The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, October, 1913 Vol. LXXXVI. New Series: Vol. LXIV. May to October, 1913

A slow, lyrical portrait opens the tale, drifting over Red Hill’s mist‑cloaked woods, winding lanes, and the solemn white steeple of an old church that watches the passing of time. The narrator sketches a landscape caught between the relentless hum of railways and the lingering scent of elderberry and sassafras, where each weather‑worn house guards its own secret—some scorched by fire, others shuttered against a new, industrial age. A cryptic inscription hints that the key to the hill’s mysteries lies in turning away from the parallel rivers and railroads and venturing into the “eternal hills.” This atmosphere of nostalgic idealism sets the stage for a traveler who senses both loss and promise in the New England scenery of the early nineteenth century.

When the young Alan Wayne is summoned to Red Hill in early spring, the lingering snow and budding elms paint a scene of quiet anticipation. He arrives with his colts, whose fierce gallop across the crest astonishes the seasoned coachman, Joe. Their arrival promises a journey that will test the fragile balance between the hill’s lingering past and the inevitable pull of the modern world.