, 1906-02-07
CHAPTER |.

SDIlIS Oul uloh ~ o1iPNJ
wharf, FESTIVE to reach the waiting
trains, but quite apart from all these
whose faces were set westward three
people-a girl, a man nearing forty and
n slim lad-lingered on the after deck
rs though loath to take their cave of
the imperial city.
The resemblance of the monstrous
hive of humankind to a height of land
was so marked, so singular, that the
girl remarked upon it, and the boy, a
pale lad of seventeen. cried out in shrill
~staccarO:
Eyes; but think of the real mountains
we're going to climb!'
The girl did not speak for a moment,
and when she did her voice was dis
tinctly sorrowful. Il feel as though l
were saying goodby to everything
worth while"
"Including me?" asked her escort.
She did not smile, but her accent was
kindly as she answered, Eyes, Wayne,
including you"
ooh, sis, you make me tired!' cried
the boy. "Just as If going west were
bidding goodby to everything" He
beat his thin chest. I'm just begin
ming to live now. I'm glad to get away
from the stuffy old town. / want to
see something besides Fifth avenue
and Central park"
Wayne Peabody laughed good natur-
eddy down at the boy. "You wouldn't
care if civilization did stop at the west
bank of the Hudson river, would your"
Il should say not. I'm tired of 1t
all-the noise and the pavements and
the heat and the wetness. l want to
get out where the wolves and the
cranes and the cowboys are; l want to
hit the trail and find where fathers
camps were"
The girl spoke musingly. ITS singu-
lar, but | have a ~premonition of some
dark fate-some vague sorrow. l new
er felt SO before-not even on my trip
to Egypt. If don't come back | want
you to note that | was f~orewarned.
Let's go forward"
Peabody remarked in a low voice:
Louis is transformed already. 1t will
do him all kinds of good to go west"
81 hope So" she replied rather dreari-
ly, but he seems unwholesomely ex-
cited at the present moment"
Hell get over that"
Il fear he will be disappointed. Fa-
theirs trip was made nearly twenty
five years ago, when 1t was a really
wonderful land"
lie is young. He will reimagine it"
The boy stood like some beautiful an
imal poised for Il spring as the ferry
shouldered its clumsy way into the
Jersey dock. He was of less bulk than
his strong, composed, modish sister,
and his face was as dark, as mobile
and as eager as hers was fair and i'm
passive. Peabody experienced nee
again a twinge of keen regret that Ann
had not some of her brothers radiant
enthusiasm.
Surrounded by porters and wearing
an air of command, Louis led the way
to the sleeping car, impatient of his
sisters deliberation. On M hip he
carried a pair of large field glasses and
over the other a costly camera, while
half concealed cases of pencils and
pads of drawing paper bullying from
his pockets announced his artistic ill
tention.
As the time for the train to start
drew zeal Peabody strove to win some
softer word from Ann, but she was
not of those who manifest emotion.
Her training and her temperament
We're alike opposed to easy expression.
When he tried to take her hand a sec
ond time with eyes that e~ntreated she
recoiled.
mo, no! You have no right to expect
that"
He was no longer a boy, and he was
bred to self control; therefore, though
his voice trembled a little, he spoke
quietly: "Goodby, Ann. Write every
day, won't youY" .
In a voice which chilled him she re-
piled: Every day is pretty often, but
you will hear from me. Go and see
mother, please. She will not say so,
but she will be glad to have you come"
depend upon me-" he said, lifting
his hat. His bearded face betrayed no
emotion, but his yes were hot with
pain and grief.
The girl on her part felt a sudden
twinge of remorse as she left him
there, a fine, strong, manly sutton, who
uttered no complaint, though she
wounded him. The twitching of his
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