Part 13 (1/2)

Rufus Carder looked around at the girl his thin lips twitching in ugly fas.h.i.+on.

”_You_ can tell him, then, if he won't take it from me,” he said, ”and mind you're quick about it. We ain't ready here for guests. Miss Melody don't want to receive anybody. She's tired and she's recuperatin'. Tell him so, Geraldine.”

The girl's lips moved at first without a sound; then she spoke:

”I'm very tired, Mr. Barry,” she said faintly. ”Please excuse me.”

Rufus turned back to the guest.

”Good-day, sir,” he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed savagely.

Ben stood for a silent s.p.a.ce undecided. His fists were clenched.

Geraldine, meeting his glowing eyes, shook her head slowly. Her keen distress made him fear to make another move.

”At some other time, then, perhaps,” he said, tingling with the increasing desire to knock down his host and catch this girl up in his arms.

”Yes, at some other time,” said Rufus, speaking with a sneer. ”Tell Miss Upton that Mrs. Carder may see her later.”

A tide of crimson rushed over Ben's face. He saw that there must be a pressure here that he could not understand, and again Geraldine's fair head and wonderful eyes signaled him a warning. He could not risk increasing her suffering.

”Good-day, sir,” repeated Rufus; and the visitor stepped down from the office-door in silence and out to his machine.

Carder turned back to Geraldine, who met his angry gaze with despairing eyes.

”What have I to hope for from you when you treat a stranger so inexcusably?” she said in a low, clear voice that had a sharp edge.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tingling with the Increasing Desire to knock down his Host and catch this Girl up in his Arms]

”Let me run this,” said Rufus with bravado. ”You'll find out later what you'll get from me, and it will be nothin' to complain of when once you're Mrs. Carder. You can have that fat porpoise or any other woman come to see you, and when you're ridin' 'em around in the new car I'm goin' to get you, they'll be green with envy. You'll see. Let me run this.”

His absorption in Geraldine had distracted Carder's attention from the fact that he was not hearing the departure of that most satirically named engine of misery, ”The Silent Traveler.”

He strode to a window and saw Ben Barry mounting his machine close to where Pete was mowing the gra.s.s.

He hurried to the door. ”Come here, you d.a.m.ned coot!” he yelled. And Pete dropped the mower and ambled up to the office-door.

”What did that man want of you?” he asked furiously.

”Wanted to know the shortest road to Keefe,” replied Pete in his usual sullen tone.

”You lie!” exclaimed Rufus. If Ben Barry had looked like a dusty Sir Galahad to Geraldine, he had looked dangerously attractive to Carder, who cursed the luck that had made him invite the girl to his office on this particular afternoon. ”You lie!” he repeated, and stepping back to his desk he seized a whip which lay along one side of it.

Geraldine cried out, and springing forward grasped his arm. He paused at the first voluntary touch he had ever received from her.

”Don't you dare strike that boy!” she exclaimed breathlessly.

Carder looked down at the white horror in her face and in her s.h.i.+ning eyes.

”I'm goin' to get the truth out of him,” he said, his mouth twitching.