The man behind the fountain wore a blue jacket over his white shirt. He had a thin face and a high-domed head and intelligent blue eyes. Doak sat on one of the high wire stools and lighted a cigarette. "Hot day, was it?" "Hot enough. But we get the night breeze. Stranger in town?" "From Milwaukee," Doak said. "Out to visit Senator Arnold." "Oh." The man set the drink in front of Doak. "Trying to talk him into leaving some money to the University," Doak added. "Guess he's a pretty hard man to get money from." "I hear he is. I wouldn't know about it. He--doesn't shop in town." The drink was freshly flavorful, cool as springwater. Doak rubbed the beaded moisture with a thumb. "Pretty town," he said. "Pretty country around here." "Peaceful," the man agreed. "I've never been anywhere else, so I couldn't judge it right, I guess--but then I've never had the urge to go anywhere else, so it must be all right." "These days," Doak said, "a man doesn't need to go anywhere else. They bring the world right to you." "I guess. Hear they're having a hard time getting Venus populated. I guess people aren't as rootless as the planners figured." By "the planners" the man undoubtedly meant THAT WASHINGTON CROWD. Doak finished his drink and went up the street to the grey house with the blue shutters on the curve. There was a woman sitting on the front porch, a short and heavy woman with dark hair and brown eyes. She smiled at him and said, "Good evening," without rising. "Mrs. Klein?" Doak asked and she nodded. He said, "The station agent told me you rented rooms and served meals. My name is Doak Parker." "A pleasure, Mr. Parker. If you'll go through the living room and take that door at the east end of it, you'll come to a hall. The room at the back of the hall's the one, if you'd like to look at it." She didn't move from her chair. He went into the dim living room and through the door and down the hall. A mahogany bed with a patchwork quilt for a spread, a mahogany dresser and a huge wicker chair, upholstered in a bright chintz. It was a chintzy house. * * * * * He looked out the back window and saw a neat lawn, bordered with flowering shrubs. He put his grip on the floor and came back to the living room. There were windows along the front of this room and they were open. He could see Mrs. Klein in her chair and a girl standing next to her. There was no reason for him to pause but he did. He'd heard Mrs. Klein say, "Another meeting tonight, Martha?" "Yes." The girl's voice was defensive. "Why--why, Martha? Don't you realize the danger of--oh, Martha!" "Mother, please. There's no danger. We're careful." Doak coughed and walked out again onto the porch. The girl standing there was as dark as her mother but slim and long-legged and vividly beautiful. Mrs. Klein said, "My daughter Martha, Mr. Parker. You liked the room?" "It's fine," he said and to Martha, "How do you do?"