They left Fond du Lac by river steamer for the last twenty miles of the journey, and Luke found he was more than ready to arrive in Duluth, no matter how small and uncivilized it was. All along the route he had been regaled with stories of the place by either Theodore or Archie, and he was ready to form his own opinion. Jay Cooke had visited once three years earlier. There had been even less of a town back then, but he had been able to see great potential. Men like him were visionaries, and Luke often wished he could be like them. Even so, there was a thrill attached to his travel and job.

Mr. Cooke believed in Luke’s capabilities, and that encouraged him. Maybe as a visionary, Mr. Cooke was able to see something in Luke that he couldn’t see for himself.

The late hour kept Luke from being able to see much after leaving Fond du Lac, but as they neared Duluth, he spied lights dotting the blackness here and there. Scott had written a couple of letters describing how beautiful the area was and how he and Sally liked the people. It would be good to see his brother again and declare his journey at an end.

The temperature had dropped into the forties, making Luke more than a little chilled. As they drew closer to the big lake, he knew that the damp air was the reason. He felt colder than he ever had back in Philadelphia. It seemed strange to him, given there was plenty of humidity there as well, but something about it was different here, and he’d just have to get used to it.

“Brought you a cup of coffee,” Archie said, handing a mug to Luke. “I’ve been talking with some of the crew. It sounds like it’s warming up.”

“This is warmer, eh? I’m sure glad for this fire.” Luke held his hands out to warm them. “My fingers are frozen.”

“You need better gloves. A better coat too. You’ll be able to buy them in Duluth. Back in the old days, before much of anybody moved north to Minnesota, they were always advised to bring warm clothes. Some folks didn’t take it seriously. They’d arrive in the summer heat and swat mosquitos as big as birds, and laugh about being hale and hardy enough to endure the Minnesota winter. Then winter came, and they were scrambling.”

“Philadelphia gets plenty cold. I guess I just didn’t take into account that you are much farther north and situated on a large body of water. Philadelphia was near water too, but I obviously misjudged.”

“You’ll learn, as we all did. They’ve built—or I guess I should say, are building—a nice-sized hotel in Duluth. It’s called the Clark House, but it’s not yet ready for us, so you’ll probably be directed to the Jefferson House.”