About ten o'clock Vandover went ashore in the ship's yawl and landed in the city on a literally perfect day in early November.

It seemed many years since he had been there.

The drizzly morning upon which the _Santa Rosa_ had cast off was already too long ago to be remembered.

The city itself as he walked up Market Street toward Kearney seemed to have taken on a strange appearance.
It was Sunday, the downtown streets were deserted except for the cable-cars and an occasional newsboy.

The stores were closed and in their vestibules one saw the peddlers who were never there on week-days, venders of canes and peddlers of glue with heavy weights attached to mended china plates.
Vandover had had no breakfast and was conscious of feeling desperately hungry.