On the second day of Lawler's unconsciousness a keen-eyed man stepped off the east-bound train and made his way to the hotel.
"I'm Metcalf of the _News_, in the capital," he told Keller, the proprietor.

And Keller quietly ushered the newspaperman upstairs, where the latter stood for a long time until Mrs.Lawler opened the door of the sickroom for him.

Metcalf entered, looked down at Lawler, and then drew Shorty aside where, in a whispered conversation he obtained the particulars of the fight and the wounding of Lawler.

He took the west-bound train that night.
A pall seemed to have settled over Willets.

The atmosphere was tense, strained.