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Show The Chimney 104 "It is intriguing." Mr. Langley coughed into the back of his gloved hand. "My house...you like?" He faced the stranger fully and lifted his head in expectancy. "I'm curious." The raw-boned blonde stood and rubbed the loose d i r t from his hands against the sides of his pants. He wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist and sniffed air into his well-spread nostrils. "Why do you come here?" He stared straight into the stranger's brown eyes set deeply above a groomed beard. "To Salt Lake City? You are no Mormon." "Why I , " the stranger stammered, surprised at the sudden response and shift in offensive, "I'm passing through to San Francisco. I wanted to see the West. I needed to get away from the East." The other squinted his eyes, insisting on more detail. "Well, I , my l i f e has been," Langley began, suddenly embarrassed, "you know...lives go better at some times than others." "Your heart...I can see i t hurt you." The large man lumbered past Langley, up the three stairs to the porch where his head almost touched the ceiling. Not unlike a frost giant, he had a ruddy red face and starred blue irises. He pushed down the latch and ducked inside the narrow door frame, leaving the door ajar. The unspoken invitation was enough for Langley, even though the interior looked dark and smelled of closed quarters. His boots sounded hollow-heeled as he crossed the plank porch. He brushed past the vase mounted to the red door and the paper flowers that were dusty grey and spider-webbed on closer |