Encouragedbythis，Mr。Hamlingotthemtolaughingagain，andthenproposedaracehomeintheirwetclothes，whichtheyaccepted，Mr。
　　Hamlin，forrespiratoryreasons，laggingintheirrearuntilhehadthesatisfactionofseeingthemcapturedbythehorrifiedMelindainfrontofthekitchen，whileheslippedpastherandregainedhisownroom。Herehechangedhissaturatedclothes，triedtorubawayacertainchillinessthatwascreepingoverhim，andlaydowninhisdressinggowntomiserablereflections。Hehadnearlydrownedthechildrenandoverexcitedhimself，inspiteofhispromisetothedoctor！Hewouldneveragainbeintrustedwiththecareoftheformernorbebelievedbythelatter！
　　Buteventsarenotalwayslogicalinsequence。Mr。Hamlinwentcomfortablytosleepandintoaprofuseperspiration。Hewasawakenedbyarappingathisdoor，andopeningit，wassurprisedtofindMrs。Riverswithanxiousinquiriesastohiscondition。
　　“Indeed，“shesaid，withanemotionwhichevenherprimreservecouldnotconceal，“Ididnotknowuntilnowhowserioustheaccidentwas，andhowbutforyouandDivineProvidencemylittlegirlmighthavebeendrowned。ItseemsMelindasawitall。“
　　InwardlyobjurgatingthespyingMelinda，butrelievedthathisplaymateshadn’tbrokentheirpromiseofsecrecy，Mr。Hamlinlaughed。
　　“I’mafraidthatyourlittlegirlwouldn’thavegotintothewateratallbutforme——andyoumustgiveallthecreditofgettingherouttotheotherfellow。“HestoppedattheseverechangeinMrs。
　　Rivers’sexpression，andaddedquiteboyishlyandwithasuddendropfromhisusuallevity，“Butpleasedon’tkeepthechildrenawayfrommeforallthat，Mrs。Rivers。“
　　Mrs。Riversdidnot，andthenextdayJackandhiscompanionssoughtfreshplayingfieldsandsomenewstory-tellingpastures。
　　Indeed，itwasafinesighttoseethispale，handsome，elegantlydressedyoungfellowloungingalongbetweenablue-checkeredpinaforedgirlononesideandabarefootedboyontheother。Theranchmenturnedandlookedafterhimcuriously。One，arusticprodigal，reducedbydissipationtotheswine-husksofranching，sawfittoaccosthimfamiliarly。
　　“ThelasttimeIsawyoudealingpokerinSacramento，Mr。Hamlin，I
　　didnotreckontofindyouuphereplayingwithacoupleofkids。“
　　“No！“respondedMr。Hamlinsuavely，“andyetIrememberIwasplayingwithsomecountryidiotsdownthere，andyouwereoneofthem。Well！understandthatuphereIpreferthekids。Don’tletmehavetoremindyouofit。“
　　Nevertheless，Mr。Hamlincouldnothelpnoticingthatforthenexttwoorthreedaysthereweremanycallersattheranchandthathewasobligedinhiswalkstoavoidthehighroadonaccountoftheimpertinentcuriosityofwayfarers。Someofthemwereofthatsexwhichhewouldnothavecontentedhimselfwithsimplycalling“curious。“
　　“Tothink，“saidMelindaconfidentlytohermistress，“thatthattharMrs。Stubbs，whowouldn’tgototheHightownHotelbecausetherewasaplayactressthar，hasbeensnoopin’roundheretwicesincethatyoungfellercame。“
　　Ofthisfact，however，Mr。Hamlinwasblissfullyunconscious。
　　Nevertheless，histemperwasgrowinguncertain；theangleofhissmartstrawhatwasbecomingaggressivetostrangers；hispolitenesssardonic。AndnowSundaymorninghadcomewithanatmosphereofstarchedpietyandwell-soapedrespectabilityattherancho，andthechildrenweretobetakenwiththerestofthefamilytotheday-longserviceatHightown。AstheseSabbathpilgrimagesfilledthemainroad，hewasfaintotakehimselfandhislonelinesstothetrailsandbyways，andeventoinvadethehauntsofsomeotherelegantoutcastslikehimself——towit，acrestedhawk，agracefulwildcatbeautifullymarked，andaneloquentlyreticentrattlesnake。Mr。Hamlineyedthemwithoutfear，andcertainlywithoutreproach。Theywerenotoutoftheirelement。
　　Suddenlyheheardhisnamecalledinastentoriancontralto。Animpatientejaculationrosetohislips，butdieduponthemasheturned。ItwascertainlyMelinda，butinhispresentsensitivelonelinessitstruckhimforthefirsttimethathehadneveractuallyseenherbeforeasshereallywas。Likemostmeninhisprofessionhewasaquickreaderofthoughtsandfaceswhenhewasinterested，andalthoughthiswasthesamerobust，long-limbed，sunburntgirlhehadmet，henowseemedtoseethroughhertripleincrustationofhumanvanity，conventionalpiety，andoutrageousSabbathfineryanhonest，sympatheticsimplicitythatcommandedhisrespect。
　　“Youarebackearlyfromchurch，“hesaid。
　　“Yes。Oneserviceisgoodenoughformewhentharain’tnospecialpreacher，“shereturned，“soIjestseztoSilas，’asIain’theretolistentothesisterscackleyekinputtothebuckboardanddrivemehomeezsoonezyouplease。’“
　　“AndsohisnameisSilas，“suggestedMr。Hamlincheerfully。
　　“Go’longwithyou，Mr。Hamlin，anddon’tpester，“shereturned，withheifer-likeplayfulness。“Well，Silasputto，andwhenwerosethehillhereIsawyourstrawhatpassin’inthegulch，andseztoSilas，sezI，’Yekinpulluphere，foroveryarisournewboarder，JackHamlin，andI’mgoin’totalkwithhim。’’Allright，’sezhe，’I’dsoonertrustyewiththatgayyounggamboliereverydayoftheweekthanwiththemsaintsdowntharonSunday。
　　Hedealsezstraightezheshoots，andisaboutasnighontoagentlemanastheymake’em。’“
　　ForonemomentortwoMissBirdonlysawJack’slonglashes。Whenhiseyesoncemoreliftedtheywereshining。“Andwhatdidyousay？“hesaid，withashortlaugh。
　　“Itoldhimheneedn’tbeChristopherColumbustohavediscoveredthat。“SheturnedwithalaughtowardJack，tobemetbytheword“shake，“andanoutstretchedthinwhitehandwhichgraspedherlargeredonewithafrank，fraternalpressure。
　　“Ididn’tcometotellyethat，“remarkedMissBirdasshesatdownonaboulder，tookoffheryellowhat，andrestackedhertawnymaneunderit，“butthis:IreckonedIwenttoSundaymeetin’asIoughtter。Ikalkilatedtohearconsiderableabout’Faith’and’Works，’
　　andsich，butIdidn’treckontohearallaboutyoufromtheLord’sPrayertotheDoxology。Youwereinthespecialprayersezawarnin’，inthesermonezatext；theypickedouthymnstofitye！
　　Andalwaysadreffulexampleandavisitation。Andtheresto’thetuneitwasallgabble，gabblebythebrothersandsistersaboutyou。Ireckon，Mr。Hamlin，thattheyknoweverythingyoueverdidsinceyouwereknee-hightoagrasshopper，andagooddealmorethanyoueverthoughtofdoin’。Thewomenisalldeadsetonconvertin’yeandsavin’yebytheirownpreciousselves，andthemenisekallydeadsetongettin’rido’yeonthataccount。“
　　“AndwhatdidSethandMrs。Riverssay？“askedHamlincomposedly，butwithkindlingeyes。
　　“Theystuckupforyeezfareztheycould。ButyeseetheparsonhezgotaholtuponSeth，havin’caughthimkissin’aconvertatcampmeeting；andDeaconTurnerknowssuthinaboutMrs。Rivers’ssister，whokickedoverthepailandjumpedthefenceyearsago，andshe’safearda’him。ButwhatIwantedtotellyewasthatthey’reallcomin’upheretotakealookatye——someon’emto-
　　night。Youain’tafeard，areye？“sheadded，withaloudlaugh。
　　“Well，itlooksratherdesperate，doesn’tit？“returnedJack，withdancingeyes。
　　“I’lltrustyeforallthat，“saidMelinda。“AndnowIreckonI’lltrotalongtotherancho。Yeneedn’tofferterseemehome，“sheadded，asJackmadeamovementtoaccompanyher。“Everybodyuphereain’tasfair-mindedezSilasandyou，andMelindaBirdhezacharactertolose！Solong！“Withthisshecanteredaway，alittleheavily，perhaps，adjustingheryellowhatwithbothhandsassheclattereddownthesteephill。
　　ThatafternoonMr。Hamlindrewlargelyonhisconvalescencetomountahalf-brokenmustang，andinspiteoftherisingafternoonwindtogallopalongthehighroadinquiteasmischievousandbreezyafashion。Hewaswonttoallowhismustang’snosetohangoverthehindrailsofwagonsandbuggiescontainingyoungcouples，andtodashaheadofsobercarryallsthatheldelderly“membersingoodstanding。“
　　Anaccomplishedrider，hepickedupandbroughtbacktheflyingparasolofMrs。DeaconStubbswithoutdismounting。Hefinallycamehomealittleblown，butdangerouslycomposed。
　　TherewastheusualSundayeveninggatheringatWindyHillRancho——
　　neighborsandtheirwives，deaconsandthepastor——buttheircuriositywasnotsatisfiedbythesightofMr。Hamlin，whokepthisownroomandhisowncounsel。Therewassomedesultoryconversation，chieflyonchurchtopics，foritwasvaguelyfeltthatadiscussionoftheadvisabilityorgettingridoftheguestoftheirhostwassomewhatdifficultunderthishost’sroof，withtheguestimpendingatanymoment。Thenadiversionwascreatedbysomeofthechurchchoirpracticingtheharmoniumwiththesingingofcertainmoreorlesslugubriousanthems。Mrs。Riverspresentlyjoinedin，andinasomewhatfadedsoprano，which，however，stillretainedconsiderablemusicaltasteandexpression，sang，“Come，yedisconsolate。“Thewindmoanedoverthedeep-throatedchimneyinaweirdharmonywiththemelancholyofthathumanappealasMrs。
　　Riverssangthefirstverse:——
　　“Come，yedisconsolate，where’eryelanguish，CometotheMercySeat，ferventlykneel；
　　Herebringyourwoundedhearts——heretellyouranguish，EarthhasnosorrowthatHeavencannotheal！“
　　Apausefollowed，andthelong-drawn，half-humansighofthemountainwindoverthechimneyseemedtominglewiththewailoftheharmonium。Andthen，totheirthrilledastonishment，atenorvoice，high，clear，buttenderlypassionate，brokelikeaskylarkovertheirheadsinthelinesofthesecondverse:——
　　“Joyofthedesolate，Lightofthestraying，Hopeofthepenitent——fadelessandpure；
　　HerespeakstheComforter，tenderlysaying，EarthhasnosorrowthatHeavencannotcure！“