revelations. Two or three men, who had been apparently lounging there,
rose quietly, and unobtrusively withdrew. Her guide brought her a tin
cup of deliciously cool water, exchanged a few hurried words with his
companions, and then disappeared with them, leaving her alone.

Her first sense of relief from their company was, I fear, stronger than
any other feeling. After a hurried glance around the deserted apartment,
she arose, shook out her dress and mantle, and then going into the
darkest corner supported herself with one hand against the wall while
with the other she drew off, one by one, her slippers from her slim,
striped-stockinged feet, shook and blew out the dust that had penetrated
within, and put them on again. Then, perceiving a triangular fragment
of looking-glass nailed against the wall, she settled the strings of her
bonnet by the aid of its reflection, patted the fringe of brown hair on
her forehead with her separated five fingers as if playing an imaginary
tune on her brow, and came back with maidenly abstraction to the
doorway.

Everything was quiet, and her seclusion seemed unbroken. A smile played
for an instant in the soft shadows of her eyes and mouth as she recalled
the abrupt withdrawal of the men. Then her mouth straightened and her
brows slightly bent. It was certainly very unmannerly in them to go off
in that way. "Good heavens! couldn't they have stayed around without
talking? Surely it didn't require four men to go and bring up that
wagon!" She picked up her parasol from the bench with an impatient
little jerk. Then she held out her ungloved hand into the hot sunshine
beyond the door with the gesture she would have used had it been
raining, and withdrew it as quickly--her hand quite scorched in
the burning rays. Nevertheless, after another impatient pause she
desperately put up her parasol and stepped from the shanty.