Part 7 (1/2)
”What do you mean?” he asked, now thoroughly frightened.
”Mean!” said his wife, as she saw that she at last had the brute in her power, ”it means that you've got to let that girl alone, and behave yourself to me, or you'll wish you had, that's all.”
Just then, Minty entered on the scene, her round eyes wide open with astonishment, and Lyle entering an instant later from the breakfast room, Maverick slunk away to his work.
Meanwhile, the other boarders were gathering in the breakfast room, Miss Gladden and Rutherford being the last to enter.
”Whew!” exclaimed the latter, rubbing his hands, ”this seems a little wintry, doesn't it? Looks like a storm, too!”
”Yes,” said Morgan, glancing up, ”we'll probably have a snow-storm before noon.”
”How do you pleasure seekers intend to spend the day?” inquired Houston, addressing Miss Gladden and Rutherford.
”I think I shall spend it beside the fire,” replied Miss Gladden, s.h.i.+vering slightly, and sitting down for a moment beside the little box stove, where a wood fire was crackling and spluttering; ”I haven't quite decided what to do, because I didn't come out here prepared for snow-storms.”
”I believe,” said Rutherford, ”I'll take a day off and develop some of the pictures I've taken lately, and sort over my collection of views.”
”That will be delightful,” exclaimed Miss Gladden, smiling brightly at Lyle who had entered the room in time to hear Rutherford's remark, ”We will make Mr. Rutherford entertain us with his collection, won't we Lyle?”
Lyle smiled in a.s.sent, but Miss Gladden very quickly detected traces of trouble in her face, and determined, if possible, to gain her confidence, and find the cause. Rutherford also noticed the change in her appearance, and remarked, after she had again left the room:
”Miss Maverick doesn't look like herself this morning, I wonder what is the matter.”
”I think there has been a storm of some kind in the kitchen,” Houston replied, ”I heard pretty loud talk when I first came in.”
”Yes,” said Morgan, joining in the conversation, ”she and the old man have some high old times, once in a while; and one thing is curious, the girl never seems afraid of him, and that's more than can be said of many of the men around here.”
”Why,” asked Houston, ”is he considered dangerous?”
”He is a pretty tough customer,” said Morgan, ”I guess there's no job too dirty for him to do, if he's only paid for it;” and then added carelessly, ”that's the kind of a man Blaisdell likes to have 'round once in a while.”
”What does he do?” asked Houston, ”does he work in the mines?”
”He used to,” replied Morgan, ”but he don't do any more underground work, he--”
”Doesn't he?” interrupted Haight, with a peculiar emphasis.
”Oh, yes, in some ways, plenty of it,” laughed Morgan, ”but I was speaking of the mines; he's a sort of foreman now in one of 'em, and tends to the sorting of the ore occasionally; helps Haight out sometimes, when he has a particularly delicate job on hand,” and Morgan winked across the table at the expert, who smiled knowingly in return.
Lyle coming into the room again, the talk regarding Maverick ceased, but when she had left, Morgan continued:
”She's a queer girl; she gives it to the old man sometimes, up and down; the boys don't dare give him any lip, but she's no more afraid of him, than--”
”Than she is of you,” again interrupted Haight, with a smile that seemed to discompose Morgan considerably, for he colored and bit his lip.
Miss Gladden looked annoyed, as did Houston, and Rutherford, feeling something was amiss, unintentionally said about the worst thing he could just at that moment.
”I think Miss Maverick is an awfully nice girl.”