a
gaudy frock would throw them off their guard and insure her immunity from
any close inspection. Therefore this striped material rather than the
plain black she so much preferred. Then her eyes! She would try to hide
the defect which particularized them, by the use of glasses or, at least,
by a very heavy veil. While her walk--well! she might successfully
conceal her halting step if she were not hurried. But he promised himself
that he would be very careful to see that any woman rousing his suspicion
should be given some reason for hurrying.

While thus musing, he had reached the farther end of the piazza. In
wheeling about to come back, the woman whose profile he now faced
attracted his eye again, in spite of himself, and he gave her another
idle thought. How absorbing was the subject upon which she was brooding,
and how deeply it affected her!

It struck him as he quietly repassed her that he had never seen a sadder
face. Then that impression passed from his mind, for he saw Perry coming
toward him with a pencil and telegram-blank in hand. He had decided to
let Sweetwater know where he could be reached that night, and Perry had
come for the message.

It must have been fully two hours later that Mr. Gryce, sitting down in
his former chair, looked up and found his view unobstructed to the river.
The woman had gone.

Just for the sake of saying something to Perry, who had drawn up beside
him, he remarked upon the fact, adding in explanation of his interest in
so small a matter:

"It's the thoughts and feelings of people which take hold of my curiosity
now. Human nature is a big book, a great book. I have only begun to
thumb it, and I'm an old man. Some people betray their emotions in one
way, some in another. Some are loudest when most troubled, and some are
so quiet one would think them dead. The woman I was watching there was
one of the quiet ones; her trouble was deep; that was apparent from her
outline--an outline which never varied."

"Yes, she's a queer duck. I saw her: I even did an errand for her--that
was before you sat down here."

"You did an errand for her?"

"Yes; she wanted a newspaper. Of course I was glad to get it for her, as
she said she was lame."

"Lame?"

"Yes; I suppose she spoke the truth. I didn't think of her being in any
special trouble, but I did think her an odd one. She seemed to be wearing
two dresses."

Mr. Gryce started and turned sharply toward him.

"What's that you sa