The vehicle was headed west, away from him, and the horses
were walking. The distance between himself and the buckboard was not
great, and he saw that it was occupied by two women--one of them the
woman whom he had met at the foot of the stairs leading to Warden's
office. The other was elderly, and was looking straight ahead, but the
young woman's head was turned toward Lawler at the instant Lawler caught
sight of the buckboard. It seemed to him that the young woman must have
been watching him, before he became aware of the buckboard, for there
was a smile on her face as she looked at him; and when she seemed sure
that he was looking she gayly waved a white handkerchief.
Lawler did not answer the signal. He looked around, thinking that
perhaps the woman might have waved the handkerchief at some friend she
had just left, and when he turned she had her back to him.
Lawler was conscious of a pulse of amusement over the woman's action,
though he experienced no fatuous thrill. The woman was frivolous, and
had made no appeal to his imagination.
Besides, Lawler was in no mood for frivolous thought. He was having his
first experience with the invisible and subtle power that ruled the
commerce of the nation, and his thoughts were serious--almost vicious.
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