII NEW PROBLEMS 169 XIII DICK MAKES HIS SECOND APPEARANCE 178 XIV A STEAMBOAT TRIP BY RAIL 192 XV THE ROMANCE OF THE CLIPPER SHIP 205 XVI AGAIN THE MAGIC DOOR OPENS 216 XVII MORE STEAMBOATING 224 XVIII A THANKSGIVING TRAGEDY 238 XIX THE END OF THE HOUSE PARTY 248 Illustrations "It was the conquering of this multitude of defects that gave to the world the intricate, exquisitely made machine."—Frontispiece. Frontispiece "You've got your engine nicely warmed up, youngster," he observed casually. 8 "I wish you'd tell me about this queer little old-fashioned boat." 180 He was fighting to prevent himself from being drawn beneath the jagged, crumbling edge of the hole. 244 STEVE AND THE STEAM ENGINE AN UNPREMEDITATED FOLLY Steve Tolman had done a wrong thing and he knew it. While his father, mother, and sister Doris had been absent in New York for a week-end visit and Havens, the chauffeur, was ill at the hospital, the boy had taken the big six-cylinder car from the garage without anybody's permission and carried a crowd of his friends to Torrington to a football game. And that was not the worst of it, either. At the foot of the long hill leading into the village the mighty leviathan so unceremoniously borrowed had come to a halt, refusing to move another inch, and Stephen now sat helplessly in it, awaiting the aid his comrades had promised to send back from the town. What an ignominious climax to what had promised to be a royal holiday! Steve scowled with…