The narrator recalls events several decades in the past, in a town called Sweet Water, which was situated along the Burlington railroad. A prominent railroad contractor named Forrester owned a house there. This house was a popular destination, “well known from Omaha to Denver for its hospitality and for a certain charm of atmosphere” (3). The railroad aristocracy frequently traveled via rail for business and enjoyed stopping at Captain Forrester’s home.

Situated on a hill, the Forrester house was not particularly grand by modern standards, but it was much admired by visitors and local residents. There was a stream at the base of the hill that cut through meadows of pasture and marsh. Though most men would have drained the marsh to turn the land into fields, Captain Forrester was attracted to the location’s wild nature and could afford to leave it as it was. The narrator states that what made the house so special was not its architecture but the quality of its inhabitants.

It pleased Captain Forrester when visitors appreciated the beauty of his property. He was also pleased that his wife was an excellent hostess who impressed the men who came to visit.