Blind mice

John Winter and James Sprague share a cramped train carriage, the rain drumming on the windows as they trade newspaper snippets for careful calculations. John’s flamboyant blue‑eye stare and quick‑drawn courtesy toward a passing girl contrast sharply with Sprague’s quiet, immaculate demeanor and steady, low‑pitched commentary. Their conversation drifts from a fleeting flirtation to the practical worry of cementing a cellar wall for a client named Howland.

At the small stop in Rosedene the two step onto a wet street and head to John’s modest home, where his wife Lucy greets them with a warm smile and their lively child Dimmie bounds forward in eager greeting. The domestic scene is cozy, yet the couple’s plans for a decorative art‑tile scheme hint at looming disagreements over taste and budget. As they settle in, the threads of friendship, ambition, and everyday responsibilities begin to intertwine, promising both humor and tension in the days ahead.