Daysong Reflections | Rocky Mountain Oasis by Lynnette Bonner

From an upper story window in the Joss house, a Chinese woman emptied a pail of water onto the street, splattering mud on Gaffney's Pioneer Hotel next door and leaving a small muddy patch in the alley between the buildings. .... No one in the room responded; he had not expected them to. Turning back he looked into the fire, its reflection dancing in his dark eyes. The silence in the room was palpable, only the crackling of the fire and the clatter of silverware disturbed ...