Part 8 (1/2)
”Just a word--”
”And we--”
”And we've got the word,” finished Billie in great excitement, flouris.h.i.+ng the letter. ”We are not to deliver it if we feel that it would be dangerous, but if we can manage to slip it to her it will make two people very happy.”
”But how can it be done? It sounds like a very risky adventure to me.”
The girls exchanged sly glances while Billie related the plan. Many a time had they won Miss Campbell over to their schemes by touching her romantic heart.
”It's quite simple, you see, Cousin Helen. The mention of Fontainebleau will explain everything to Evelyn. You see, they met in Paris, and spent one beautiful day together at Fontainebleau.”
There was a long pause while Miss Campbell considered the situation.
”I don't think any harm would be done,” she said at last. ”He has been very kind to us, and if we could help him along a little, bring two loving souls together--”
She paused and looked into the eager, interested faces of the four young girls. Could she refuse to help two lovers?
”I've always heard those Mormons were a very revengeful race of people; but we'll take the risk, dear children. I don't see that there will be much danger in it for us. Billie can write a perfectly non-committal note saying that she is in Salt Lake City for a few days, and would like to see Miss Evelyn, and it would do no harm, I'm sure, to add, 'Have you forgotten the beautiful time at Fontainebleau?'”
”Yes, yes; that is exactly the thing to say,” cried the others, and they began to count the days and weeks before they could reach Salt Lake City beyond the great wall of the Rocky Mountains.
They were still chatting in close conversation when a voice behind them startled them. A deep, sonorous voice that had an ominous ring like distant thunder, and yet the words spoken were commonplace enough:
”Ladies, do you wish to buy any shoestrings, jewelry, handkerchiefs, pins and combs?”
They looked up quickly.
A peddler had approached and was now about to open his pack. From his coa.r.s.e dark skin and black hair, long enough to show underneath his slouch hat, they judged he was at least half-Indian, and he stood over them, a silent, statuesque figure, his narrow eyes becoming slits of blackness as he regarded them.
”I am very sorry,” said Miss Campbell politely,
”I'm afraid we don't need any of those things. We are already well provided.”
This courteous lady was always apologetic when she couldn't accommodate persons of a wandering character.
”Maybe the lady would like something better than shoestrings,” continued the man, slipping his pack to the ground and opening a lower secret compartment from which he drew a long, narrow box.
Spreading a square of dark green cotton material on the ground, the halfbreed emptied out a double handful of beautiful opals.
”These opals I found in Mexico,” he said, letting the stones drip through his fingers like glorified drops of milk. ”They are very perfect ones. This one would make you a beautiful ring, madam. And this young lady would look well in a necklace of opals. I will sell them to you for half their value.”
The girls looked at the stones with grave interest, but n.o.body wanted an unset opal, and at the beginning of this long journey they had no intention of buying jewels.
”I am exceedingly sorry, my good man,” said Miss Campbell, ”but we do not wish to buy anything, especially opals, because they are unlucky stones.”
”Only for those, lady, who are not born in October. Now, I should say that this young lady was born in that month,” he added, pointing to Billie.
”I was,” said Billie, somewhat startled, ”but how could you tell?”
”Lady, those who sleep under the stars are sometimes gifted in that way.