gave no sign. But as she murmured something in reply she looked with all a
woman's keenness into the face before her. Flo Hutter had a fair skin
generously freckled; a mouth and chin too firmly cut to suggest a softer
feminine beauty; and eyes of clear light hazel, penetrating, frank,
fearless. Her hair was very abundant, almost silver-gold in color, and it
was either rebellious or showed lack of care. Carley liked the girl's looks
and liked the sincerity of her greeting; but instinctively she reacted
antagonistically because of the frank suggestion of intimacy with Glenn.

But for that she would have been spontaneous and friendly rather than
restrained.

They ushered Carley into a big living room and up to a fire of blazing
logs, where they helped divest her of the wet wraps. And all the time they
talked in the solicitous way natural to women who were kind and unused to
many visitors. Then Mrs. Hutter bustled off to make a cup of hot coffee
while Flo talked.

"We'll shore give you the nicest room--with a sleeping porch right under the
cliff where the water falls. It'll sing you to sleep. Of course you needn't
use the bed outdoors until it's warmer. Spring is late here, you know, and
we'll have nasty weather yet. You really happened on Oak Creek at its least
attractive season. But then it's always--well, just Oak Creek. You'll come
to know."

"I dare say I'll remember my first sight of it and the ride down that cliff
road," said Carley, with a wan smile.

"Oh, that's nothing to what you'll see and do," returned Flo, knowingly.
"We've had Eastern tenderfeet here before. And never was there a one of