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disappeared with his guests。 Then there was the familiar shuffle
of his feet on the staircase； followed by other more cautious
footsteps that grew delicately and even courteously deliberate as
they approached。 At which the young girl； in some new sense of
decorum； drew in her pretty head； glanced around the room quickly；
reset the tidy on her father's chair； placed the resplendent
accordion like an ornament in the exact centre of the table； and
then vanished into the hall as Mr。 Harkutt entered with the
strangers。
They were both of the same age and appearance； but the principal
speaker was evidently the superior of his companion； and although
their attitude to each other was equal and familiar； it could be
easily seen that he was the leader。 He had a smooth； beardless
face； with a critical expression of eye and mouth that might have
been fastidious and supercilious but for the kindly； humorous
perception that tempered it。 His quick eye swept the apartment and
then fixed itself upon the accordion； but a smile lit up his face
as he said quietly；
〃I hope we haven't frightened the musician away。 It was bad enough
to have interrupted the young lady。〃
〃No； no；〃 said Mr。 Harkutt； who seemed to have lost his abstraction
in the nervousness of hospitality。 〃I reckon she's only lookin'
after her sick sister。 But come into the kitchen； both of you；
straight off； and while you're dryin' your clothes； mother'll fix
you suthin' hot。〃
〃We only need to change our boots and stockings； we've some dry
ones in our pack downstairs；〃 said the first speaker hesitatingly。
〃I'll fetch 'em up and you can change in the kitchen。 The old
woman won't mind；〃 said Harkutt reassuringly。 〃Come along。〃 He
led the way to the kitchen； the two strangers exchanged a glance of
humorous perplexity and followed。
The quiet of the little room was once more unbroken。 A far…off
commiserating murmur indicated that Mrs。 Harkutt was receiving her
guests。 The cool breath of the wet leaves without slightly stirred
the white dimity curtains； and somewhere from the darkened eaves
there was a still； somnolent drip。 Presently a hurried whisper and
a half…laugh appeared to be suppressed in the outer passage or
hall。 There was another moment of hesitation and the door opened
suddenly and ostentatiously； disclosing Phemie； with a taller and
slighter young woman； her elder sister； at her side。 Perceiving
that the room was empty； they both said 〃Oh！〃 yet with a certain
artificiality of manner that was evidently a lingering trace of
some previous formal attitude they had assumed。 Then without
further speech they each selected a chair and a position； having
first shaken out their dresses； and gazed silently at each other。
It may be said briefly that sitting thusin spite of their
unnatural attitude； or perhaps rather because of its suggestion of
a photographic posethey made a striking picture； and strongly
accented their separate peculiarities。 They were both pretty； but
the taller girl； apparently the elder； had an ideal refinement and
regularity of feature which was not only unlike Phemie； but
gratuitously unlike the rest of her family； and as hopelessly and
even wantonly inconsistent with her surroundings as was the
elaborately ornamented accordion on the centre…table。 She was one
of those occasional creatures； episodical in the South and West；
who might have been stamped with some vague ante…natal impression
of a mother given to over…sentimental contemplation of books of
beauty and albums rather than the family features； offspring of
typical men and women； and yet themselves incongruous to any known
local or even general type。 The long swan…like neck； tendriled
hair； swimming eyes； and small patrician head； had never lived or
moved before in Tasajara or the West； nor perhaps even existed
except as a personified 〃Constancy；〃 〃Meditation；〃 or the 〃Baron's
Bride；〃 in mezzotint or copperplate。 Even the girl's common pink
print dress with its high sleeves and shoulders could not
conventionalize these original outlines； and the hand that rested
stiffly on the back of her chair； albeit neither over…white nor
well kept； looked as if it had never held anything but a lyre； a
rose； or a good book。 Even the few sprays of wild jessamine which
she had placed in the coils of her waving hair； although a local
fashion； became her as a special ornament。
The two girls kept their constrained and artificially elaborated
attitude for a few moments； accompanied by the murmur of voices in
the kitchen； the monotonous drip of the eaves before the window；
and the far…off sough of the wind。 Then Phemie suddenly broke into
a constrained giggle； which she however quickly smothered as she
had the accordion； and with the same look of mischievous distress。
〃I'm astonished at you； Phemie；〃 said Clementina in a deep contralto
voice； which seemed even deeper from its restraint。 〃You don't seem
to have any sense。 Anybody'd think you never had seen a stranger
before。〃
〃Saw him before you did；〃 retorted Phemie pertly。 But here a
pushing of chairs and shuffling of feet in the kitchen checked her。
Clementina fixed an abstracted gaze on the ceiling； Phemie regarded
a leaf on the window sill with photographic rigidity as the door
opened to the strangers and her father。
The look of undisguised satisfaction which lit the young men's
faces relieved Mr。 Harkutt's awkward introduction of any
embarrassment； and almost before Phemie was fully aware of it； she
found herself talking rapidly and in a high key with Mr。 Lawrence
Grant； the surveyor； while her sister was equally； although more
sedately； occupied with Mr。 Stephen Rice； his assistant。 But the
enthusiasm of the strangers； and the desire to please and be
pleased was so genuine and contagious that presently the accordion
was brought into requisition； and Mr。 Grant exhibited a surprising
faculty of accompaniment to Mr。 Rice's tenor； in which both the
girls joined。
Then a game of cards with partners followed； into which the rival
parties introduced such delightful and shameless obviousness of
cheating； and displayed such fascinating and exaggerated
partisanship that the game resolved itself into a hilarious melee；
to which peace was restored only by an exhibition of tricks of
legerdemain with the cards by the young surveyor。 All of which
Mr。 Harkutt supervised patronizingly； with occasional fits of
abstraction； from his rocking…chair； and later Mrs。 Harkutt from her
kitchen threshold； wiping her arms on her apron and commiseratingly
observing that she 〃declared； the young folks looked better
already。〃
But it was here a more dangerous element of mystery and suggestion
was added by Mr。 Lawrence Grant in the telling of Miss Euphemia's
fortune from the cards before him； and that young lady； pink with
excitement； fluttered her little hands not unlike timid birds over
the cards to be drawn； taking them from him with an audible twitter
of anxiety and great doubts whether a certain 〃fair…haired
gentleman〃 was in hearts or diamonds。
〃Here are two strangers；〃 said Mr。 Grant； with extraordinary
gravity laying down the cards； 〃and here is a 'journey；' this is
'unexpected news；' and this ten of diamonds means 'great wealth' to
you； which you see follows the advent of the two strangers and is
some way connected with them。〃
〃Oh； indeed；〃 said the young lady with great pertness and a toss of
her head。 〃I suppose they've got the money with them。〃
〃No； though it reaches you through them；〃 he answered with
unflinching solemnity。 〃Wait a bit； I have it！ I see； I've made a
mistake with this card。 It signifies a journey or a road。 Queer！
isn't it； Steve？ It's THE ROAD。〃
〃It is queer；〃 said Rice with equal gravity； 〃but it's so。 The
road； sure！〃 Nevertheless he looked up into the large eyes of
Clementina with a certain confidential air of truthfulness。
〃You see； ladies；〃 continued the surveyor； appealing to them with
unabashed rigidity of feature； 〃the cards don't lie！ Luckily we
are in a position to corroborate them。 The road in question is a
secret known only to us and some capitalists in San Francisco。 In
fact even THEY don't know that it is feasible until WE report to
them。 But I don't mind telling you now； as a slight return for
your charming hospitality； that the road is a RAILROAD from Oakland
to Tasajara Creek of which we've just made the preliminary survey。
So you see what the cards mean is this： You're not far from
Tasajara Creek； in fact with a very little expense your father
could connect this stream with the creek； and have a WATERWAY
STRAIGHT TO THE RAILROAD TERMINUS。 That's the wealth the cards
promise； and if your father knows how to take a hint he can make
his fortune！〃
It was impossible to say which was the most dominant in the face of
the speaker； the expre