Then，withhisoldboyishenthusiasm，hesketchedaglowingpictureoftheirfuture:howtheywouldkeeptheDorntonpropertyintactuntilthecaptainwasfoundandcommunicatedwith；andhowtheywouldcautiouslycollectalltheinformationaccessibletofindhimuntilsuchtimeasRandolph’sfortuneswouldenablethembothtogoonavoyageofdiscoveryafterhim。Andinthemidstofthispropheticforecast，whichbroughtthemsocloselytogetherthatshewasenabledtoexaminehiswatchchain，shesaid，——
　　“IseeyouhavekeptCousinJack’sring。Didheeverseeit？“
　　“Hetoldmehehadgivenittoyouashislittlesweetheart，andthathe“——
　　Therewasasingularpausehere。
　　“HeneverdidTHAT——atleast，notinthatway！“saidSybilEversleigh。
　　And，strangelyenough，theoptimisticRandolph’spropheciescametrue。HewasmarriedamonthlatertoSibylEversleigh，Mr。
　　Dingwallgivingawaythebride。Heandhiswifewereabletokeeptheirtrustinregardtotheproperty，for，withoutinvestingadollarofitinthebank，themerereputationofhiswife’swealthbroughthimafloodofotherinvestorsandaconfidencewhichatoncesecuredhissuccess。Intwoyearshewasabletotakehiswifeonasixmonths’holidaytoEuropeviaAustralia，butofthedetailsofthatholidaynooneknew。Itis，however，onrecordthattenortwelveyearsagoDorntonHall，whichhadbeenleasedorunoccupiedforalongtime，wasrefittedfortheheiress，herhusband，andtheirchildrenduringabriefoccupancy，andthatinthatperiodextensiverepairsweremadetotheinterioroftheoldNormanchurch，andmuchattentiongiventotheredecorationandrestorationofitsancienttombs。
　　MR。MACGLOWRIE’SWIDOW
　　Verylittlewasknownofherlatehusband，yetthatlittlewasofasufficientlyawe-inspiringcharactertosatisfythecuriosityofLaurelSpring。Amanofunswervinganimosityandcandidbelligerency，untemperedbyanyhumanweakness，hehadbeenactivelyengagedassurvivorintwoorthreebloodfeudsinKentucky，andsomedesultorydueling，onlytosuccumb，throughtheironyoffate，toanattackoffeverandagueinSanFrancisco。
　　Giftedwithafinesenseofhumor，heissaid，inhislastmoments，tohavecalledthesimple-mindedclergymantohisbedsidetoassisthiminputtingonhisboots。Thekindlydivine，althoughpointingouttohimthathewastooweaktorise，muchlesswalk，couldnotresisttherequestofadyingman。Whenitwasfulfilled，Mr。
　　MacGlowriecrawledbackintobedwiththeremarkthathisracehadalways“diedwiththeirbootson，“andsopassedsmilinglyandtranquillyaway。
　　ItisprobablethatthisstorywasinventedtosoftentheignominyofMacGlowrie’speacefulend。Thewidowherselfwasalsoreportedtobeendowedwithrelationsofequallyhomicidaleccentricities。
　　Hertwobrothers，StephenandHectorBoompointer，hadWesternreputationsthatwerequiteasluridandremote。Herownexperiencesofafrontierlifehadbeenrudeandstartling，andherscalp——asingularlybeautifuloneofblondhair——hadbeeninperilfromIndiansonseveraloccasions。Apairofscissors，withwhichshehadoncepinnedtheintrudinghandofamaraudertohercabindoorpost，wastobeseeninhersittingroomatLaurelSpring。A
　　fair-facedwomanwitheyesthecolorofpalesherry，acomplexionsallowedbyinnutritiousfood，slightandtallfigure，shegavelittlesuggestionofthisAmazonianfeat。Butthatitexercisedawholesomerestraintoverthemanywhowouldliketohaveinducedhertoreenterthemarriedstate，thereislittlereasontodoubt。
　　LaurelSpringwasapeacefulagriculturalsettlement。FewofitscitizensdaredtoaspiretothedangerouseminenceofsucceedingthedefunctMacGlowrie；fewcouldhopethatthesisteroflivingBoompointerswouldacceptanobviousmesalliancewiththem。
　　Howeversinceretheiraffection，lifewasstillsweettotherudeinhabitantsofLaurelSpring，andthepreservationoftheusualquantityoflimbsnecessarytothemintheiravocations。Withtheirdevotionthuschastenedbycaution，itwouldseemasifthecharmingmistressofLaurelSpringHousewassecurefromdisturbingattentions。
　　Itwasapleasantsummerafternoon，andthesunwasbeginningtostrikeunderthelaurelsaroundthehotelintothelittleofficewherethewidowsatwiththehousekeeper——astoutspinsterofacoarserWesterntype。Mrs。MacGlowriewaslookingwearilyoversomeaccountsonthedeskbeforeher，andabsentlyputtingbacksometumbledsheavesfromthestackofherheavyhair。ForthewidowhadacertainindolentSouthernnegligence，whichinalessprettywomanwouldhavebeenuntidiness，andacharacteristichookandeyelessfreedomofattirewhichonlessgracefullimbswouldhavebeenslovenly。Onesleevecuffwasunbuttoned，butitshowedtheblueveinsofherdelicatewrist；theneckofherdresshadlostahook，buttheglimpseofabitofedgingroundthewhitethroatmadeamends。Ofallwhich，however，itshouldbesaidthatthewidow，inherlimpabstraction，wasreallyunconscious。
　　“IreckonwekinputthenewpreacherinKernelStarbottle’sroom，“
　　saidMissMorvin，thehousekeeper。“Thekernel’sgoingto-night。“
　　“Oh，“saidthewidowinatoneofrelief，butwhetherattheearlydepartureofthegallantcoloneloratthesuccessfulsolutionoftheproblemoflodgingthepreacher，MissMorvincouldnotdetermine。Butshewentontentatively:——
　　“Thekernelwastalkin’inthebarroom，andkindo’wonderin’whyyouhadn’tgotmarriedagin。Saidyou’dmakeastirinSacramento——
　　butyouwasjestberriedHERE。“
　　“Isupposehe’sheardofmyhusband？“saidthewidowindifferently。
　　“Yes——buthesaidhecouldn’tPLACEYOU，“returnedMissMorvin。
　　Thewidowlookedup。“Couldn’tplaceME？“sherepeated。
　　“Yes——hadn’theardo’MacGlowrie’swifeanddisrememberedyourbrothers。“
　　“Thecoloneldoesn’tknoweverybody，evenifheisafightingman，“
　　saidMrs。MacGlowriewithlanguidscorn。
　　“That’sjustwhatDickBlairsaid，“returnedMissMorvin。“Andthoughhe’sonlyadoctor，hejeststuckupagin’thekernel，andtoldthatstoryaboutyourjabbin’thatmanwithyourscissors——
　　beautiful；andhowyouoncefoughtoffabearwithared-hotiron，sothatyou’dhaveadmiredtohearhim。He’sawfullygoneonyou！“
　　Thewidowtookthatopportunitytobuttonhercuff。
　　“Andhowlongdoesthepreachercalculatetostay？“sheadded，returningtobusinessdetails。
　　“Onlyaday。They’llhavehishousefixedupandreadyforhimto-morrow。They’respendin’aheapo’moneyonit。Heoughttobethepow’fulpreachertheysayheis——tobeworthit。“
　　ButhereMrs。MacGlowrie’sinterestintheconversationceased，anditdropped。
　　InheranxietytofurtherthesuitofDickBlair，MissMorvinhadscarcelyreportedthecolonelwithfairness。
　　Thatgentleman，leaningagainstthebarinthehotelsaloonwithacocktailinhishand，hadexpatiatedwithhisusualgallantryuponMrs。MacGlowrie’scharms，andonhisown“personal“responsibilityhadexpressedtheopinionthattheywerethrownawayonLaurelSpring。That——blankitall——sheremindedhimoftheblankestbeautifulwomanhehadseeneveninWashington——oldMajorBeveridge’sdaughterfromKentucky。Weretheysureshewasn’tfromKentucky？Wasn’thernameBeveridge——andnotBoompointer？
　　Becomingmorereminiscentoverhisseconddrink，thecolonelcouldvaguelyrecallonlyoneBoompointer——ablankskulkinghound，sir——ameanwhiteshyster——but，ofcourse，hecouldn’thavebeenofthesamebreedassuchablankfinewomanasthewidow！ItwasherethatDickBlairinterruptedwithaheightenedcolorandaglowingeulogyofthewidow’srelationsandherself，which，however，onlyincreasedthechivalryofthecolonel——whowouldbethelastman，sir，todetractfrom——orsufferanydetractionof——alady’sreputation。Itwasneedlesstosaythatallthiswasintenselydivertingtothebystanders，andproportionallydiscomposingtoBlair，whoalreadyexperiencedsomeslightjealousyofthecolonelasamanwhosefightingreputationmightpossiblyattracttheaffectionsofthewidowofthebelligerentMacGlowrie。Hehadcursedhisfollyandrelapsedintogloomysilenceuntilthecolonelleft。
　　ForDickBlairlovedthewidowwiththeunselfishnessofagenerousnatureandafirstpassion。HehadadmiredherfromthefirstdayhislotwascastinLaurelSpring，wherecomingfromarudefrontierpracticehehadsucceededthedistrictdoctorinamorepeacefulanddomesticministration。Askillfulandgentlesurgeonratherthanageneralhouseholdpractitioner，hewasatfirstcoldlywelcomedbythegloomydyspepticsandague-hauntedsettlersfromriparianlowlands。Thefewbucolicidlerswhohadrelievedthemonotonyoftheirlivesbythestimulusofpatentmedicinesandtheexaltationofstomachbitters，alsolookedaskanceathim。A
　　common-sensewayofdealingwiththeirailmentsdidnotnaturallycommenditselftotheshopkeeperswhovendedthesenostrums，andhewasmadetofeeltheoppositionoftrade。Buthewasgentletowomenandchildrenandanimals，and，oddlyenough，itwastothislatterdilectionthatheowedthewidow’sinterestinhim——aninterestthateventuallymadehimpopularelsewhere。
　　Thewidowhadapetdog——abeautifulspaniel，who，however，hadassimilatedhergracefullanguortohisownnativeloveofeasetosuchanextentthathefailedinashortleapbetweenabalconyandawindow，andfelltothegroundwithafracturedthigh。Thedogwassupposedtobecrippledforlifeevenifthatlifewereworthpreserving——whenDr。Blaircametotherescue，setthefracturedlimb，putitinsplintsandplasterafteraningeniousdesignofhisown，visitedhimdaily，andeventuallyrestoredhimtohismistress’slapsoundinwindandlimb。Howfarthisdailyministrationandthenecessaryexchangeofsympathybetweenthewidowandhimselfheightenedhiszealwasnotknown。Therewerethosewhobelievedthatthewholethingwasanunmanlytricktogetthebetterofhisrivalsinthewidow’sgoodgraces；therewereotherswhoaverredthathistreatmentofabrutebeastlikeahumanbeingwassinfulandunchristian。“Hecouldn’thavedonemoreforaregularlybaptizedchild，“saidthepostmistress。“Andwhatmo’
　　wouldaregularlybaptizedchildhavewanted？“returnedMrs。
　　MacGlowrie，withthedrawlingSouthernintonationshefellbackuponwhenmostcontemptuous。