Cinders

Trapped by heat, delay, and bad temper on his private car, railroad magnate James Worthington Steele watches a simple family trip turn into comic chaos. His wife clings to pinochle, his restless daughter Alicia flirts on a whim, and a stalled freight train outside the shabby station of San Rego sets the stage for a cascade of misunderstandings, jealousy, and frontier absurdity. At the depot, Alicia's teasing wink is enough to send lovesick cowpuncher Slim Simpson into emotional free fall when Sadie Thompson, the station agent's suspicious daughter, mistakes his reaction for betrayal and breaks off their engagement. As the train remains stranded, Alicia learns telegraphy and begins tapping out a desperate cry for help, which the station agent interprets as a real emergency. That signal sends Slim racing to the rescue, with Sadie close behind, turning a flirtation gone wrong into a lively Western comedy of class satire, romantic confusion, and unexpected heroics. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.