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kind of a bargain。 And soyou won't be mad； old fellow； will
you？I thought I'd put it beyond any question of my own good faith
by having it in black and white。〃 He stopped； laughing and
blushing； but still earnest and sincere。 〃You don't think me a
fool； do you？〃 he said pathetically。
Stacy smiled grimly。 〃I think； Barker boy； that if you go to the
Branch you'll have no difficulty in paying for the Ditch property。
Good…night。〃
In a few moments he was back at the club again before any one knew
he had even left the building。 As he again re…entered the smoking…
room he found the members still in eager discussion about the new
railroad。 One was saying； 〃If they could get an extension； and
carry the road through Heavy Tree Hill to Boomville they'd be all
right。〃
〃I quite agree with you；〃 said Stacy。
CHAPTER III。
The swaying； creaking； Boomville coach had at last reached the
level ridge； and sank forward upon its springs with a sigh of
relief and the slow precipitation of the red dust which had hung in
clouds around it。 The whole coach； inside and out； was covered
with this impalpable powder； it had poured into the windows that
gaped widely in the insufferable heat； it lay thick upon the novel
read by the passenger who had for the third or fourth time during
the ascent made a gutter of the half…opened book and blown the dust
away in a single puff； like the smoke from a pistol。 It lay in
folds and creases over the yellow silk duster of the handsome woman
on the back seat； and when she endeavored to shake it off enveloped
her in a reddish nimbus。 It grimed the handkerchiefs of others；
and left sanguinary streaks on their mopped foreheads。 But as the
coach had slowly climbed the summit the sun was also sinking behind
the Black Spur Range； and with its ultimate disappearance a
delicious coolness spread itself like a wave across the ridge。 The
passengers drew a long breath； the reader closed his book； the lady
lifted the edge of her veil and delicately wiped her forehead； over
which a few damp tendrils of hair were clinging。 Even a
distinguished…looking man who had sat as impenetrable and remote as
a statue in one of the front seats moved and turned his abstracted
face to the window。 His deeply tanned cheek and clearly cut
features harmonized with the red dust that lay in the curves of his
brown linen dust…cloak； and completed his resemblance to a bronze
figure。 Yet it was Demorest； changed only in coloring。 Now； as
five years ago； his abstraction had a certain quality which the
most familiar stranger shrank from disturbing。 But in the general
relaxation of relief the novel…reader addressed him。
〃Well； we ain't far from Boomville now； and it's all down…grade the
rest of the way。 I reckon you'll be as glad to get a 'wash up' and
a 'shake' as the rest of us。〃
〃I am afraid I won't have so early an opportunity；〃 said Demorest；
with a faint； grave smile； 〃for I get off at the cross…road to
Heavy Tree Hill。〃
〃Heavy Tree Hill！〃 repeated the other in surprise。 〃You ain't
goin' to Heavy Tree Hill？ Why； you might have gone there direct by
railroad； and have been there four hours ago。 You know there's a
branch from the Divide Railroad goes there straight to the hotel at
Hymettus。〃
〃Where？〃 said Demorest； with a puzzled smile。
〃Hymettus。 That's the fancy name they've given to the watering…
place on the slope。 But I reckon you're a stranger here？〃
〃For five years；〃 said Demorest。 〃I fancy I've heard of the
railroad； although I prefer to go to Heavy Tree this way。 But I
never heard of a watering…place there before。〃
〃Why； it's the biggest boom of the year。 Folks that are tired of
the fogs of 'Frisco and the heat of Sacramento all go there。 It's
four thousand feet up； with a hotel like Saratoga； dancing； and a
band plays every night。 And it all sprang out of the Divide
Railroad and a crank named George Barker； who bought up some old
Ditch property and ran a branch line along its levels； and made a
junction with the Divide。 You can come all the way from 'Frisco or
Sacramento by rail。 It's a mighty big thing！〃
〃Yet；〃 said Demorest； with some animation； 〃you call the man who
originated this success a crank。 I should say he was a genius。〃
The other passenger shook his head。 〃All sheer nigger luck。 He
bought the Ditch plant afore there was a ghost of a chance for the
Divide Railroad； just out o' pure dd foolishness。 He expected
so little from it that he hadn't even got the agreement done in
writin'； and hadn't paid for it； when the Divide Railroad passed
the legislature； as it never oughter done！ For； you see； the
blamedest cur'ous thing about the whole affair was that this
'straw' road of a Divide； all pure wildcat； was only gotten up to
frighten the Pacific Railroad sharps into buying it up。 And the
road that nobody ever calculated would ever have a rail of it laid
was pushed on as soon as folks knew that the Ditch plant had been
bought up； for they thought there was a big thing behind it。 Even
the hotel was； at first； simply a kind of genteel alms…house that
this yer Barker had built for broken…down miners！〃
〃Nevertheless；〃 continued Demorest； smiling； 〃you admit that it is
a great success？〃
〃Yes；〃 said the other； a little irritated by some complacency in
Demorest's smile； 〃but the success isn't HIS'N。 Fools has ideas；
and wise men profit by them； for that hotel now has Jim Stacy's
bank behind it； and is even a kind of country branch of the Brook
House in 'Frisco。 Barker's out of it； I reckon。 Anyhow； HE
couldn't run a hotel； for all that his wifeshe that's one of the
big 'Frisco swells nowused to help serve in her father's。 No；
sir； it's just a fool's luck； gettin' the first taste and leavin'
the rest to others。〃
〃I'm not sure that it's the worst kind of luck；〃 returned Demorest；
with persistent gravity； 〃and I suppose he's satisfied with it。〃
But so heterodox an opinion only irritated his antagonist the more；
especially as he noticed that the handsome woman in the back seat
appeared to be interested in the conversation； and even sympathetic
with Demorest。 The man was in the main a good…natured fellow and
loyal to his friends； but this did not preclude any virulent
criticism of others； and for a moment he hated this bronze…faced
stranger； and even saw blemishes in the handsome woman's beauty。
〃That may be YOUR idea of an Eastern man；〃 he said bluntly； 〃but I
kin tell ye that Californy ain't run on those lines。 No； sir。〃
Nevertheless； his curiosity got the better of his ill humor； and as
the coach at last pulled up at the cross…road for Demorest to
descend he smiled affably at his departing companion。
〃You allowed just now that you'd bin five years away。 Whar mout ye
have bin？〃
〃In Europe；〃 said Demorest pleasantly。
〃I reckoned ez much；〃 returned his interrogator； smiling
significantly at the other passengers。 〃But in what place？〃
〃Oh； many；〃 said Demorest； smiling also。
〃But what place war ye last livin' at？〃
〃Well；〃 said Demorest； descending the steps； but lingering for a
moment with his hand on the door of the coach； 〃oddly enough； now
you remind me of itat Hymettus！〃
He closed the door； and the coach rolled on。 The passenger
reddened； glanced indignantly after the departing figure of
Demorest and suspiciously at the others。 The lady was looking from
the window with a faint smile on her face。
〃He might hev given me a civil answer；〃 muttered the passenger； and
resumed his novel。
When the coach drew up before Carter's Hotel the lady got down； and
the curiosity of her susceptible companions was gratified to the
extent of learning from the register that her name was Horncastle。
She was shown to a private sitting…room； which chanced to be the
one which had belonged to Mrs。 Barker in the days of her
maidenhood； and was the sacred； impenetrable bower to which she
retired when her daily duties of waiting upon her father's guests
were over。 But the breath of custom had passed through it since
then； and but little remained of its former maiden glories； except
a few schoolgirl crayon drawings on the wall and an unrecognizable
portrait of herself in oil； done by a wandering artist and still
preserved as a receipt for his unpaid bill。 Of these facts Mrs。
Horncastle knew nothing； she was evidently preoccupied； and after
she had removed her outer duster and entered the room； she glanced
at the clock on the mantel…shelf and threw herself with an air of
resigned abstraction in an armchair in the corner。 Her traveling…
dress； although unostentatious； was tasteful and well…fitting； a
slight pallor from her fatiguing journey； and； perhaps； from some
absorbing thought； made her beauty still more striking。 She gave
even an air of elegance to the faded； worn adornments of the room；
which it i