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The two men remained gazing at each other with a half…amused； half…
guarded expression。 Mr。 Hamlin was first to begin。 〃I didn't
think YOU'D be such a fool as to try on this kind of thing； Fred；〃
he said； half seriously。
〃Yes； but it was to keep you from being a much bigger one that I
hunted you up；〃 said the editor； mischievously。 〃Read that。 I got
it an hour after you left。〃 And he placed a little triumphantly in
Jack's hand the letter he had received from White Violet。
Mr。 Hamlin read it with an unmoved face； and then laid his two
hands on the editor's shoulders。 〃Yes； my young friend； and you
sat down and wrote her a pretty letter and sent her twenty dollars
which； permit me to say； was dd poor pay！ But that isn't your
fault； I reckon： it's the meanness of your proprietors。〃
〃But it isn't the question； either； just now； Jack； however you
have been able to answer it。 Do you mean to say seriously that you
want to know anything more of a woman who could write such a
letter？〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Jack； cheerfully。 〃She might be a devilish
sight funnier than if she hadn't written itwhich is the fact。〃
〃You mean to say SHE didn't write it？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Who did； then？〃
〃Her brother Bob。〃
After a moment's scrutiny of his friend's bewildered face； Mr。
Hamlin briefly related his adventures； from the moment of his
meeting Bob at the mountain…stream to the barkeeper's gossiping
comment and sequel。 〃Therefore；〃 he concluded； 〃the author of
'Underbrush' is Miss Cynthia Delatour； one of four daughters of a
widow who lives two miles from here at the crossing。 I shall see
her this evening and make sure； but to…morrow morning you will pay
me the breakfast you owe me。 She's good…looking； but I can't say I
fancy the poetic style： it's a little too high…toned for me。
However； I love my love with a C； because she is your Contributor；
I hate her with a C； because of her Connections； I met her by
Chance and treated her with Civility； her name is Cynthia； and she
lives on a Cross…road。〃
〃But you surely don't expect you will ever see Bob； again！〃 said
the editor； impatiently。 〃You have trusted him with enough to
start him for the Sandwich Islands； to say nothing of the ruinous
precedent you have established in his mind of the value of poetry。
I am surprised that a man of your knowledge of the world would have
faith in that imp the second time。〃
〃My knowledge of the world；〃 returned Mr。 Hamlin； sententiously；
〃tells me that's the only way you can trust anybody。 ONCE doesn't
make a habit； nor show a character。 I could see by his bungling
that he had never tried this on before。 Just now the temptation to
wipe out his punishment by doing the square thing； and coming back
a sort of hero； is stronger than any other。 'Tisn't everybody that
gets that chance；〃 he added； with an odd laugh。
Nevertheless； three hours passed without bringing Bob。 The two men
had gone to the billiard…room； when a waiter brought a note； which
he handed to Mr。 Hamlin with some apologetic hesitation。 It bore
no superscription； but had been brought by a boy who described Mr。
Hamlin perfectly； and requested that the note should be handed to
him with the remark that 〃Bob had come back。〃
〃And is he there now？〃 asked Mr。 Hamlin； holding the letter
unopened in his hand。
〃No； sir； he run right off。〃
The editor laughed； but Mr。 Hamlin； having perused the note； put
away his cue。 〃Come into my room；〃 he said。
The editor followed； and Mr。 Hamlin laid the note before him on the
table。 〃Bob's all right；〃 he said； 〃for I'll bet a thousand
dollars that note is genuine。〃
It was delicately written； in a cultivated feminine hand； utterly
unlike the scrawl that had first excited the editor's curiosity；
and ran as follows：
He who brought me the bounty of your friendfor I cannot call a
recompense so far above my deserts by any other namegives me also
to understand that you wished for an interview。 I cannot believe
that this is mere idle curiosity； or that you have any motive that
is not kindly and honorable； but I feel that I must beg and pray
you not to seek to remove the veil behind which I have chosen to
hide myself and my poor efforts from identification。 I THINK I
know youI KNOW I know myselfwell enough to believe it would
give neither of us any happiness。 You will say to your generous
friend that he has already given the Unknown more comfort and hope
than could come from any personal compliment or publicity； and you
will yourself believe that you have all unconsciously brightened a
sad woman's fancy with a Dream and a Vision that before today had
been unknown to
WHITE VIOLET。
〃Have you read it？〃 asked Mr。 Hamlin。
〃Yes。〃
〃Then you don't want to see it any more； or even remember you ever
saw it；〃 said Mr。 Hamlin； carefully tearing the note into small
pieces and letting them drift from the windows like blown blossoms。
〃But； I say； Jack！ look here； I don't understand！ You say you have
already seen this woman； and yet〃
〃I HAVEN'T seen her；〃 said Jack； composedly； turning from the
window。
〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean that you and I； Fred； are going to drop this fooling right
here and leave this place for Frisco by first stage to…morrow； and
that I owe you that dinner。〃
CHAPTER IV
When the stage for San Francisco rolled away the next morning with
Mr。 Hamlin and the editor； the latter might have recognized in the
occupant of a dust…covered buggy that was coming leisurely towards
them the tall figure； long beard； and straight duster of his late
visitor； Mr。 James Bowers。 For Mr。 Bowers was on the same quest
that the others had just abandoned。 Like Mr。 Hamlin； he had been
left to his own resources； but Mr。 Bowers's resources were a life…
long experience and technical skill； he too had noted the
topographical indications of the poem； and his knowledge of the
sylva of Upper California pointed as unerringly as Mr。 Hamlin's
luck to the cryptogamous haunts of the Summit。 Such abnormal
growths were indicative of certain localities only； but； as they
were not remunerative from a pecuniary point of view； were to be
avoided by the sagacious woodman。 It was clear； therefore； that
Mr。 Bowers's visit to Green Springs was not professional； and that
he did not even figuratively accept the omen。
He baited and rested his horse at the hotel； where his bucolic
exterior； however； did not elicit that attention which had been
accorded to Mr。 Hamlin's charming insolence or the editor's
cultivated manner。 But he glanced over a township map on the walls
of the reading…room； and took note of the names of the owners of
different lots； farms； and ranches； passing that of Delatour with
the others。 Then he drove leisurely in the direction of the woods；
and； reaching them； tied his horse to a young sapling in the shade；
and entered their domain with a shambling but familiar woodman's
step。
It is not the purpose of this brief chronicle to follow Mr。 Bowers
in his professional diagnosis of the locality。 He recognized
Nature in one of her moods of wasteful extravagance；a waste that
his experienced eye could tell was also sapping the vitality of
those outwardly robust shafts that rose around him。 He knew；
without testing them； that half of these fair…seeming columns were
hollow and rotten at the core； he could detect the chill odor of
decay through the hot balsamic spices stirred by the wind that
streamed through their long aisles；like incense mingling with the
exhalations of a crypt。 He stopped now and then to part the heavy
fronds down to their roots in the dank moss； seeing again； as he
had told the editor； the weird SECOND twilight through their
miniature stems； and the microcosm of life that filled it。 But；
even while paying this tribute