Distant Dreams by Tracie Peterson, Judith Pella Page B

no interest in business and banking.”
    “Pray tell, what do you have an interest in?” asked Edith, horrified at the turn of the conversation.
    “Railroads,” said James flatly, but with assurance.
    “Railroads!” mother and father exclaimed in unison.
    “Yes.” James smiled almost defiantly. “I had the opportunity to spend time with the president of the B&O—that’s Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. I learned a great deal about their operations and found it quite fascinating. Mr. Thomas is looking for good engineers to help design the rail line. And he believes my science courses, far from being frivolous, are perfectly tailored for his needs.”
    “Oh, James . . .” Edith laid a hand weakly across her forehead. “We had such high hopes for you. I do believe I’m feeling faint.”
    “Mother, the railroad business is quite respectable.”
    “Bah!” spat Leland. “It’s filled with risks and pitfalls. And I have no doubt half those railroad people are criminals to boot. They’ve approached me for loans—which I’ve refused handily. I’ve read their financial reports and can only say the entire venture is pure madness.”
    “Perhaps it is risky, but only those willing to risk greatly will reap in kind,” James countered with a determined set to his jaw. His blue eyes burned with conviction. “You took a few risks yourself, Father, when you opened this bank.”
    “Banking is a reputable business.”
    James chuckled. “Half the people in this country won’t put their money in a bank. I believe even the President keeps his personal income tucked under his mattress.”
    “But, son,” said Edith, “the railroad is so dirty and noisy.”
    “Mother, can’t you see all the promise it holds? I have seen the plans for a rail line from Baltimore to Ohio. Imagine that!” His excitement grew, oblivious of his parents’ clear disapproval. “And from Ohio it could well stretch the distance to Chicago.”
    “Chicago?” smirked Leland. “Who cares about that mudhole except the three thousand people who live there?”
    “Why don’t you just open your mind for a minute, Father?”
    “So you can drive a locomotive through it?” Leland’s jowls shook in his fury as he continued. “My mind is open, James, and I’m tired of your insolence. I’ve paid for your education, and I will dictate how it is used. You are going into the banking business, and you are going to marry well. I’ll hear no more of it. It is about time you acted like a man instead of an irresponsible boy.”
    Leland pushed back his chair and lurched angrily to his feet. Lunch, of course, was ruined now, but for Edith’s sake they would have to muddle through.

7
    Railroad Man
    James walked along the banks of the Potomac. It was enough away from the hubbub of the capital to allow him a small respite. The waters were sluggish now as summer drew to a close. He paused, stooped down, and picked up a small flat rock, which he flung mightily into the water. The rock skimmed the surface. But it hardly reached the other side as George Washington’s famed toss was reputed to have done.
    James stripped off his jacket and slung it over his shoulder. His mother would chide him for looking like a vagabond, but he didn’t care. The afternoon was stifling. The thought of his mother made him recall the events earlier in the day—not that they had been very far from him since leaving his parents after lunch. The meal had been terribly stilted and awkward. His father was unbending in his demands on James. His mother, in her sweet delicate way, was also quite inflexible.
    Sometimes James wanted desperately to throw aside all the family constraints. They weighed him down like chains. He longed to break free, perhaps be a real vagabond, or a mountain man, or an explorer. But duty and responsibility held him back. His father called him irresponsible, and maybe he was to some extent, but where his family was concerned, he felt the weight of his sense of