Time passes, and Niel does not see much of Mrs. Forrester. The Forresters continue to spend their winters in Denver and Colorado Springs, and come to Sweet Water in the spring. Niel is sometimes invited to picnic suppers and dances by Mrs. Forrester, and he occasionally hears news from Black Tom, Judge Pommeroy’s servant who Mrs. Forrester hires to wait on the table when she has a dinner party.

Captain Forrester is seriously injured in a fall from his horse while in Colorado, which renders him unable to continue his career as a road builder. When Mrs. Forrester brings him to Sweet Water, the captain has lost much of his vitality. He works in his garden and is particularly devoted to growing roses. The Forresters still go to Colorado for the winter, but each year they spend less time there.

Sweet Water also goes through many changes, and its “future no longer looked bright” (17). Farmers and ranchers give up on trying to make a living there and return East, including George’s family. Fewer railroad officials stop to visit the Forresters. Niel’s father also leaves to take a job in Denver. Niel stays with his uncle

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