Part 17 (1/2)
”Yes, they will,” Brockway a.s.serted, cheerfully; ”Burton will take care of them--that's what he's here for. Moreover, I shall take it upon myself to abolish the perversities, animate or inanimate.”
”Please do. And if Mrs. Burton scold me----”
”She'd better not,” said Brockway, with much severity. ”If she does, I'll tell tales out of school and give her something else to think about.”
”Could you?”
”You would better believe it; she is trembling in her shoes this blessed minute for fear I may. But you would have to stand by me.”
”I? Well, I've promised, you know. What place is this?”
The train had entered the great gateway in Table Mountain, and was clattering past the Golden smelting works.
”It is Golden--you remember, don't you?” And then Brockway bethought him of something. ”Will you excuse me a minute, while I get off and speak to the agent?”
”Certainly,” said Gertrude; and when the train skirted the high platform, Brockway sprang off and ran quickly to the telegraph office.
The operator was just coming out with a freshly written message in his hand.
”h.e.l.lo, Fred,” he said; ”didn't know you were on. Do you happen to know a Miss Gertrude Vennor? She's with John Burton's party.”
”Yes,” said Brockway, tingling to get hold of the message before Burton should come along.
”All right; give her this, will you? I can't leave that blessed wire a minute.”
Brockway thrust the telegram into his pocket, dodged around the throng of station loungers, and won back to the rear platform of the observation-car without seeing or being seen of the general agent. Then he drew the crumpled paper from his pocket and read it shamelessly.
”TO MISS GERTRUDE VENNOR, ”Care John Burton, ”On Colorado Central Train 51.
”Come back from Golden on first train. Have changed our plans, and shall leave Denver at 1.30 P.M.
”FRANCIS VENNOR.”
XVIII
FLAGGED DOWN
Brockway read the President's telegram twice, folded it very small, and tucked it into his waistcoat pocket.
”That's just about what I expected he'd do, and it's a straight bluff,”
he muttered. ”All the same, she's not going back. And I've got to block it without getting Burton into trouble.”
There was no time for anything but the simplest expedient. He jumped off again and ran back to the telegraph office.
”Say, Jim, that message to Miss Vennor is bulled. Ask Denver to repeat it to Beaver Brook, will you?” he said, interrupting the operator as he was repeating the train order.
The man of dots and dashes finished the order. ”Can't do it, Fred; get me into hot water up to my neck. Think of something else.”
”Will you help me if I do?”