So　she　carried　the　letter　to　her　aunt；　a　rather　slight　woman　with　a　kindly　face　and　shrewd　eyes；　and　who　appeared　somewhat　given　to　old…fashioned　garments。
  〃Aunt　Mary；　here's　a　letter　from　Glenn；〃　said　Carley。　〃It's　more　of　a　stumper　than　usual。　Please　read　it。〃
  〃Dear　me！　You　look　upset；〃　replied　the　aunt；　mildly；　and；　adjusting　her　spectacles；　she　took　the　letter。
  Carley　waited　impatiently　for　the　perusal；　conscious　of　inward　forces　coming　more　and　more　to　the　aid　of　her　impulse　to　go　West。　Her　aunt　paused　once　to　murmur　how　glad　she　was　that　Glenn　had　gotten　well。　Then　she　read　on　to　the　close。
  〃Carley；　that's　a　fine　letter；〃　she　said；　fervently。　〃Do　you　see　through　it？〃
  〃No；　I　don't；〃　replied　Carley。　〃That's　why　I　asked　you　to　read　it。〃
  〃Do　you　still　love　Glenn　as　you　used　to　before〃
  〃Why；　Aunt　Mary！〃　exclaimed　Carley；　in　surprise。
  〃Excuse　me；　Carley；　if　I'm　blunt。　But　the　fact　is　young　women　of　modern　times　are　very　different　from　my　kind　when　I　was　a　girl。　You　haven't　acted　as　though　you　pined　for　Glenn。　You　gad　around　almost　the　same　as　ever。〃
  〃What's　a　girl　to　do？〃　protested　Carley。
  〃You　are　twenty…six　years　old；　Carley；〃　retorted　Aunt　Mary。
  〃Suppose　I　am。　I'm　as　youngas　I　ever　was。〃
  〃Well；　let's　not　argue　about　modern　girls　and　modern　times。　We　never　get　anywhere；〃　returned　her　aunt；　kindly。　〃But　I　can　tell　you　something　of　what　Glenn　Kilbourne　means　in　that　letterif　you　want　to　hear　it。〃
  〃I　doindeed。〃
  〃The　war　did　something　horrible　to　Glenn　aside　from　wrecking　his　health。　Shell…shock；　they　said！　I　don't　understand　that。　Out　of　his　mind；　they　said！　But　that　never　was　true。　Glenn　was　as　sane　as　I　am；　and；　my　dear；　that's　pretty　sane；　I'll　have　you　remember。　But　he　must　have　suffered　some　terrible　blight　to　his　spiritsome　blunting　of　his　soul。　For　months　after　he　returned　he　walked　as　one　in　a　trance。　Then　came　a　change。　He　grew　restless。　Perhaps　that　change　was　for　the　better。　At　least　it　showed　he'd　roused。　Glenn　saw　you　and　your　friends　and　the　life　you　lead；　and　all　the　present；　with　eyes　from　which　the　scales　had　dropped。　He　saw　what　was　wrong。　He　never　said　so　to　me；　but　I　knew　it。　It　wasn't　only　to　get　well　that　he　went　West。　It　was　to　get　away。　。　。　。　And；　Carley　Burch；　if　your　happiness　depends　on　him　you　had　better　be　up　and　doingor　you'll　lose　him！〃
  〃Aunt　Mary！〃　gasped　Carley。
  〃I　mean　it。　That　letter　shows　how　near　he　came　to　the　Valley　of　the　Shadowand　how　he　has　become　a　man。　。　。　。　If　I　were　you　I'd　go　out　West。　Surely　there　must　be　a　place　where　it　would　be　all　right　for　you　to　stay。〃
  〃Oh；　yes；〃　replied　Carley；　eagerly。　〃Glenn　wrote　me　there　was　a　lodge　where　people　went　in　nice　weatherright　down　in　the　canyon　not　far　from　his　place。　Then；　of　course；　the　townFlagstaffisn't　far。　。　。　。　Aunt　Mary；　I　think　I'll　go。〃
  〃I　would。　You're　certainly　wasting　your　time　here。〃
  〃But　I　could　only　go　for　a　visit；〃　rejoined　Carley；　thoughtfully。　〃A　month；　perhaps　six　weeks；　if　I　could　stand　it。〃
  〃Seems　to　me　if　you　can　stand　New　York　you　could　stand　that　place；〃　said　Aunt　Mary；　dryly。
  〃The　idea　of　staying　away　from　New　York　any　length　of　timewhy；　I　couldn't　do　it　I　。　。　。　But　I　can　stay　out　there　long　enough　to　bring　Glenn　back　with　me。〃
  〃That　may　take　you　longer　than　you　think；〃　replied　her　aunt；　with　a　gleam　in　her　shrewd　eyes。　〃If　you　want　my　advice　you　will　surprise　Glenn。　Don't　write　himdon't　give　him　a　chance　towell　to　suggest　courteously　that　you'd　better　not　come　just　yet。　I　don't　like　his　words　'just　yet。'〃
  〃Auntie；　you'rerathermore　than　blunt；〃　said　Carley；　divided　between　resentment　and　amaze。　〃Glenn　would　be　simply　wild　to　have　me　come。〃
  〃Maybe　he　would。　Has　he　ever　asked　you？〃
  〃No…ocome　to　think　of　it；　he　hasn't；〃　replied　Carley；　reluctantly。　〃Aunt　Mary；　you　hurt　my　feelings。〃
  〃Well；　child；　I'm　glad　to　learn　your　feelings　are　hurt；〃　returned　the　aunt。　〃I'm　sure；　Carley；　that　underneath　all　thisthis　blase　ultra　something　you've　acquired；　there's　a　real　heart。　Only　you　must　hurry　and　listen　to　itor〃
  〃Or　what？〃　queried　Carley。
  Aunt　Mary　shook　her　gray　head　sagely。　〃Never　mind　what。　Carley；　I'd　like　your　idea　of　the　most　significant　thing　in　Glenn's　letter。〃
  〃Why；　his　love　for　me；　of　course！〃　replied　Carley。
  〃Naturally　you　think　that。　But　I　don't。　What　struck　me　most　were　his　words；　'out　of　the　West。'　Carley；　you'd　do　well　to　ponder　over　them。〃
  〃I　will；〃　rejoined　Carley；　positively。　〃I'll　do　more。　I'll　go　out　to　his　wonderful　West　and　see　what　he　meant　by　them。〃
  Carley　Burch　possessed　in　full　degree　the　prevailing　modern　craze　for　speed。　She　loved　a　motor…car　ride　at　sixty　miles　an　hour　along　a　smooth；　straight　road；　or；　better；　on　the　level　seashore　of　Ormond；　where　on　moonlight　nights　the　white　blanched　sand　seemed　to　flash　toward　her。　Therefore　quite　to　her　taste　was　the　Twentieth　Century　Limited　which　was　hurtling　her　on　the　way　to　Chicago。　The　unceasingly　smooth　and　even　rush　of　the　train　satisfied　something　in　her。　An　old　lady　sitting　in　an　adjoining　seat　with　a　companion　amused　Carley　by　the　remark：　〃I　wish　we　didn't　go　so　fast。　People　nowadays　haven't　time　to　draw　a　comfortable　breath。　Suppose　we　should　run　off　the　track！〃
  Carley　had　no　fear　of　express　trains；　or　motor　cars；　or　transatlantic　liners；　in　fact；　she　prided　herself　in　not　being　afraid　of　anything。　But　she　wondered　if　this　was　not　the　false　courage　of　association　with　a　crowd。　Before　this　enterprise　at　hand　she　could　not　remember　anything　she　had　undertaken　alone。　Her　thrills　seemed　to　be　in　abeyance　to　the　end　of　her　journey。　That　night　her　sleep　was　permeated　with　the　steady　low　whirring　of　the　wheels。　Once；　roused　by　a　jerk；　she　lay　awake　in　the　darkness　while　the　thought　came　to　her　that　she　and　all　her　fellow　passengers　were　really　at　the　mercy　of　the　engineer。　Who　was　he；　and　did　he　stand　at　his　throttle　keen　and　vigilant；　thinking　of　the　lives　intrusted　to　him？　Such　thoughts　vaguely　annoyed　Carley；　and　she　dismissed　them。
  A　long　half…day　wait　in　Chicago　was　a　tedious　preliminary　to　the　second　part　of　her　journey。　But　at　last　she　found　herself　aboard　the　California　Limited；　and　went　to　bed　with　a　relief　quite　a　stranger　to　her。　The　glare　of　the　sun　under　the　curtain　awakened　her。　Propped　up　on　her　pillows；　she　looked　out　at　apparently　endless　green　fields　or　pastures；　dotted　now　and　then　with　little　farmhouses　and　tree…skirted　villages。　This　country；　she　thought；　must　be　the　prairie　land　she　remembered　lay　west　of　the　Mississippi。
  Later；　in　the　dining　car；　the　steward　smilingly　answered　her　question：　〃This　is　Kansas；　and　those　green　fields　out　there　are　the　wheat　that　feeds　the　nation。〃
  Carley　was　not　impressed。　The　color　of　the　short　wheat　appeared　soft　and　rich；　and　the　boundless　fields　stretched　away　monotonously。　She　had　not　known　there　was　so　much　flat　land　in　the　world；　and　she　imagined　it　might　be　a　fine　country　for　automobile　roads。　When　she　got　back　to　her　seat　she　drew　the　blinds　down　and　read　her　magazines。　Then　tiring　of　that；　she　went　back　to　the　observation　car。　Carley　was　accustomed　to　attracting　attention；　and　did　not　resent　it；　unless　she　was　annoyed。　The　train　evidently　had　a　full　complement　of　passengers；　who；　as　far　as　Carley　could　see；　were　people　not　of　her　station　in　life。　The　glare　from　the　many　windows；　and　the　rather　crass　interest　of　several　men；　drove　her　back　to　her　own　section。　There　she　discovered　that　some　one　had　drawn　up　her　window　shades。　Carley　promptly　pulled　them　down　and　settled　herself　comfortably。　Then　she　heard　a　woman　speak；　not　particularly　low：　〃I　thought　people　traveled　west　to　see　the　country。〃　And　a　man　replied；　rather　dryly。　〃Wal；　not　always。〃　His　companion　went　on：　〃If　that　girl　was　mine　I'd　let　down　her　skirt。〃　The　man　laughed　and　replied：　〃Martha；　you're　shore　behind　the　times。　Look　at　the　pictures　in　the　magazines。〃
  Such　remarks　amused　Carley；　and　later　she　took　advantage　of　an　opportunity　to　notice　her　neighbors。　They　appeared　a　rather　quaint　old　couple；　reminding　her　of　the　natives　of　country　towns　in　the　Adirondacks。　She　was　not　amused；　however；　when　another　of　her　woman　neighbors；　speaking　low；　referred　to　her　as　a　〃lunger。〃　Carley　appreciated　the　fact　that　she　was　pale；　but　she　assured　herself　that　there　ended　any　possible　resemblance　she　might　have　to　a　consumptive。　And　she　was　somewhat　pleased　to　hear　this　woman's　male　companion　forcibly　voice　her　own　convictions。　In　fact；　he　was　nothing　if　not　admiring。
  Kansas　was　interminably　long　to　Carley；　and　she　went　to　sleep　before　riding　out　of　it。　Next　morning　she　found　herself　looking　out　at　the　rough　gray　and　black　land　of　New　Mexico。　She　searched　the　horizon　for　mountains；　but　there　did　not　appear　to　be　any。　She　received　a　vague；　slow…dawning　impression　that　was　hard　to　define。　She　did　not　like　the　country；　though　that　was　not　the　impression　which　eluded　her。　Bare　gray　flats；　low　scrub…fringed　hills；　bleak　cliffs；　jumble　after　jumble　of　rocks；　and　occasionally　a　long　vista　down　a　valley；　somehow　compelling…these　passed　before　her　gaze　until　she　tired　of　them。　Where　was　the　West　Glenn　had　written　about？　One　thing　seemed　sure；　and　it　was　that　every　mile　of　this　crude　country　brought　her　nearer　to　him。　This　recurring　thought　gave　Carley　al