A Romance in Transit

Fred Brockway's westbound railway assignment becomes awkward when he learns that Gertrude Vennor is aboard with her father, the railway president. The young passenger agent is escorting a party of older and unwell travellers across the Great Plain. His hesitant replies to friendly questions make his interest in Gertrude plain. Around them, fellow passengers discuss work, money and the deference expected by a powerful employer.

Francis Lynde sets this love story among sleeping cars, private compartments and excursions through Colorado. A planned outing up Clear Creek Canyon gives President Vennor an opportunity to arrange his daughter's movements while sharing a secret with the obliging Mr. Burton. Lively exchanges, especially those involving Mrs. Burton, bring humour to the clash between personal feeling and social position. Readers interested in railway life can follow a romance whose meetings and manoeuvres are shaped by trains, excursions and travel companions.