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south to look for a place where my brother can winter。 DO come and
see me； although I cannot introduce you to anything as real and
beautiful as what YOU have shown me to…day。 Good…by； Mr。 Harcourt；
I won't trouble you to come down and bore yourself with my escort's
questions and congratulations。〃
She bent her head and allowed her soft eyes to rest upon his with a
graciousness that was beyond her speech； pulled her veil over her
eyes again； with a pretty suggestion that she had no further use
for them； and taking her riding…skirt lightly in her hand seemed to
glide from the room。
On her way to San Mateo； where it appeared the disorganized party
had prolonged their visit to accept an invitation to dine with a
local magnate； she was pleasantly conversational with the slightly
abstracted Grant。 She was so sorry to have given them all this
trouble and anxiety！ Of course she ought to have waited at the
fork of the road； but she had never doubted but she could rejoin
them presently on the main road。 She was glad that Miss Euphemia's
runaway horse had been stopped without accident； it would have been
dreadful if anything had happened to HER； Mr。 Harcourt seemed so
wrapped up in his girls。 It was a pity they never had a sonAh？
Indeed！ Then there was a son？ Soand father and son had
quarreled？ That was so sad。 And for some trifling cause； no
doubt？
〃I believe he married the housemaid；〃 said Grant grimly。 〃Be
careful！Allow me。〃
〃It's no use！〃 said Mrs。 Ashwood； flushing with pink impatience； as
she recovered her seat； which a sudden bolt of her mustang had
imperiled； 〃I really can't make out the tricks of this beast！
Thank you；〃 she added； with a sweet smile； 〃but I think I can
manage him now。 I can't see why he stopped。 I'll be more careful。
You were saying the son was marriedsurely not that boy！〃
〃Boy！〃 echoed Grant。 〃Then you know？〃
〃I mean of course he must be a boythey all grew up hereand it
was only five or six years ago that their parents emigrated；〃 she
retorted a little impatiently。 〃And what about this creature？〃
〃Your horse？〃
〃You know I mean the woman he married。 Of course she was older
than heand caught him？〃
〃I think there was a year or two difference；〃 said Grant quietly。
〃Yes； but your gallantry keeps you from telling the truth； which is
that the women； in cases of this kind； are much older and more
experienced。〃
〃Are they？ Well； perhaps she is； NOW。 She is dead。〃
Mrs。 Ashwood walked her horse。 〃Poor thing；〃 she said。 Then a
sudden idea took possession of her and brought a film to her eyes。
〃How long ago？〃 she asked in a low voice。
〃About six or seven months； I think。 I believe there was a baby
who died too。〃
She continued to walk her horse slowly； stroking its curved neck。
〃I think it's perfectly shameful！〃 she said suddenly。
〃Not so bad as that； Mrs。 Ashwood； surely。 The girl may have loved
himand he〃
〃You know perfectly what I mean； Mr。 Grant。 I speak of the conduct
of the mother and father and those two sisters！〃
Grant slightly elevated his eyebrows。 〃But you forget； Mrs。
Ashwood。 It was young Harcourt and his wife's own act。 They
preferred to take their own path and keep it。〃
〃I think；〃 said Mrs。 Ashwood authoritatively； 〃that the idea of
leaving those two unfortunate children to suffer and struggle on
aloneout thereon the sand hills of San Franciscowas simply
disgraceful！〃
Later that evening she was unreasonably annoyed to find that her
brother； Mr。 John Shipley； had taken advantage of the absence of
Grant to pay marked attention to Clementina； and had even prevailed
upon that imperious goddess to accompany him after dinner on a
moonlight stroll upon the veranda and terraces of Los Pajaros。
Nevertheless she seemed to recover her spirits enough to talk
volubly of the beautiful scenery she had discovered in her late
perilous abandonment in the wilds of the Coast Range； to aver her
intention to visit it again； to speak of it in a severely practical
way as offering a far better site for the cottages of the young
married couples just beginning life than the outskirts of towns or
the bleak sand hills of San Francisco； and thence by graceful
degrees into a dissertation upon popular fallacies in regard to
hasty marriages； and the mistaken idea of some parents in not
accepting the inevitable and making the best of it。 She still
found time to enter into an appreciative and exhaustive criticism
upon the literature and journalistic enterprise of the Pacific
Coast with the proprietor of the 〃Pioneer；〃 and to cause that
gentleman to declare that whatever people might say about rich and
fashionable Eastern women； that Mrs。 Ashwood's head was about as
level as it was pretty。
The next morning found her more thoughtful and subdued； and when
her brother came upon her sitting on the veranda； while the party
were preparing to return； she was reading a newspaper slip that she
had taken from her porte…monnaie； with a face that was partly
shadowed。
〃What have you struck there； Conny？〃 said her brother gayly。 〃It
looks too serious for a recipe。〃
〃Something I should like you to read some time； Jack；〃 she said；
lifting her lashes with a slight timidity； 〃if you would take the
trouble。 I really wonder how it would impress you。〃
〃Pass it over；〃 said Jack Shipley good…humoredly； with his cigar
between his lips。 〃I'll take it now。〃
She handed him the slip and turned partly away； he took it； glanced
at it sideways； turned it over； and suddenly his look grew
concentrated； and he took the cigar from his lips。
〃Well；〃 she said playfully； turning to him again。 〃What do you
think of it？〃
〃Think of it？〃 he said with a rising color。 〃I think it's
infamous！ Who did it？〃
She stared at him； then glanced quickly at the slip。 〃What are you
reading？〃 she said。
〃This； of course；〃 he said impatiently。 〃What you gave me。〃 But
he was pointing to THE OTHER SIDE of the newspaper slip。
She took it from him impatiently and read for the first time the
printing on the reverse side of the article she had treasured so
long。 It was the concluding paragraph of an apparently larger
editorial。 〃One thing is certain； that a man in Daniel Harcourt's
position cannot afford to pass over in silence accusations like the
above； that affect not only his private character； but the
integrity of his title to the land that was the foundation of his
fortune。 When trickery； sharp practice； and even criminality in
the past are more than hinted at； they cannot be met by mere
pompous silence or allusions to private position； social prestige；
or distinguished friends in the present。〃
Mrs。 Ashwood turned the slip over with scornful impatience； a
pretty uplifting of her eyebrows and a slight curl of her lip。 〃I
suppose none of those people's beginnings can bear looking into
and they certainl