Presentlythestranger，seemingsatisfiedwithhisobservation，leanedbackinhisseat，half-closedhiseyes，andbegansoftlytowhistlethe“SpringSong“fromProserpine，thecantatathatadozenyearsbeforehadmadeitsyoungcomposerfamousinanight。EveretthadheardthataironguitarsinOldMexico，onmandolinsatcollegeglees，oncottageorgansinNewEnglandhamlets，andonlytwoweeksagohehadhearditplayedonsleighbellsatavarietytheaterinDenver。Therewasliterallynowayofescapinghisbrother’sprecocity。AdriancecouldliveontheothersideoftheAtlantic，wherehisyouthfulindiscretionswereforgotteninhismatureachievements，buthisbrotherhadneverbeenabletooutrunProserpine，andherehefounditagainintheColoradosandhills。NotthatEverettwasexactlyashamedofProserpine；onlyamanofgeniuscouldhavewrittenit，butitwasthesortofthingthatamanofgeniusoutgrowsassoonashecan。
Everettunbentatrifleandsmiledathisneighboracrosstheaisle。Immediatelythelargemanroseand，comingover，droppedintotheseatfacingHilgarde，extendinghiscard。
“Dustyride，isn’tit？Idon’tminditmyself；I’musedtoit。Bornandbredindebriarpatch，likeBr’erRabbit。I’vebeentryingtoplaceyouforalongtime；IthinkImusthavemetyoubefore。“
“Thankyou，“saidEverett，takingthecard；“mynameisHilgarde。You’veprobablymetmybrother，Adriance；peopleoftenmistakemeforhim。“
Thetravelingmanbroughthishanddownuponhiskneewithsuchvehemencethatthesolitaireblazed。
“SoIwasrightafterall，andifyou’renotAdrianceHilgarde，you’rehisdouble。IthoughtIcouldn’tbemistaken。
Seenhim？Well，Iguess！InevermissedoneofhisrecitalsattheAuditorium，andheplayedthepianoscoreofProserpine
throughtousonceattheChicagoPressClub。IusedtobeontheCommercialtherebeforeI146begantotravelforthepublishingdepartmentoftheconcern。Soyou’reHilgarde’sbrother，andhereI’verunintoyouatthejumping-offplace。
Soundslikeanewspaperyarn，doesn’tit？“
ThetravelingmanlaughedandofferedEverettacigar，andpliedhimwithquestionsontheonlysubjectthatpeopleeverseemedtocaretotalktoEverettabout。AtlengththesalesmanandthetwogirlsalightedataColoradowaystation，andEverettwentontoCheyennealone。
ThetrainpulledintoCheyenneatnineo’clock，latebyamatteroffourhoursorso；butnooneseemedparticularlyconcernedatitstardinessexceptthestationagent，whogrumbledatbeingkeptintheofficeovertimeonasummernight。WhenEverettalightedfromthetrainhewalkeddowntheplatformandstoppedatthetrackcrossing，uncertainastowhatdirectionheshouldtaketoreachahotel。Aphaetonstoodnearthecrossing，andawomanheldthereins。Shewasdressedinwhite，andherfigurewasclearlysilhouettedagainstthecushions，thoughitwastoodarktoseeherface。Everetthadscarcelynoticedher，whentheswitchenginecamepuffingupfromtheoppositedirection，andtheheadlightthrewastrongglareoflightonhisface。Suddenlythewomaninthephaetonutteredalowcryanddroppedthereins。Everettstartedforwardandcaughtthehorse’shead，buttheanimalonlylifteditsearsandwhiskeditstailinimpatientsurprise。Thewomansatperfectlystill，herheadsunkbetweenhershouldersandherhandkerchiefpressedtoherface。Anotherwomancameoutofthedepotandhurriedtowardthephaeton，crying，“Katharine，dear，whatisthematter？“
Everetthesitatedamomentinpainfulembarrassment，thenliftedhishatandpassedon。Hewasaccustomedtosuddenrecognitionsinthemostimpossibleplaces，especiallybywomen，butthiscryoutofthenighthadshakenhim。
WhileEverettwasbreakfastingthenextmorning，theheadwaiterleanedoverhischairtomurmurthattherewasagentlemanwaitingtoseehimintheparlor。Everettfinishedhiscoffeeandwentinthedirectionindicated，wherehefoundhisvisitorrestlesslypacingthefloor。Hiswholemannerbetrayedahighdegreeofagitation，thoughhisphysiquewasnotthatofamanwhosenerveslienearthesurface。Hewassomethingbelowmediumheight，square-shoulderedandsolidlybuilt。Histhick，closelycuthairwasbeginningtoshowgrayabouttheears，andhisbronzedfacewasheavilylined。Hissquarebrownhandswerelockedbehindhim，andheheldhisshoulderslikeamanconsciousofresponsibilities；
yet，asheturnedtogreetEverett，therewasanincongruousdiffidenceinhisaddress。
“Goodmorning，Mr。Hilgarde，“hesaid，extendinghishand；
“Ifoundyournameonthehotelregister。MynameisGaylord。
I’mafraidmysisterstartledyouatthestationlastnight，Mr。
Hilgarde，andI’vecomearoundtoapologize。“
“Ah！Theyoungladyinthephaeton？I’msureIdidn’tknowwhetherIhadanythingtodowithheralarmornot。IfIdid，itisIwhoowetheapology。“
Themancoloredalittleunderthedarkbrownofhisface。
“Oh，it’snothingyoucouldhelp，sir，Ifullyunderstandthat。Yousee，mysisterusedtobeapupilofyourbrother’s，anditseemsyoufavorhim；andwhentheswitchenginethrewalightonyourfaceitstartledher。“
Everettwheeledaboutinhischair。“Oh！KatharineGaylord！
Isitpossible！Nowit’syouwhohavegivenmeaturn。Why，I
usedtoknowherwhenIwasaboy。Whatonearth——“
“Isshedoinghere？“saidGaylord，grimlyfillingoutthepause。“You’vegotattheheartofthematter。Youknewmysisterhadbeeninbadhealthforalongtime？“
“No，Ihadneverheardawordofthat。ThelastIknewofhershewassinginginLondon。MybrotherandIcorrespondinfrequentlyandseldomgetbeyondfamilymatters。Iamdeeplysorrytohearthis。TherearemorereasonswhyIamconcernedthanIcantellyou。“
ThelinesinCharleyGaylord’sbrowrelaxedalittle。
“WhatI’mtryingtosay，Mr。Hilgarde，isthatshewantstoseeyou。Ihatetoaskyou，butshe’ssosetonit。Weliveseveralmilesoutoftown，butmyrig’sbelow，andIcantakeyououtanytimeyoucango。“
“Icangonow，anditwillgivemerealpleasuretodoso，“saidEverett，quickly。“I’llgetmyhatandbewithyouinamoment。“
WhenhecamedownstairsEverettfoundacartatthedoor，andCharleyGaylorddrewalongsighofreliefashegatheredupthereinsandsettledbackintohisownelement。
“Yousee，IthinkI’dbettertellyousomethingaboutmysisterbeforeyouseeher，andIdon’tknowjustwheretobegin。
ShetraveledinEuropewithyourbrotherandhiswife，andsangatalotofhisconcerts；butIdon’tknowjusthowmuchyouknowabouther。“
“Verylittle，exceptthatmybrotheralwaysthoughtherthemostgiftedofhispupils，andthatwhenIknewhershewasveryyoungandverybeautifulandturnedmyheadsadlyforawhile。“
EverettsawthatGaylord’smindwasquiteengrossedbyhisgrief。Hewaswroughtuptothepointwherehisreserveandsenseofproportionhadquitelefthim，andhistroublewastheonevitalthingintheworld。“That’sthewholething，“hewenton，flickinghishorseswiththewhip。
“Shewasagreatwoman，asyousay，andshedidn’tcomeofagreatfamily。Shehadtofightherownwayfromthefirst。ShegottoChicago，andthentoNewYork，andthentoEurope，whereshewentuplikelightning，andgotatasteforitall；andnowshe’sdyingherelikearatinahole，outofherownworld，andshecan’tfallbackintoours。We’vegrownapart，someway——
milesandmilesapart——andI’mafraidshe’sfearfullyunhappy。“
“It’saverytragicstorythatyouaretellingme，Gaylord，“
saidEverett。Theywerewelloutintothecountrynow，spinningalongoverthedustyplainsofredgrass，withtheragged-blueoutlineofthemountainsbeforethem。
“Tragic！“criedGaylord，startingupinhisseat，“myGod，man，nobodywilleverknowhowtragic。It’satragedyIlivewithandeatwithandsleepwith，untilI’velostmygriponeverything。
Youseeshehadmadeagoodbitofmoney，butshespentitallgoingtohealthresorts。It’sherlungs，youknow。I’vegotmoneyenoughtosendheranywhere，butthedoctorsallsayit’snouse。
Shehasn’ttheghostofachance。It’sjustgettingthroughthedaysnow。Ihadnonotionshewashalfsobadbeforeshecametome。Shejustwrotethatshewasallrundown。Nowthatshe’shere，Ithinkshe’dbehappieranywhereunderthesun，butshewon’tleave。Shesaysit’seasiertoletgooflifehere，andthattogoEastwouldbedyingtwice。TherewasatimewhenIwasabrakemanwitharunoutofBirdCity，Iowa，andshewasalittlethingIcouldcarryonmyshoulder，whenIcouldgethereverythingonearthshewanted，andshehadn’tawishmy$80amonthdidn’tcover；andnow，whenI’vegotalittlepropertytogether，Ican’tbuyheranight’ssleep！“
Everettsawthat，whateverCharleyGaylord’spresentstatusintheworldmightbe，hehadbroughtthebrakeman’sheartuptheladderwithhim，andthebrakeman’sfrankavowalofsentiment。
PresentlyGaylordwenton:
“Youcanunderstandhowshehasoutgrownherfamily。We’reallaprettycommonsort，railroadersfromawayback。Myfatherwasaconductor。Hediedwhenwewerekids。Maggie，myothersister，wholiveswithme，wasatelegraphoperatorherewhileI
wasgettingmygriponthings。Wehadnoeducationtospeakof。
IhavetohireastenographerbecauseIcan’tspellstraight——theAlmightycouldn’tteachmetospell。ThethingsthatmakeuplifetoKateareallGreektome，andthere’sscarcelyapointwherewetouchanymore，exceptinourrecollectionsoftheoldtimeswhenwewereallyoungandhappytogether，andKatesanginachurchchoirinBirdCity。ButIbelieve，Mr。Hilgarde，thatifshecanseejustonepersonlikeyou，whoknowsaboutthethingsandpeopleshe’sinterestedin，itwillgiveherabouttheonlycomfortshecanhavenow。“