The road was of shell, and where it entered the
grounds passed through a huge iron gate suspended upon concrete
pillars. The whole place had an air of wealth and exclusiveness.
Here, too, the windows stared at him blindly, and he saw no
evidence of occupation; yet he advanced and pounded vigorously on
the door. Failing to rouse any one, he paused to take a general
view of the surroundings. Scattered upon every side were other
winter homes, some bleaching nakedly in the open, others peeping
out from luxuriant groves, some mean and poor, others really
beautiful and impressive. He knew that he was in the heart of
Panama's exclusive winter colony, where her wealthy residents came
to avoid the heat.
Unwilling to acknowledge himself beaten, he plodded from one place
to another, calling at all the nearest houses, finding most of
them locked, and begging a glass of water where he chanced to be
more fortunate. Nowhere did he see the girl or the Barbadian
woman, nowhere did he receive an intelligible answer to his
questions. The caretakers looked upon him with suspicion, and made
it known that he was unwelcome, while their women retreated at
sight of him. Even the children were unfriendly. Once, indeed, he
heard the name that had been ringing so steadily in his ears, and
it gave him a wild thrill until he discovered that it was only a
negress calling to her child.
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