Part 41 (1/2)

father is a cat's paw for fellows like that Greek and Freet, you are mistaken. And I'm not going to s.h.i.+lly-shally about it. Oscar, you are going to begin right now fighting with Mr. Manning for the Project or I'll leave you.”

Oscar jumped to his feet. ”For the Lord's sake, Jane, don't talk that way! How did I know how you felt? You never talk to me.”. Ames forgot Jim. He laid a knotted hand on Jane's shoulder. ”Why, Jane, I've often thought if anything happened to you, I'd kill myself. I didn't have time to run in and tell you that every fifteen minutes. But I'll do it, now, by heck, if you want me to! You don't understand about me and Mr.

Sardox, though.”

Jane's burning eyes did not leave Oscar's face. ”Oscar, you choose right now between the Freet crowd, and Mr. Manning and me.”

There was that in Jane's eyes which caused Oscar to pale under his tan.

”All right, Jane! All right! When you put it that way there is just one thing for me to do. I'll quit them.”

Jane suddenly turned, and bowing her head against Oscar's arm she began to sob. ”It would have torn my heart strings out to have left you, Oscar.”

Jim watched the two with eyes that saw none too clearly.

Oscar smoothed Jane's hair and shook his head. ”No use to tell a woman a secret. Jane, you went and told Mrs. Penelope about Freet, didn't you?”

Mrs. Ames wiped her eyes. ”You told her yourself. You talked to the wrong flower girl at the ball. She came to me about it the first thing when she saw me today.”

”Shucks!” said Oscar.

”How did you get in touch with Freet, Oscar?” asked Jim.

”Aw, I'll help you, Mr. Manning, but I won't tell you other people's business.”

”All right, Oscar. It may interest you to know that I had received a note this morning from Freet saying he was coming down here to see me on business.”

Oscar flushed. ”Come on, Jane, let's be going. I'm much obliged to you for the cement talk. Why didn't you help me that way before, Mr.

Manning?”

Jim laughed. ”I didn't know enough to, Oscar. To tell the truth, a lady has been after me, too!”

”Mrs. Pen!” exclaimed Jane.

Jim nodded comically and Oscar with a sudden roar of laughter shook hands with Jim. ”And women think they need the vote!” he said, leading Jane out the door.

That evening just as Jim was finis.h.i.+ng his supper Pen walked into the living room. ”Jim,” she said, ”did you know that Mr. Freet was coming?”

Jim pulled out a chair for Pen but she shook her head. ”Yes, I had a letter from him. He wants to see my sand-cement work and one or two other new stunts I'm trying out.”

Pen moistened her lips. ”Jim, he's up at our tent now, talking with Sara. They say nothing before me, but--Still, I'm going to take Sara back to New York at once.”

”We'll see what I can do first,” said Jim. ”I'll go up there now.” He picked up his hat, then paused. ”Pen, I haven't told you how much your talk the other night has done for me, or how--how I thank you for staying on here to help me after--after Wind Ridge. It is--I----”

”Jane told me about your talk with Oscar this afternoon. O Still, I'm so proud and so glad!”

Jim looked at Pen's glowing cheeks and at her parted scarlet lips.

”Pen,” he said suddenly, ”I'm going to have Henderson give more mask b.a.l.l.s. You are years younger since having a good dance, and it looks as if a dance will be the only chance I'll ever have to hug you for all the dear things you do for me!”

Then he fled out the door before Pen could answer. He walked in at the open door of the tent.

”Good evening, Mr. Freet,” he said.