Part 12 (1/2)
”Are they going to pay cash?” Marvin asked, pausing in front of her.
”It's much better than cas.h.!.+ It's shares of stock that pay ten per cent.
a year! It seems almost too good to be true.”
”It does--it certainly does!” came from Marvin.
The girl had risen, glowing with enthusiasm. Quite naturally she put her hand on his arm and looked up at him happily, intimately, navely seeking his approval.
In the midst of his perplexity Marvin's heart gave a bound. That nave touch on his arm and the intimate light in the brown eyes told him that, in one respect at least, all was not lost--not yet! He was about to take her hands and break into a rush of words when the girl suddenly turned her attention from him, remarking, eagerly: ”Here comes daddy. We were afraid he'd deserted again!”
Marvin swung around. Much as he wanted to see Lightnin' to-day, he wished, just then, that Bill could have seen fit to delay his appearance a few minutes longer. Bill Jones, however, came serenely up the steps and stood with his hands in his pockets, shrewdly and humorously inspecting the pair.
”Sorry to interrupt the billin' an' cooin',” he remarked. ”But say, John, ain't you takin' some chances round here? Did you know that Blodgett's here? I seen him go up-stairs when I went out.”
Millie had flushed and turned away at her foster-father's first words, but now she looked curiously from one to the other.
”What on earth do you mean, daddy?” she questioned.
”He's just _helping me_, Millie,” said Marvin, grinning at Bill. ”Thanks for the tip, Lightnin', but I wanted to see you particularly to-day, so I--”
He stopped abruptly, for Bill had raised a warning hand.
Marvin recognized a familiar voice talking in the lobby. Glancing in, he saw Raymond Thomas standing in the center of the room, holding Mrs.
Jones in conversation. Hammond and Blodgett had just come down the stairs and were joining the other two.
”Better beat it, John!” Lightnin' whispered.
But Marvin stood there. He was thinking quickly. He had caught a word or two of what Thomas was saying, and he gathered that matters were coming to a climax. Suddenly his expression cleared and he grinned.
”Never mind about that, Lightnin',” he said, mechanically opening the door for Millie, who, seeing that they were ignoring her, tripped in with a petulant toss of her head. ”I think I have a little scheme that will fool our friend Blodgett. But first--Bill, promise me that you won't sign that deed without consulting me!”
”All right,” said Lightnin', slowly. ”I promise. But you better be careful, John, an'--”
”Come on!” Marvin interrupted, leading the way himself. ”I've a great desire to be in on these proceedings!”
Seeing that the young man was not to be stopped, Bill said no more as he slid through the door and ambled after him into the lobby.
CHAPTER IX
”I think it is only fair to tell you, Mrs. Jones,” Thomas was saying, a delicate, apologetic note creeping into his voice as he caught sight of Millie, ”that this Marvin is not a proper person for your daughter to see. I fully believed that he was a fine young man myself once, and you cannot imagine my surprise when I discovered that he is the head of a gang of thieves who are going all over this part of the country, stealing timber.”
”Mercy me!” cried Mrs. Jones. ”A thief, no less!” Then, seeing Marvin unexpectedly present in person, she glared at him. ”Somethin' always warned me against you, John Marvin! Oh, Millie, Millie! How many times have I told you you was makin' a terrible mistake lettin' him annoy you!”
Millie was evidently too astonished and puzzled to say anything.
Meanwhile, Thomas had flushed deeply on finding himself confronted by the man he was in the act of d.a.m.ning. Instinctively he took a step back.
Blodgett made a quick move toward Marvin, but Hammond seized his arm and stopped him.