Part 45 (1/2)
”Now I'll finish my errand by escorting you to the owner of this establishment.”
Hilton led his horse across to the dooryard. The Reverend dismounted and the two walked down the cottonwoods to the big veranda, the Easterner still in the lead, the other with his hand in his side pocket.
Jane saw them; she was at the door.
”Good evening!” said Hilton with bitterness.
”In accordance with your orders, ma'am, I persuaded this gentleman to call,” said Beal, almost humbly. ”I'll feed his horse and return later.”
He turned and hurried up the path.
Hilton pulled down his coat sleeves irritably and looked at Jane with a bitter smile.
”To what do I owe the ... the honor of such a summons?”
”Come in, d.i.c.k. I want to talk to you,”--keeping her voice and expression steady. She held the door open to him and he entered, his mouth drawn down in a sardonic grimace. A single shaded lamp was lighted and as she turned to him she could see his eyes glittering balefully in the semi-darkness.
”Rather different from our last meeting,” he said testily. ”Then you were concerned with my going; now you seem determined to have me here.”
”Let's not discuss the past, d.i.c.k. I called you here for a definite purpose. Can you guess what it is?”
He eyed her in hostile speculation.
”I don't see where anything that concerns me could concern you now.
That is, unless you've changed your mind.”
She gave him a wry smile and a shake of her head.
”I shall never change, d.i.c.k. It was no interest in you that made me send for you. It was interest in the well-being of another woman.”
”Oh, another woman! And who, pray, may she be?”--frigidly, face darkening.
”Can't you guess? Have there been so many out here?”
”You know there's only one woman for me,” he said bitterly, ”and she drove me off like a thief and has called me back as though I were a thief!”
”Perhaps you are.”
”What do you mean by that?”
There was that about him which made her think of a man cornered.
”I have called you here because I have reason to believe that you are trying to steal the heart of a young girl--of Bobby Cole.”
He laughed unpleasantly, but there was in the laugh a queer relief, as though he had antic.i.p.ated other things.
”Now who's been tattling to you?”
”My men have seen you come and go, they have seen you with the girl.
One of them came to me and begged that I send for you and try to talk you out of this. They know, d.i.c.k. These men understand men ... like you.”