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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Flowing Gold, by Rex Beach
+
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+*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
+
+
+Title: Flowing Gold
+
+Author: Rex Beach
+
+Release Date: September, 2004  [EBook #6425]
+[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
+[This file was first posted on December 10, 2002]
+
+Edition: 10
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, FLOWING GOLD ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Joshua Hutchinson, Charles Aldarondo and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team.
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: See p. 34 "I'M AWFULLY SORRY, TOO, DAD"]
+
+
+FLOWING GOLD
+
+By Rex Beach
+
+TO THE ONE WHOSE FAITH, ENTHUSIASM, AND DEVOTION CONSTITUTE A
+NEVER-FAILING SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, MY WIFE, SWEETHEART, AND
+PARTNER.
+
+
+
+FLOWING GOLD
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+Room service at the Ajax is of a quality befitting the newest, the
+largest, and the most expensive hotel in Dallas. While the
+standard of excellence is uniformly high, nevertheless some extra
+care usually attaches to a breakfast ordered from the Governor's
+suite--most elegant and most expensive of all the suites--hence
+the waiter checked over his card and made a final, fluttering
+examination to be sure that the chilled fruit was chilled and that
+the hot plates were hot before he rapped on the door. A voice,
+loud and cheery, bade him enter.
+
+Would the gentleman wish his breakfast served in the parlor or
+--No, the gentleman would have it right in his bedroom; but first,
+where were his cigarettes? He hoped above all things that the
+waiter had not forgotten his cigarettes. Some people began their
+days with cold showers--nothing less than a cruel shock to a
+languid nervous system. An atrocious practice, the speaker called
+it--a relic of barbarism--a fetish of ignorance. Much preferable
+was a hygienic, stimulating cigarette which served the same
+purpose and left no deleterious aftereffects.
+
+The pajama-clad guest struck a light, inhaled with abundant
+satisfaction, and then cast a hungry eye over the contents of the
+rubber-tired breakfast table. He, too, tested the temperature of the
+melon and felt the cover of the toast plate.
+
+"Splendid!" he cried. "Nice rooms, prompt service, a pleasant-faced
+waiter. Why, I couldn't fare better in my best club.  Thanks to you,
+my first impression of Dallas is wholly delightful." He seated himself
+in a padded boudoir chair, unfolded a snowy serviette and attacked his
+breakfast with the enthusiasm of a perfectly healthy animal.
+
+"Is this your first visit here, sir?"
+
+"Absolutely. Dallas is as foreign to me as Lhasa. It is the Baghdad
+of my dreams and its streets are strange. Perhaps they are full of
+adventure for me. I hope so. Anything exciting can happen in a
+town where one has neither friends nor acquaintances, eh? You are
+a well-read man, I take it."
+
+"I? Why--"
+
+"At any rate, you have heard it said that this is a small world."
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Good! I merely wish to deny authorship of the saying, for it is
+false. This is a large world. What is more, it is a world full of
+cities like Dallas where men like you and me, Heaven be praised,
+have neither friends, acquaintances, nor relatives. In that
+respect, it is a fine world and we should devoutly give thanks for
+its Dallases and its--Dalsatians. Jove! This ham is delicious!"
+
+The waiter was accustomed to "morning talkers," but this gentleman
+was different. He had an air of consequence, and his voice, so
+deep, so well modulated, so pleasant, invested him with unusual
+distinction. Probably he was an actor! But no! Not in the
+Governor's suite. More likely he was one of the big men of the
+Standard, or the Gulf, or the Texas. To make sure, the waiter
+inquired:
+
+"May I ask if you are in oil, sir?"
+
+"In oil? Bless me, what a nauseating question--at this hour of the
+day!"
+
+"'Most everybody here is in oil. We turn dozens away every day,
+we're that full. It's the boom. I'm in oil myself--in a small way,
+of course. It's like this: sometimes gentlemen like--well, like
+you, sir--give me tips. They drop a hint, like, about their stocks,
+and I've done well--in a small way, of course. It doesn't cost them
+anything and--some of them are very kind. You'd really be surprised."
+
+"Oh, not at all." The occupant of the Governor's suite leaned back
+in his chair and smiled widely. "As a matter of fact, I am
+flattered, for it is evident that you are endowed with the money-
+making instinct and that you unerringly recognize it in others.
+Very well, I shall see what I can do for you. But while we are on
+the subject of tips, would you mind helping yourself to a dollar
+out of my trousers pocket?"
+
+The waiter proceeded to do as directed, but a moment later
+announced, apologetically: "Here's all I find, sir. It's mostly
+pennies." He exposed a handful of small coins.
+
+"Look in my coat, if you will."
+
+But the second search resulted as had the first. "Strange!"
+murmured the guest, without rising. "I must have been robbed. I
+remember now, a fellow crowded me as I left my train. Um--m!
+Robbed--at the very gates of Baghdad! Dallas _is_ a City of
+Adventure. Please add your tip to the check, and--make it two
+dollars. I'd like to have you serve me every morning, for I cannot
+abide an acid face at breakfast. It sours my whole day."
+
+Calvin Gray finished his breakfast, smoked a second cigarette as
+he scanned the morning paper, then he dressed himself with
+meticulous care. He possessed a tall, erect, athletic form, his
+perfectly fitting clothes had that touch of individuality affected
+by a certain few of New York's exclusive tailors, and when he
+finally surveyed himself in the glass, there was no denying the
+fact that he presented an appearance of unusual distinction. As he
+turned away, his eyes fell upon the scanty handful of small coins
+which the waiter had removed from his pocket and for a moment he
+stared at them reflectively, then he scooped them into his palm
+and, with a smile, announced to his image:
+
+"It would seem that it is time for us to introduce ourselves to
+the management."
+
+He was humming a tune as he strode out of his richly furnished
+quarters.
+
+The Governor's suite at the Ajax is on the mezzanine floor, at the
+head of the grand staircase. As Gray descended the spacious marble
+steps, he saw that the hotel was indeed doing a big business, for
+already the lobby was thickly peopled and at the desk a group of new
+arrivals were plaintively arguing with a bored and supercilious room
+clerk.
+
+Some men possess an effortless knack of commanding attention and
+inspiring courtesy. Calvin Gray was one of these. Before many
+moments, he was in the manager's office, explaining, suavely, "Now
+that I have introduced myself, I wish to thank you for taking care
+of me upon such short notice."
+
+"It was the only space we had. If you wish, I'll have your rooms
+changed as soon as--"
+
+"Have you something better?"
+
+Haviland, the manager, laughed and shook his head. "Scarcely! That
+suite is our pet and our pride. There's nothing to beat it in the
+whole Southwest."
+
+"It is very nice. May I inquire the rate?"
+
+"Twenty-five dollars a day."
+
+"Quite reasonable." Mr. Gray beamed his satisfaction.
+
+"It is the only suite we have left. We've put beds in the parlors
+of the others, and frequently we have to double up our guests.
+This oil excitement is a blessing to us poor innkeepers. I presume
+it's oil that brings you here?"
+
+Gray met the speaker's interrogatory gaze with a negative shake of
+the head and a smile peculiarly noncommittal. "No," he declared.
+"I'm not in the oil business and I have no money to invest in it.
+I don't even represent a syndicate of Eastern capitalists. On the
+contrary, I am a penniless adventurer whom chance alone has cast
+upon your hospitable grand staircase." These words were spoken
+with a suggestion of mock modesty that had precisely the
+effect of a deliberate wink, and Mr. Haviland smiled and nodded
+his complete comprehension.
+
+"I get you," said he. "And you're right. The lease hounds would
+devil you to death if you gave them a chance. Now then, if there's
+any way in which I can be of service--"
+
+"There is." Gray's tone was at once businesslike. "Please give me
+the names of your leading bankers. I mean the strongest and the
+most--well, discreet."
+
+During the next few minutes Gray received and swiftly tabulated
+in his mind a deal of inside information usually denied to the
+average stranger; the impression his swift, searching questions
+made upon the hotel manager was evident when the latter told him
+as he rose to go:
+
+"Don't feel that you have to identify yourself at the banks to-
+day. If we can accommodate you--cash a check or the like--"
+
+"Thank you." The caller shook his head and smiled his appreciation
+of the offer. "Your manner of conducting a hotel impresses me
+deeply, and I shall speak of it to some of my Eastern friends.
+Live executives are hard to find."
+
+It is impossible to analyze or to describe that quality of
+magnetic charm which we commonly term personality, nevertheless it
+is the most potent influence in our social and our business lives.
+It is a gift of the gods, and most conspicuous successes, in
+whatever line, are due to it. Now and then comes an individual who
+is cold, even repellent, and yet who rises to full accomplishment
+by reason of pure intellectual force or strength of character; but
+nine times out of ten the man who gets ahead, be he merchant,
+banker, promoter, or crook, does so by reason of this abstract
+asset, this intangible birthright.
+
+Gray possessed that happy quality. It had made itself felt by the
+waiter who brought his breakfast and by the manager of the hotel;
+its effect was equally noticeable upon the girl behind the cigar
+counter, where he next went. An intimate word or two and she was
+in a flutter. She sidetracked her chewing gum, completely ignored
+her other customers, and helped him select a handful of her
+choicest sixty-cent Havanas. When he finally decided to have her
+send the rest of the box of fifty up to his room and signed for
+them, she considered the transaction a tribute to her beauty
+rather than to her ability as a saleswoman. Her admiring eyes
+followed him clear across the lobby.
+
+Even the blase bell-captain, by virtue of his calling a person of
+few enthusiasms and no illusions, edged up to the desk and
+inquired the name of the distinguished stranger "from the No'th."
+
+Gray appeared to know exactly what he wanted to do, for he stopped
+at the telephone booths, inquired the number of the leading
+afternoon newspaper, and put in a call for it. When it came
+through he asked for the city editor. He closed the sound-proof
+door before voicing his message, then he began, rapidly:
+
+"City editor? Well, I'm from the Ajax Hotel, and I have a tip for
+you. I'm one of the room clerks. Listen! Calvin Gray is registered
+here--got in last night, on gum shoes.... Gray! _Calvin Gray_!
+Better shoot a reporter around and get a story.... You _don't_?
+Well, other people know him. He's a character--globe trotter,
+soldier of fortune, financier. He's been everywhere and done
+everything, and you can get a great story if you've got a man
+clever enough to make him talk. But he won't loosen easily....
+Oil, I suppose, but--... Sure! Under cover. Mystery stuff! Another
+big syndicate probably.... Oh, that's all right. I'm an old
+newspaper man myself. Don't mention it."
+
+All American cities, these days, are much the same. Character,
+atmosphere, distinctiveness, have been squeezed out in the general
+mold. For all Calvin Gray could see, as he made his first
+acquaintance with Dallas, he might have been treading the streets
+of Los Angeles, of Indianapolis, of Portland, Maine, or of
+Portland, Oregon. A California brightness and a Florida warmth to the air,
+a New England alertness to the pedestrians, a Manhattan majesty to
+some of the newer office buildings, these were the most
+outstanding of his first impressions.
+
+Into the largest and the newest of these buildings Gray went, a
+white tile and stone skyscraper, the entire lower floor of which
+was devoted to an impressive banking room. He sent his card in to
+the president, and spent perhaps ten minutes with that gentleman.
+He had called merely to get acquainted, so he explained; he wished
+to meet only the heads of the strongest financial institutions; he
+had no favors to ask--as yet, and he might have no business
+whatever with them. On the other hand--well, he was a slow and
+careful investigator, but when he moved, it was with promptitude
+and vigor, and in such an event he wished them to know who he was.
+Meanwhile, he desired no publicity, and he hoped his presence in
+Dallas would not become generally known--it might seriously
+interfere with his plans.
+
+Before he left the bank Gray had met the other officers, and from
+their manner he saw that he had created a decided impression upon
+them. The bank president himself walked with him to the marble
+railing, then said:
+
+"I'd like to have you wait and meet my son, Lieutenant Roswell.
+He's just back from overseas, and--the boy served with some
+distinction. A father's pride, you understand?"
+
+"Was Lieutenant Roswell in France?" Gray inquired, quickly.
+
+"Oh yes. He'll be in at any minute."
+
+A shadow of regret crossed the caller's face. "I'm sorry, but I've
+arranged to call on the mayor, and I've no time to lose. What unit
+was your son with?"
+
+"The Ninety-eighth Field Artillery."
+
+The shadow fled. Mr. Gray was vexed at the necessity for haste,
+but he would look forward to meeting the young hero later.
+
+"And meanwhile," Roswell, senior, said, warmly, "if we can be of
+service to you, please feel free to call upon us. I dare say we'd
+be safe in honoring a small check." He laughed pleasantly and
+clapped his caller on the back.
+
+A fine man, Gray decided as he paused outside the bank. And here
+was another offer to cash a check--the second this morning. Good
+address and an expensive tailor certainly did count: with them as
+capital, a man could take a profit at any time. Gray's fingers
+strayed to the small change in his trousers pocket and he turned
+longing eyes back toward the bank interior. Without doubt it was a
+temptation, especially inasmuch as at that moment his well-
+manicured right hand held in its grasp every cent that he
+possessed.
+
+This was not the first time he had been broke. On the contrary,
+during his younger days he had more than once found himself in
+that condition and had looked upon it as an exciting experience,
+as a not unpleasant form of adventure. To be strapped in a mining
+camp, for instance, was no more than a mild embarrassment. But to
+find oneself thirty-eight years old, friendless and without funds
+in a city the size of Dallas--well, that was more than an
+adventure, and it afforded a sort of excitement that he believed
+he could very well do without. Dallas was no open-handed frontier
+town; it was a small New York, where life is settled, where men
+are suspicious, and where fortunes are slow in the making. He
+wondered now if hard, fast living had robbed him of the punch to
+make a new beginning; he wondered, too, if the vague plans at the
+back of his mind had anything to them or if they were entirely
+impracticable. Here was opportunity, definite, concrete, and
+spelled with a capital O, here was a deliberate invitation to
+avail himself of a short cut out of his embarrassment. A mere
+scratch of a pen and he would have money enough to move on to some
+other Dallas, and there gain the start he needed--enough, at
+least, so that he could tip his waiter and pay cash for his
+Coronas. Business men are too gullible, any how; it would be a
+good lesson to Roswell and Haviland. Why not--?
+
+Calvin Gray started, he recoiled slightly, the abstracted stare
+was wiped from his face, for an officer in uniform had brushed
+past him and entered the bank. That damned khaki again! Those
+service stripes! They were forever obtruding themselves, it
+seemed. Was there no place where one could escape the hateful
+sight of them? His chain of thought had been snapped, and he
+realized that there could be no short cut for him. He had climbed
+through the ropes, taken his corner, and the gong had rung; it was
+now a fight to a finish, with no quarter given. He squared his
+shoulders and set out for the hotel, where he felt sure he would
+find a reporter awaiting him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+The representative of the Dallas _Post_ had anticipated some
+difficulty in interviewing the elusive Calvin Gray--whoever he
+might be--but luck appeared to be with him, for shortly after his
+arrival at the hotel the object of his quest appeared. Mr. Gray
+was annoyed at being discovered; he was, in fact, loath to
+acknowledge his identity. Having just returned from an important
+conference with some of the leading financiers of the city, his
+mind was burdened with affairs of weight, and then, too, the mayor
+was expecting him--luncheon probably--hence he was in no mood to
+be interviewed. Usually Mr. Gray's secretary saw interviewers.
+However, now that his identity was known, he had not the heart to
+be discourteous to a fellow journalist. Yes! He had once owned a
+newspaper--in Alaska. Incidentally, it was the farthest-north
+publication in the world.
+
+Alaska! The reporter pricked up his ears. He managed to elicit the
+fact that Mr. Gray had operated mines and built railroads there;
+that he had been forced into the newspaper game merely to protect
+his interests from the depredations of a gang of political
+grafters, and that it had been a sensational fight while it
+lasted. This item was duly jotted down in the reportorial memory.
+
+Alaska was a hard country, quite so, but nothing like Mexico
+during the revolution. Mexican sugar and mahogany, it transpired,
+had occupied Mr. Gray's attention for a time, as had Argentine
+cattle, Yucatan hennequin, and an engineering enterprise in
+Bolivia, not to mention other investments closer to home.
+
+Once the speaker had become reconciled to the distasteful
+necessity of talking about himself, he suggested an adjournment to
+his rooms, where he would perhaps suffer less embarrassment by reason
+of his unavoidable use of the personal pronoun.
+
+Gray noted the effect upon his visitor of the Governor's suite and
+soon had the young man at ease, with a Corona between his teeth.
+Then followed a full three-quarters of an hour, during which the
+visitor discoursed in his very best style and his caller sat
+spellbound, making occasional hieroglyphic hen tracks upon his
+note paper and congratulating himself upon his good luck in
+striking a man like this in one of his rare, talkative moods. Gray
+had set himself deliberately to the task of selling himself to
+this gentleman of the press, and, having succeeded, he was enough
+of a salesman to avoid the fatal error of overselling.
+
+Alone at last, a sardonic grin crept over his features. So far, so
+good. Now for the rest of those bankers and the mayor. Gray was
+working rapidly, but he knew no other way of working, and speed
+was essential. It seemed to him not unlikely that delay of the
+slightest might force him to turn in desperation to a length of
+lead pipe and a mask, for--a man must live. As yet he had no very
+definite plans, he had merely undertaken to establish himself in a
+position to profit by the first opportunity, whatever it might be.
+And opportunity of some sort would surely come. It always did.
+What is more, it had an agreeable way of turning up just when he
+was most in need of it.
+
+Gray called at several other banks that morning. He strode in
+swiftly, introduced himself with quick incisiveness, and tarried
+only long enough to fix himself indelibly in the minds of those he
+had come to see, then he left. There are right and wrong ways of
+closing a deal or of ending an interview, and Gray flattered
+himself that he possessed "terminal facilities." He was very busy,
+always a bit pressed for time, always a moment late; his theory of
+constant forward motion never permitted an awkward pause in
+conversation. On the street, his long legs covered the ground at
+something less than a run, his eyes were keenly alert, his face set
+in purposeful lines. Pedestrians turned to look after him.
+
+At the mayor's office he was denied admission to the chief
+executive, but insisted so peremptorily as to gain his end. Once
+inside, he conveyed his compliments with such a graceful flourish
+that his intrusion assumed the importance of a ceremony and the
+People's Choice was flattered. He inferred that this Calvin Gray
+made a practice of presenting his formal respects to the
+dignitaries of all the large cities he visited and deemed it a
+favor to them. No doubt it was, if he so considered it, for he
+appeared to be fully aware of his own importance. After all, it
+was an agreeable practice. Since no man in public life can risk
+offending people of importance, His Honor unbent. Gray turned a
+current jest upon Texas politics into a neat compliment to the
+city's executive; they laughed; formality vanished; personal
+magnetism made itself felt. The call ended by the two men lunching
+together at the City Club, as Gray had assumed it would, and he
+took pains that the bankers upon whom he had called earlier in the
+morning should see him in company with the mayor.
+
+He returned to his hotel that afternoon pretty well satisfied with
+his efforts and hopeful that some of the seed he had sown
+broadcast would be ripe for the reaping ere-long. But he received
+an electric shock as he approached the desk, for the bell captain
+addressed him, saying:
+
+"Mr. Haviland wishes to see you at once, in his office."
+
+"Indeed? Anything important?"
+
+"Very important, sir. I've been waiting for you to come in." There
+was something ominous about this unexpected summons, or perhaps
+about the manner of its delivery. At any rate, suspicion leaped
+into Gray's mind.
+
+So! Haviland was wise! Quick work that. Evidently he had
+investigated, through those mysterious sources of information
+available to great hotels. Or perhaps some one had seen and
+recognized him. Well, that was the way his luck had run, lately
+--every break against him.
+
+Now--Gray's shoulders lifted in a shrug of resignation--there
+was nothing to do except wave aside the blindfold and face the
+firing squad like an officer and a gentleman. But it was a pity
+that the crash had come so soon; fortune might have given him at
+least a short interval of grace. Haviland was probably in a cold
+rage at the discovery of the fraud, and Gray could only hope that
+he wouldn't get noisy over it, for scenes were always annoying and
+sometimes they ran to unfortunate lengths.
+
+There was a curious brightness to the imposter's eyes, a reckless,
+mocking smile upon his lips, when he stepped into the manager's
+office and stood beside the desk. He declined Haviland's
+invitation to be seated--it seemed more fitting that a man should
+take sentence on his feet.
+
+"Have you seen the Post?" the manager inquired.
+
+"No."
+
+Haviland handed him a copy of the leading afternoon paper, and
+Gray's eyes flashed to the headline of an article reading:
+
+CALVIN GRAY, HERO OF SENSATIONAL EXPLOITS, IN DALLAS ADVENTURES
+READ LIKE PAGE OF ROMANCE FAMOUS FINANCIER ADMITS LARGE OIL
+INTERESTS BEHIND HIM
+
+From the opening paragraph Gray judged that he had impressed the
+reporter even more deeply than he had supposed, but he took no
+satisfaction there from, for Haviland was saying:
+
+"I've read the whole story, but I want you to tell me something
+more about yourself."
+
+"What do you wish to know?"
+
+"Were you in France?"
+
+Over the visitor's face there came a subtle change. Whereas, upon
+entering, he had worn an expression of careless defiance, now he appeared
+to harden in every fiber and to go on guard.
+
+"I have been many times in France."
+
+"I mean during the war. Did you serve?"
+
+There was a pause. "I did." Gray's eyes remained fixed upon his
+interrogator, but they had begun to smolder.
+
+"Then you're Colonel Gray. Colonel Calvin Gray."
+
+"Quite so." The speaker's voice was harsh, and it came with an
+effort. "But you didn't read _that_ in the _Post_. Come! What's
+the idea? Out with it."
+
+The interview had taken an unexpectedly disagreeable turn. Gray
+had anticipated an unpleasant moment or two, but this--well, it
+was indeed the crash. Calamity had overtaken him from the very
+quarter he had least expected and most dreaded, and his mind raced
+off at a tangent; a dozen unwelcome queries presented themselves.
+
+"Strange what circles we move in," Haviland was saying. "Do you
+know who owns the controlling interest in this hotel? Surely you
+must know or can guess. Think a moment. It's somebody you met over
+there and have reason to remember."
+
+A sound escaped, from the throat of Colonel Gray--not a cry, but
+rather a gasp of amazement, or of rage.
+
+"Aha!" Haviland grinned in triumph. "I thought--"
+
+His guest leaned forward over the desk, with face twitching.
+Passion had driven the blood from it, and his whole expression was
+one of such hatred, such fury, the metamorphosis was so startling,
+that the hotel man stiffened in his chair and stared upward in
+sudden amazement.
+
+"_Nelson!_" Gray ejaculated. "Nelson! By God! So! He's _here_!"
+
+During the moment that Haviland sat petrified, Gray turned his
+head slowly, his blazing eyes searched the office as if expecting
+to discover a presence concealed somewhere; they returned to the
+hotel man's face, and he inquired:
+
+"Well, where is he?"
+
+Haviland stirred. "I don't know what you're talking about. Who's
+Nelson?" After a second he exclaimed: "Good Lord! I thought I had
+a pleasant surprise for you, and I was gracefully leading up to
+it, but--I must have jazzed it all up. I was going to tell you
+that the hotel and everything in it is yours."
+
+"Eh?"
+
+"Why, the Ajax is one of the Dietz chain! Herman Dietz of
+Cincinnati owns it. He left for the North not an hour ago. At the
+last minute he heard you were here--read this story in the paper
+--and had bellboys scouring the place for you. You must know why he
+wanted to see you, and what he said when he found that he'd have
+to leave before you came in."
+
+Colonel Gray uttered another exclamation, this time an expletive
+of deep relief. He fought with himself a moment, then murmured an
+apology. "Sorry. You gave me a start-decidedly. Herman Dietz, eh?
+Well, well! You made me think for a moment that I was a guest in
+the house of some other--friend."
+
+"_Friend?_"
+
+"Exactly!" Gray was himself again now. He ran a loosening finger
+between his collar and throat. "Quite a start, I'll admit, but
+--some of my friends are great practical jokers. They have a way of
+jumping out at me and crying 'Boo!' when I least expect it."
+
+"Um-m! I see. Mr. Dietz told me that he was under lifelong
+obligation to a certain Colonel Calvin Gray. Something to do with
+passports--"
+
+"I once rendered him a slight favor."
+
+"He doesn't regard the favor as 'slight.' He was about to be
+imprisoned for the duration of the war and you managed to get him
+back home."
+
+"Merely a matter of official routine. I felt sure he was a loyal
+American citizen."
+
+"Exactly. But he makes more of the incident than you do, and he
+gave me my instructions. So--what can I do for you on his behalf?
+You have only to ask."
+
+Gray pondered the unexpected offer. He was still a bit shaken,
+for a moment ago he had been more deeply stirred even than
+Haviland suspected, and the emotional reaction had left him weak.
+After all the hollow pretense of this day a genuine proffer of aid
+was welcome, and the temptation to accept was strong. Herman Dietz
+was indeed indebted to him, and he believed the old German-
+American would do anything, lend him any amount of money, for
+instance, that he might ask for. Gray wondered why he had not
+thought of Dietz before he came to Texas; it would have made
+things much easier. But the offer had come too late, it seemed to
+him; at this moment he could see no means of profiting by it
+without wrecking the flimsy house of cards he had that very day
+erected and exposing himself to ridicule, to obloquy as a rank
+four-flusher. The scarcely dry headlines of that afternoon paper
+ran before his eyes--"_Famous Financier Admits Large Oil Interests
+Behind Him_." Probably there were other things in the body of the
+article that would not harmonize with an appeal to Haviland for
+funds, nor sound well to Mr. Dietz, once he learned the truth. The
+more Gray pondered the matter, the more regretfully he realized
+that he had overplayed his hand, as it were.
+
+Here was a situation indeed! To be occupying the most expensive
+suite in the hotel of a man who wished to lend him money, to be
+unable to pay one day's rent therefore, and yet to be stopped from
+accepting aid. There was a grim irony about it, for a fact. Then,
+too, the seed he had sown in banking circles, and his luncheon
+with the mayor! Haviland had a sense of humor; it would make a
+story too good to keep--the new oil operator, the magnificent and
+mysterious New York financier, a "deadhead" at the Ajax. Oh,
+murder!
+
+"Well, name your poison! Isn't there something, anything we can do
+for you?" Haviland repeated.
+
+"There is, decidedly." Gray smiled his warm appreciation of the
+tender. "If it is not too great a drain upon the Dietz millions,
+you may keep a supply of cut flowers in my room. I'm passionately
+fond of roses, and I should like to have my vases filled every morning."
+
+"You shall dwell in a perfumed bridal bower."
+
+Gray paused at the door to light one of those sixty-cent cigars
+and between puffs observed: "Please assure Mr. Dietz that--his
+obligation is squared and that I am--deeply touched. I shall revel
+in the scent of those flowers."
+
+That evening, when Calvin Gray, formally and faultlessly attired,
+strolled into the Ajax dining room he was conscious of attracting
+no little attention. For one thing, few of the other guests were
+in evening dress, and also that article in the _Post_, which he
+had read with a curiously detached amusement, had been of a nature
+to excite general notice. The interview had jarred upon him in
+only one respect--_viz_., in describing him as a "typical soldier
+of fortune." No doubt the reporter had intended that phrase in the
+kindest spirit; nevertheless, it implied a certain recklessness
+and instability of character that did not completely harmonize
+with Gray's inchoate, undeveloped banking projects. Bankers are
+wary of anything that sounds adventurous--or they pretend to be.
+As a matter of fact, Gray had learned enough that very day about
+Texas bankers to convince him that most of them were good, game
+gamblers, and that a large part of the dividends paid by most of
+the local institutions of finance were derived from oil profits.
+However, the newspaper story, as a whole, was such as to give him
+the publicity he desired, and he was well content with it.
+
+Its first results were prompt in coming. Even while the head
+waiter was seating him, another diner arose and approached him
+with a smile. Gray recognized the fellow instantly--one of that
+vast army of casuals that march through every active man's life
+and disappear down the avenues of forgetfulness.
+
+After customary greetings had been exchanged, the newcomer,
+Coverly by name, explained that he had read the _Post_ article not
+five minutes before, and was delighted to learn how well the world
+had used Gray. He was dining alone; with alacrity he accepted an
+invitation to join his old friend, and straightway he launched
+himself upon the current of reminiscence. In answer to Gray's
+inquiry, he confessed modestly enough:
+
+"Oh, I'm not in your class, old man. I'm no 'modern Gil Blas,' as
+the paper calls you. No Wall Street money barons are eating out of
+my hand, and I have no international interests 'reaching from the
+Yukon to the Plate,' but--I stand all right in little old Dallas.
+I'm the V. P. of our biggest jewelry house, and business is
+great." After their order had been given, he recited in greater
+detail the nature of his success.
+
+Gray was interested. "Texas is booming," he said, at the
+conclusion of the story. "I'm told the new oil towns are something
+like our old mining camps."
+
+"Except that they are more so. The same excitement, the same quick
+fortunes, only quicker and larger. Believe me, it's fine for the
+jewelry business. Look here." Coverly drew from his pocket a
+letter written in a painfully cramped hand upon cheap note paper,
+and this he spread out for his companion to read. "There's an
+example in point."
+
+The letter, which bore the Ranger postmark, ran as follows:
+
+  DERE SIR--Your store has bin rekomend to me for dimons and I
+  want some for my wife and dauter. Send me prises on rings of
+  large sises.
+
+  Yours truley GUS BRISKOW.
+
+"Um-m! Who is Mr. Briskow?"
+
+Coverly shrugged. "Probably some nester who never saw a hundred
+dollars all in one place until recently. When they strike oil,
+they buy diamonds, nice large yellow ones, as a rule; then as the
+money continues to flow in, they pay off the mortgage and buy a
+bank--or an interest in one."
+
+"In Heaven's name, introduce me to the opulent Gus Briskow."
+
+"I wish I might. But I don't expect to make his acquaintance.
+The head of our firm is away and I haven't a man I'd dare trust to
+send out into the field. Usually I handle these inquiries myself
+when the victim can't tear himself away from contemplating the
+miraculous flow of liquid gold long enough to come here. I take an
+assortment of gems with me and beard the _nouveau riche_ right on
+his derrick floor. Why, I've carried as much as a hundred thousand
+dollars' worth of merchandise on some of my trips." Coverly sighed
+regretfully. "Tough luck! Too bad you're not a good jewelry
+salesman?"
+
+"I am," Gray declared. "I can sell anything. As for diamonds--I've
+bought enough in my time to know their value."
+
+Coverly laughed in ready agreement with this statement. "Gad! I'm
+sore at missing this sale."
+
+"You needn't miss it. I'll go."
+
+"Don't kid an unfortunate--"
+
+"I'm not joking. If it's worth while, pack up your saffron
+solitaires--all that you dare trust me with--and I'll be your
+gentlemanly representative."
+
+"Worth while? Good Lord! I'd probably get a ten-thousand-dollar
+order!"
+
+"Very well. It's settled." Gray's decision had been quickly made.
+Opportunity had knocked--he was not one to deny her admission, no
+matter how queer her garb. A hundred thousand dollars' worth of
+gems! The very figures intrigued him and--diamonds are readily
+negotiable. There would be a natural risk attached to the handling
+of so large an amount. A thousand things might happen to a
+treasure chest of that size. Gray began to believe that his luck
+had changed.
+
+"Where does Mr. Briskow live?" he inquired.
+
+"Out beyond Ranger, somewhere. But--"
+
+"I'm going to visit that field, anyhow. This will give me an
+excuse."
+
+"Nonsense!" The jeweler did not like to have fun poked at him. For
+some time he refused to take the offer seriously, and even when his
+host insisted that he would enjoy the lark, he expostulated: "Why,
+the idea is ridiculous! You--Calvin Gray, the financier, peddling
+jewelry? Ha! Outside of the fact that you wouldn't, couldn't do it,
+it's not the safest thing in the world to carry a small fortune in
+stones through the oil fields."
+
+"Of course you insure it against theft?"
+
+"That's the point. We can't. Have you ever heard of 'high-
+jackers'? That's the Texas term for hold-up men, robbers. Well,
+the country is full of them."
+
+"Excellent! There no longer is any question about my going," Gray
+announced, firmly. "I am bored; I am stale; a thrill, of whatever
+sort, would stir my blood. Animated by purely selfish motives, I
+now insist upon a serious consideration of my offer. First, you
+say I 'wouldn't, couldn't'; I assure you that I would, could--and
+_shall_, provided I can qualify as a salesman."
+
+Coverly admitted without much argument that anybody could probably
+effect a sale in this instance, if the diamonds were plainly
+marked with their prices; it would be a mere question of
+displaying the goods. That was not the point. Gray was a rich, a
+busy man--the idea was fantastic.
+
+"Why, you're offering to do this as an accommodation to an old
+friend, and your time is probably worth more than our whole profit
+on the sale would amount to."
+
+"My time is worth nothing. If you hesitate to intrust this king's
+ransom to me, I'll go personally responsible for its value. That's
+fair, isn't it?"
+
+"Don't be silly. How could I pay you if you did go?"
+
+"Um-m!" This idea, it seemed, had not occurred to Mr. Gray. It was
+plain that money meant nothing to him.
+
+"You see? We couldn't permit--"
+
+"I have it. We'll divorce friendship and sentiment entirely from
+the discussion and reduce it to a strictly business basis. You
+shall ease your conscience by paying my traveling expenses. The
+emotional suspense that I undergo shall be my reward. I'll take my
+commission in thrills."
+
+This offer evoked a light laugh from Gray's guest. "You'd get
+enough of 'em," he asserted. "I'll advance a mild one, on account,
+at this moment. Notice the couple dining at the third table to
+your left. "Gray lifted his eyes. "What do you see?"
+
+"A rather well-dressed, hard-faced man and a decidedly attractive
+woman--brunette. There's a suggestion of repressed widowhood about
+her. It's the gown, probably. I am not yet in my dotage, and I had
+seen her before I saw you."
+
+"She's living here. I don't know much about her, but the man goes
+by the name of Mallow."
+
+"No thrill yet."
+
+"He's been hanging about our store for the past month, making a
+few purchases and getting acquainted with some of the clerks.
+Wherever I go, lately, there he is. I'll wager if I took to-
+night's train for Ranger, he'd be on it."
+
+"And still my pulses do not leap."
+
+"Wait! I got a sort of report on him and it's bad. I believe, and
+so does the chief of police, that Mr. Mallow has something to do
+with the gang of crooks that infests this country. One thing is
+certain, they're not the native product, and our hold-ups aren't
+staged by rope-chokers out of work."
+
+Calvin Gray turned now and openly stared at the object of
+Coverly's suspicions. There was an alert interest in his eyes.
+"You've cinched the matter with me," he declared, after a moment.
+"Get out your diamonds to-morrow; I'm going to take the night
+train to Ranger."
+
+Later that evening, after his guest had gone, Gray took occasion
+deliberately to put himself in Mallow's way and to get into
+conversation with him. This was not a difficult maneuver, for it
+was nearly midnight and the lobby was well-nigh deserted;
+moreover, it almost appeared as if the restless Mr. Mallow was
+seeking an acquaintance.
+
+For the better part of an hour the two men smoked and talked,
+and had Coverly overheard their conversation his blood would have
+chilled and he would have prematurely aged, for his distinguished
+host, Calvin Gray, the worldly-wise, suave man of affairs,
+actually permitted himself to be pumped like a farmer's son. It
+would have been a ghastly surprise to the jeweler to learn how
+careless and how confiding his friend could be in an off moment;
+he would have swooned when Gray told about his coming trip to
+Ranger and actually produced the misspelled Briskow letter for the
+edification of his chance acquaintance. Any lingering doubt as to
+his friend's honesty of purpose would have vanished utterly had he
+heard Mallow announce that he, too, was going to Ranger, the very
+next night--a curious coincidence, truly--and Gray's expression of
+pleasure at the prospect of such a congenial traveling companion.
+The agitated Coverly no doubt would have phoned a frantic call for
+the police, then and there.
+
+Once Gray was in his rooms, however, his manner changed, and into
+his eyes there came a triumphant glitter. Hastily he rummaged
+through one of his bags, and from a collection of trinkets,
+souvenirs, and the like he selected an object which he examined
+carefully, then took into the bathroom for further experiment. His
+step was springy, his lips were puckered, he was whistling
+blithely when he emerged, for at last those vaguely outlined plans
+that had been at the back of his mind had assumed form and
+pattern. His luck had turned, he had made a new start. Mallow was
+indeed a crook, and Gray blessed the prompt good fortune that had
+thrown both him and Coverly in his way.
+
+It had been a busy day; he was well content with its fruitage.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+Old Tom Parker was a "type." He was one of a small class of men at
+one time common to the West, but now rapidly disappearing. A
+turbulent lifetime spent in administering the law in a lawless
+region had stamped him with the characteristics of a frontier
+officer--_viz_., vigilance, caution, self-restraint, sang-froid.
+For more than thirty years he had worn a badge of some sort and,
+in the serving of warrants and other processes of law, he had
+covered, first in the saddle or on buckboard, later in Pullman car
+or automobile, most of that vast region lying between the Arkansas
+and the Pecos, the Cimarron, and the Sabine--virtually all of what
+is now Texas and Oklahoma. He still spoke of the latter state, by
+the way, as "the Territory," and there were few corners of it that
+he had not explored long before it ceased to be a haven of hunted
+men.
+
+That is what Tom Parker had been--a hunter of men--and time was
+when his name had been famous. But he had played his part. The
+times had caught up with and passed him, and no longer in the
+administration of justice was there need of abilities like his,
+hence the shield of his calling had been taken away.
+
+Now Tom did not reckon himself obsolete. He was badger-gray, to be
+sure, and stiff in one knee--a rheumatic legacy of office
+inherited by reason of wet nights in the open and a too-diligent
+devotion to duty--but in no other respect did he believe his age
+to be apparent. His smoke-blue eyes were as bright as ever, his
+hand was quick; realization that he had been shunted upon a side
+track filled him with surprise and bewilderment. It was
+characteristic of the man that he still considered himself a
+bulwark of law and order, a _de facto_ guardian of the peace,
+and that from force of habit he still sat facing the door and
+never passed between a lighted lamp and a window.
+
+Among the late comers to Wichita Falls, where he lived, Tom was
+known as a quiet-spoken, emotionless old fellow with an honorable
+past, but with a gift for tiresome reminiscence quite out of place
+in the new and impatient order of things, and none but old-timers
+and his particular cronies were aware of the fact that he had
+another side to his character. It was not generally known, for
+instance, that he was a kind and indulgent father and had a
+daughter whom he worshiped with blind adulation. This ignorance
+was not strange, for Miss Barbara Parker had been away at college
+for four years now, and during that time she had not once returned
+home.
+
+There was a perfectly good reason for this protracted separation
+of father and daughter; since Old Tom was no longer on pay, it
+took all he could rake and scrape to meet her bills, and railroad
+fares are high. That Hudson River institution was indeed a
+finishing school; not only had it polished off Barbara, but also
+it had about administered the _coup de grace_ to her father. There
+had been a ranch over near Electra with some "shallow production,"
+from which Tom had derived a small royalty--this was when Barbara
+Parker went East and before the Burk-burnett wells hit deep sand
+--but income from that source had been used up faster than it had
+come in, and "Bob," as Tom insisted upon calling her, would have
+had to come home had it not been for an interesting discovery on
+her father's part--_viz._, the discovery of a quaint device of the
+law entitled a "mortgage." Mortgages had to do with a department
+of the law unfamiliar to Tom, his wit, his intelligence, and his
+dexterity of hand having been exercised solely in upholding the
+dignity of the criminal branch, but once he had realized that a
+mortgage, so called, was no more than a meaningless banking term
+used to cloak the impulsive generosity of moneyed men, he availed
+himself of this discovery and was duly grateful.
+
+Tom carried on a nominal fire-insurance business, but as a
+matter of fact the tiny two-roomed frame structure that bore his
+painted sign was nothing more or less than a loafing place for him
+and his rheumatic friends, and a place in which the owner could
+spend the heat of the day in a position of comfort to his stiff
+leg--that is to say, asleep in a high-backed office chair, his
+feet propped upon his desk. It was here that Tom could usually be
+found, and when one of those hateful statements arrived from the
+East he merely roused himself, put on his wide gray hat, limped
+around to the bank, and pledged more of his oil royalties or
+signed another mortgage. What insurance policies he wrote were
+brought to him by his old pals; the money derived there from he
+sent on to "Bob" with love and an admonition to be a good girl and
+study hard and hurry home, because he was dying to see her. This
+office, by the way, no longer suited Tom; it was becoming too
+noisy and he would have sold it and sought another farther out had
+it not been mortgaged for more than it was worth. So, too, was the
+house where he lived amid the dirt and disorder of all bachelor
+establishments.
+
+Now Old Tom would have resented an accusation of indolence; the
+bare implication of such a charge would have aroused his instant
+indignation, and Tom Parker indignant was a man to shun. As a
+matter of fact, he believed himself sadly overworked, and was
+forever complaining about it.
+
+The time came, however, when he was forced to shed his habit of
+slothfulness as completely as a snake sheds its skin, and that was
+during the week before "Bob's" arrival. Then, indeed, he swept and
+he dusted, he mopped and he polished, he rubbed and he scrubbed,
+trying his best to put the house in order. Never in all his life
+had he labored as he did then, for four years of "batching" will
+make a bear's nest out of the most orderly house, but he was
+jealous of his task and he refused to share it with other hands.
+Pots and pans, rusty from disuse or bearing the accumulated evidence
+of many hastily prepared meals, he took out in the back yard and
+scrubbed with sand, leaving his bony knuckles skinned and bleeding from
+the process; he put down a new carpet in "Bob's" room, no easy task
+for a man with an ossified knee joint--incidentally, the "damn
+thing" kept him awake for two nights thereafter; he nailed up
+fresh curtains, or they looked fresh to him, at her windows, and
+smashed a perfectly good thumb-nail in doing so. This and many
+other abominable duties he performed. But love means suffering,
+and every pang gave Old Tom a thrill of fierce delight for--"Bob"
+was coming. The lonely, hungry, aching wait was over.
+
+Constant familiarity with the house had mercifully dulled the
+occupant's appreciation of its natural deterioration and the
+effects of his neglect, so when he finally straightened his aching
+back and regarded the results of his heroic efforts, it seemed to
+him that everything shone like new and that the place was as neat
+and as clean as on the day "Bob" went away. Probably Hercules
+thought the Augean stables were spotless and fragrant when he had
+finished with them. And perhaps they were, but Tom Parker was no
+demigod. He was just a clumsy old man, unaccustomed to indoor
+"doings," and his eyes at times during the last few days had been
+unaccountably dim--as, for instance, while he was at work in
+Barbara's chamber.
+
+He did not sleep much on the night before the girl's arrival. He
+sat until late with the framed photograph of Barbara's mother on
+his knee, and tried to tell the dead and gone original that he had
+done his best for the girl so far, and if he had failed, it was
+because he knew nothing about raising girls and--nature hadn't cut
+him out to be a father, anyhow. He had been considerably older
+than Barbara's mother when he married her, and he had never ceased
+to wonder what there had been in him to win the love of a woman
+like her, or to regret that fate had not taken him instead of her.
+Heaven knows his calling had been risky enough. But--that was how
+things went sometimes--the wheat was taken and the chaff remained.
+
+And in the morning! Tom was up before daylight and had his dishes
+washed and his things in order long ere the town was awake. Then
+he went down to the office and waited--with the jumps. Repeatedly
+he consulted his heavy gold watch, engraved: "With the admiration
+and gratitude of the citizens of Burlingame. November fifth,
+1892." It was still two hours of train time when he locked up and
+limped off toward the station, but--it was well to be there early.
+
+Of course he met Judge Halloran on the street--he always did--and
+of course the judge asked when "Bob" was coming home. The judge
+always did that, too. Old Tom had lied diligently to the judge
+every day for a month now, for he had no intention of sharing this
+day of days with a tiresome old pest, and now he again made an
+evasive answer.
+
+"Mendacity is at once the lowest and the commonest form of
+deceit," the judge indignantly announced. "You know perfectly well
+when she's coming, damn you!"
+
+"Honest, I don't--not exactly."
+
+But the judge was unconvinced. "You've been as mysterious as a
+bootlegger for the last week, but I could always read you like a
+book, Tom Parker. You know, all right. Mrs. Halloran wants to come
+over and fix things up for her. She said so this--"
+
+"Oh, I got everything fixed," Tom hastily declared. "Ha! What
+did I tell you?" The judge glared; Tom could have bitten his
+tongue for that slip. "Your pitiful attempts to mislead Barbara's
+admirers expose you to ridicule, and offend those of us who
+tolerate you out of regard for her." (The judge had a nice Texas
+drawl, and he pronounced it "reegy'ad.") "You're on your way to
+the train at this moment and--I propose to accompany you."
+
+"What would I be going to the train for, now?" Tom inquired, in a
+deceitfully mild tone. Inwardly he was raging, and he cursed the
+judge for a meddlesome old fool.
+
+"Hm-m! Thought you'd sneak down there, unobserved, probably."
+There was a pause; then the speaker went on in an altered tone:
+"D'you suppose she has forgotten all her native accomplishments,
+Tom? I wonder if she can still ride and rope and shoot, or if
+those thin-blooded Eastern schoolma'ams have taught her that such
+things are unladylike and coarse."
+
+"Pshaw! You never forget how to do those things."
+
+"She could handle a horse or a rope or a gun as well as you at
+your best."
+
+"_Better!_" Tom declared, with swelling pride.
+
+Halloran wagged his white head in agreement, an unusual procedure,
+inasmuch as he never agreed with Tom on any subject which offered
+possible ground for disagreement. "A wonderful girl! And I'll
+wager they haven't spoiled her. Even _you_ couldn't spoil 'Bob.'"
+He raised his red, belligerent eyes and fixed them upon his old
+friend, but there was now a kindly light in them. "You made a real
+son of her, didn't you, Tom?"
+
+"Almost. I was mighty disappointed because she was a girl, but--I
+don't know as a boy could of turned out much better. Well, Judge,
+I got to be moving."
+
+"You are neither grammatical nor precise," snapped Judge Halloran.
+"You mean _we_ must be moving." He linked arms with Tom and fell
+into step with him; he clung to that rigid arm, moreover, despite
+Tom's surly displeasure. Not until a friend stopped them for a
+word or two was the distracted parent enabled to escape from that
+spidery embrace; then, indeed, he slipped it as a filibustering
+schooner slips its moorings, and made off as rapidly and as
+unobtrusively as possible.
+
+Judge Halloran stared after the retreating figure, then he showed
+his decayed teeth in a smile. "'Bob' is coming home to-day and the
+old Mountain Lion is on edge," he explained. "I must warn the boys
+to stay away from the station and give him his hour. Poor Tom! He
+has held his breath for four years."
+
+Tom Parker had heard of children spoiled by schooling, of
+daughters educated away from their commonplace parents and
+rendered disdainful of them, but never for one instant did he fear
+that his girl was that sort. He just knew better. He could no more
+have doubted "Bob's" love for him than his for her, or-God's love
+for both of them. Such love is perfect, absolute. He took no
+thought, therefore, of the changes time and poverty had wrought in
+his appearance: "Bob" wouldn't notice. He bet she wouldn't care if
+he was plumb ragged. They were one and indivisible; she was _his_,
+just like his right arm; she was his boy and his girl; his son-
+daughter. The old gunman choked and his tonsils ached abominably.
+He hoped he wasn't in for another attack of quinsy sore throat.
+But--why lie to himself? The truth was, he wanted to cry and he
+wanted to laugh at the same time, and the impulses were crossed in
+his windpipe. He shook his watch like a child's rattle, to be sure
+it was still running.
+
+Barbara did not disappoint her father. On the contrary, she was
+perhaps more deeply moved than he at their meeting. At sight of
+him she uttered a strangled little cry, then she ran into his arms
+and clung there, tightly, her cheek pressed against his breast. It
+was only upon occasions like this that "Bob" kissed her father,
+for she had been reared as a boy and taught to shun emotional
+display. Boys kiss their mothers. She snuggled close, and Tom
+could feel her whole body shaking; but she kept her head averted
+to conceal a distressingly unmasculine weakness. It was a useless
+precaution, however, for Tom was blind, his eyes were as wet as
+hers, and tears were trickling down the seams in his wrinkled
+face.
+
+"Oh, daddy, it has been a long time!" Those were the first words
+either of them had spoken.
+
+Tom opened his lips, then he closed them. He patted Barbara
+clumsily, and finally cleared his aching throat with a loud
+"_Harrumph!_" He dashed the tears from his eyes with the heel of
+one harsh palm, then leveled a defiant glare over her head, directed
+at anyone who might be looking on at his weakness. It was a blurry
+glare, however, andnot nearly so ferocious as he intended it to be.
+After several efforts he managed to regain control of his vocal powers.
+
+"Well, son!" he cried, huskily; then, "_Harrumph_!"
+
+Barbara's clutch tightened appreciatively. "Such a long, long
+time!" Still with her cheek pressed close against him, she ran a
+small gloved hand into the pocket of his coat and brought forth a
+bandana handkerchief which she thrust into his palm, saying: "It's
+a good thing I'm home, for you've caught another cold, haven't
+you? Now blow your nose."
+
+Barbara was anything but boyish to look at; quite the opposite, in
+fact. She was delightfully feminine from the crown of her smart
+little traveling hat to her dainty French heels, and although her
+suit was not expensive, it was worn with an air and was perhaps as
+fetching as any that had ever come to Wichita Falls. It gave the
+impression of perfectly setting off a figure and a personality
+that required no setting off. She had the Parker eyes of
+quenchless blue.
+
+"Well, son, there's a boom on and the town has grown some; but I
+guess things here are about the same as when you left 'em." Tom
+spoke with pride and satisfaction as he paid the driver, took
+Barbara's suitcase, and opened the gate for her.
+
+The girl turned from her first long, appraising gaze at the modest
+home. No change, indeed! The paint on the house was peeling,
+gutters had rusted out, some of the porch flooring had rotted
+through, the yard was an unkempt tangle of matted grass and weeds
+and neglected shrubbery. The sight of it was like a stab to her,
+for she remembered the place as it had been, and the shock was
+akin to that of seeing a loved one in the garb of a tramp. But she
+smiled up at the gray face above her--Tom, too, was as seedy as
+the premises--and she nodded.
+
+"It hasn't changed a mite," she said, bravely.
+
+A moment later she paused upon the threshold, tense, thrilled,
+apparently speechless. Tom was reminded of a trim little wren
+poised upon the edge of its nest. This time it was more difficult
+to counterfeit an exclamation of joy, but the catch in "Bob's"
+voice, the moisture in her eyes, was attributed by her father to
+gladness at the sight of old familiar things. This was pay for the
+thought and the love and the labor expended, truly.
+
+"Why, everything is right where it belongs! How _wonderfully_
+you've kept house! You must have a perfect jewel of a girl, dad!"
+
+"I let Aunt Lizzie go 'bout three years back," Tom explained. "She
+got--shiftless and I been sort of batching it since. Clean,
+though, ain't it?"
+
+Barbara turned; blindly she walked to the center table and buried
+her face in a bouquet of wild flowers garnered from the yard. She
+held it there for a moment before she spoke. "You--didn't even
+forget that I love bluebonnets, did you, dad?"
+
+"Pshaw! I 'ain't had much to do but remember what you like, son."
+
+"What's the matter? Business bad?" "Bob's" face was still hidden.
+
+"Oh no! I'm busy as usual. But, now you're home, I'll probably
+feel like doing more. I got a lot of work left in me yet, now I
+got somebody to work for."
+
+"So you fixed everything with your own hands."
+
+"Sure! I knew how you like the place to look, and--well, a man
+gets used to doing without help. The kitchen's clean, too."
+
+Side by side the two moved from room to room, and, once the girl
+had regained control of herself, she maintained an admirable self-
+restraint. She petted and she cooed over objects dear to her; she
+loved every inch of everything; she laughed and she exclaimed, and
+with her laughter sunshine suddenly broke into the musty,
+threadbare interior for the first time in four years.
+
+"Bob's" room was saved for the last, and Old Tom stood back, glowing
+at her delight. He could not refrain from showing her his blackened
+thumb-nail--the price of his carpentry--for he hoped she'd kiss it.
+And she did. Not until she had "shooed" him out and sent him
+downstairs, smiling and chuckling at her radiant happiness, did she
+give way to those emotions she had been fighting this long time; then
+her face grew white and tragic. "Oh, daddy, daddy!" she whispered.
+"What _have_ I done to you?"
+
+Tom Parker had raised his girl like a son, and like a son she took
+hold of things, but with a daughter's tact. Her intuition told her
+much, but she did not arrive at a full appreciation of the family
+affairs until she had the house running and went down to put his
+office in order. Then, indeed, she learned at what cost had come
+those four expensive years in the East, and the truth left her
+limp. She went through Tom's dusty, disordered papers, ostensibly
+rearranging and filing them, and they told her much; what they did
+not tell her she learned from Judge Halloran and other old cronies
+who came in to pay their garrulous compliments.
+
+Tom was mortgaged to the hilt, his royalties were pledged; a crow
+could not pick a living out of his insurance business.
+
+Such a condition was enough to dismay any girl who had never
+seriously considered money matters and who had returned home to
+take up a life of comparative ease and superlative enjoyment where
+she had left it off, but "Bob" said nothing to her father. She
+knew every one of his shortcomings, and they endeared him to her,
+quite as a son's faults and failures deepen a mother's love, but
+she knew, too, that he was cantankerous and required careful
+handling. Tom's toes were tender, and he forever exposed them
+where they were easily trodden upon, therefore the girl stepped
+cautiously and never even referred to his sacrifices, which would
+have cruelly embarrassed both of them.
+
+But something had to be done, and quickly; a new hand needed to
+mend the family fortunes. Barbara determined to lend that hand.
+
+A great change had come over the town and the whole country round
+about, a change which the girl believed afforded her an
+opportunity to prove that she was not a mere daughter, not an
+ornament and a drag, but a real son-daughter such as Tom
+considered her. Wichita Falls was overcrowded with oil man, drawn
+thither by the town-site strike at Burkburnett, a few miles
+northwest, and excitement was mounting as new wells continued to
+come in. Central north Texas was nearing an epoch-making petroleum
+boom, for Ranger, away to the south, had set the oil world by the
+ears, and now this new sand at "Burk" lent color to the wild
+assertion that these north counties were completely underlaid with
+the precious fluid. At any rate, the price of thirsty ranch lands
+was somersaulting and prosperity was apparent in the homes of all
+Barbara's girl friends. Her admirers of the opposite sex could
+talk of little except leases and bonuses and "production"; they
+were almost too busy making money to call upon her.
+
+Barbara knew something about oil, for she had watched the drilling
+of every one of those shallow wells that had kept her in college,
+and what is more, she knew most of the property owners in this
+part of the state. In that advantage she believed lay her chance
+of accomplishment.
+
+After a fortnight of careful consideration she decided to enter
+the oil business and deal in leases.
+
+"Good idea," Tom declared, when she had made known her plan. "The
+town's so full of scamps it looks like Rodeo Day, and most of 'em
+are doing well. If they can make good, it seems like an honest
+firm could do better."
+
+"We'll be partners, dad. You run the insurance and I'll be the
+lease hound."
+
+"Say--" Tom's eyes brightened. "I'll put a desk right alongside of
+mine--a little feller, just your size--and a nice lounge in the
+back room, where you can lay down when you're tired. You been away so
+long it seems like I can't have you close enough." Another thought
+presented itself, and he manifested sudden excitement. "I tell you!
+I'll get a new sign painted, too! 'Tom and Bob Parker. Real Estate
+and Insurance. Oil Prop'ties and Leases.' _Gosh!_ It's a _great_ idea,
+son!" His smile lingered, but a moment later there came into his eyes a
+half-regretful light.
+
+Barbara read his thought almost before he was aware of it, and,
+rising, she laid her hand upon his shoulder. Wistfully she said,
+"I'm awfully sorry, too, dad--"
+
+"Eh?"
+
+"--that I disappointed you so by not being a boy. But--it wasn't
+my fault, and maybe I'll show you that a daughter can help as much
+as a son."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+A year before this story opens the town of Ranger, Texas,
+consisted of a weatherbeaten, run-down railroad station, a
+blacksmith shop, and a hitching rail, town enough, incidentally,
+for the limited number of people and the scanty amount of
+merchandise that passed through it. Ranger lay in the dry belt
+--considered an almost entirely useless part of the state--where
+killing droughts were not uncommon, and where for months on end
+the low, flinty hills radiate heat like the rolls of a steel mill.
+In such times even the steep, tortuous canyons dried out and there
+was neither shade nor moisture in them. The few farms and ranches
+round about were scattered widely, and life thereon was a grim
+struggle against heartbreak, by reason of the gaunt, gray, ever-
+present specter of the drought. Of late this particular region had
+proven itself to be one of violent extremes, of extreme dryness
+during which flowers failed to bloom, the grass shriveled and
+died, and even the trees refused to put forth leaves; or, more
+rarely, of extreme wetness, when the country was drowned beneath
+torrential rains. Sometimes, during unusual winters, the heavens
+opened and spilled themselves, choking the narrow watercourses,
+washing out roads and destroying fields, changing the arid arroyos
+into raging river beds. At such times life for the country people
+was scarcely less burdensome than during the droughts, for the
+heavy bottom lands became quagmires, and the clay of the higher
+levels turned into putty or a devilish agglutinous substance that
+rendered travel for man or beast or vehicle almost impossible.
+
+There appeared to be no law of average here. In dry times it was a
+desert, lacking wholly, however, in the beauty, the mystery, and the
+spell of a desert; in wet times it was a gehenna of mud and slush
+and stickiness, and entirely minus that beauty and freshness that
+attends the rainy seasons in a tropic clime. It was a land peopled
+by a hard-bitten race of nesters--come from God knows where and for
+God knows why--starved in mind and body, slaves of a hideous
+environment from which they lacked means of escape.
+
+Geologists had claimed for some time that there must be coal in
+these north Texas counties, a contention perhaps based upon a
+comfortable belief in the law of compensation, upon a theory that
+a region so poor aboveground must of necessity contain values of
+some sort beneath the surface. But as for other natural resources,
+they scouted the belief in such. Other parts of the state yielded
+oil, for instance, but here the formation was all wrong. Who ever
+heard of oil in hard lime?
+
+Nevertheless, petroleum was discovered, and among the fraternity
+that dealt in it Ranger became a word of contradiction and of deep
+meaning. Aladdin rubbed his lamp, and, lo! a magic transformation
+occurred; one of those thrilling dramas of a dramatic industry was
+played. A gypsy camp sprang up beside the blacksmith shop, and as
+the weeks fled by it changed into a village of wooden houses, then
+into a town, and soon into a city of brick and iron and concrete.
+The railroad became clogged with freight, a tidal wave of men
+broke over the town. Wagons, giant motor trucks, caterpillar
+tractors towing long strings of trailers, lurched and groaned and
+creaked over the hills, following roads unfit for a horse and
+buggy. Straddling derricks reared themselves everywhere; their
+feet were set in garden patches, in plowed fields, in lonely
+mesquite pastures, and even high up on the crests of stony ridges.
+One day their timbers were raw and clean, the next day they were
+black and greasy, advertising the fact that once again the heavy
+rock pressure far below had sent another fountain of fortune
+spraying over the top. Then pipe lines were laid and unsightly
+tank farms were built.
+
+Ranger became a mobilization point, a vast concentration camp
+for supplies, and amid its feverish activity there was no rest, no
+Sundays or holidays; the work went on at top tension night and day
+amid a clangor of metal, a ceaseless roar of motors, a bedlam of
+hammers and saws and riveters. Men lived in greasy clothes,
+breathing dust and the odors of burnt gas mainly, eating poor food
+and drinking warm, fetid water when they were lucky enough to get
+any at all.
+
+This was about the state of affairs that Calvin Gray found on the
+morning of his arrival. He and Mallow had managed to secure a Pullman
+section on the night train from Dallas; the fact that they were forced
+to carry their own luggage from the station uptown to the restaurant
+where they hoped to get breakfast was characteristic of the place. En
+route thither they had to elbow their way through a crowd that filled
+the sidewalks as if on a fair day.
+
+Mallow was well acquainted with the town, it appeared, and during
+breakfast he maintained a running fire of comment, some of which
+was worth listening to.
+
+"Ever hear how the first discovery was made? Well, the T. P.
+Company had the whole country plastered with coal leases and
+finally decided to put down a fifteen-hundred-foot wildcat. The
+guy that ran the rig had a hunch there was oil here if he went
+deep enough, but he knew the company wouldn't stick, so he faked
+the log of the well as long as he could, then he kept on drilling,
+against orders--refused to open his mail, for fear he'd find he
+was fired and the job called off. He was a thousand feet deeper
+than he'd been ordered to go when--blooie! Over the top she went
+with fourteen hundred barrels.... Desdemona's the name of a camp
+below here, but they call it Hog Town. More elegant! Down there
+the derricks actually straddle one another, and they have to board
+them over to keep from drowning one another out when they blow in.
+Fellow in Dallas brought in the first well, and it was so big that
+his stock went from a hundred dollars a share to twelve thousand.
+All in a few weeks. Of course, he started a bank. Funniest people
+I ever saw, that way. Usually when a rube makes a winning he
+gambles or gets him a woman, but these hicks take their coin and
+buy banks.... Ranger's a real town; everything wide open and the
+law in on the play. That makes good times. Show me a camp where
+the gamblers play solitaire and the women take in washing and I'll
+show you a dead village. The joints here have big signs on the
+wall, '_Gambling Positively Prohibited_,' and underneath the games
+are running high, wide, and fancy. Refined humor, I call it....
+There were nine killings one day, but that's above the average.
+The last time I was in town a couple of tool dressers got into a
+row with a laundryman--claimed they'd been overcharged six cents.
+It came to a shooting, and we buried all three of them. Two cents
+apiece! That was their closing price. The cost of living is high
+enough, but it isn't expensive to die here."
+
+In this vein ran Mallow's talk. From the first he had laid himself
+out to be entertaining and helpful, and Gray obligingly permitted
+him to have his way. When they had finished breakfast, he even
+allowed his companion to hire an automobile and driver for him.
+They shook hands finally, the best of friends. Mallow wished him
+good luck and gravely voiced the hope that he would have fewer
+diamonds when he returned. Gray warmly thanked his companion for
+his many courtesies and declared they would soon meet again.
+
+Thus far the trip had worked out much as Gray had expected. Now,
+as his service car left the town and joined the dusty procession
+of vehicles moving country-ward, he covertly studied its driver
+and was gratified to note that the fellow bore all the ear-marks
+of a thorough scoundrel. What conversation the man indulged in
+strengthened that impression.
+
+The Briskow farm, it appeared, lay about twenty miles out, but
+twenty miles over oil-field roads proved to be quite a journey.
+During the muddy season the driver declared, it might well take a
+whole day to make that distance; now that the roads were dry, they
+could probably cover it in two or three hours, if the car held
+together. Traffic near Ranger was terrific, and how it managed to
+move, even at a snail's pace, was a mystery, for to sit a car was
+like riding a bucking horse. If there had been the slightest
+attempts at road building they were now invisible, and the
+vehicular streams followed meandering wagon trails laid down by
+the original inhabitants of pre-petroleum days, which had not been
+bettered by the ceaseless pounding of the past twelve months. Up
+and down, over armored ridges and into sandy arroyos, along
+leaning hillsides and across 'dobe flats, baked brick hard by the
+sun, the current of travel roared and pounded with reckless
+disregard of tire and bolt and axle. In the main, it was a motor-
+driven procession. There were, to be sure, occasional teams of
+fine imported draft horses, but for every head of live stock there
+were a dozen huge trucks, and for every truck a score of passenger
+cars. These last were battered and gray with mud, and their dusty
+occupants were of a color to match, for they drove blindly through
+an asphyxiating cloud. Even the thirsty vegetation beside the
+roads was coated gray, and was so tinder dry that it seemed as if
+a lighted match would explode it.
+
+The sun glared cruelly, and the pyramidal piles of iron pipe
+chained to the groaning trucks and plunging trailers were hot
+enough to fry eggs upon, but neither they nor the steaming
+radiators gave off more heat than the soil and the rocks.
+
+Detours were common--testimony to man's inherent optimism--but
+each was worse than the other, the roadbeds everywhere were
+rutted, torn, broken up as if from long-continued heavy shell
+fire.
+
+From every ridge skeleton derricks were in sight as far as the eye
+could reach, the scattered ones, whose clean timbers gleamed in
+the sunlight, testifying to dry holes; the blackened ones, usually
+in clumps, indicating "production"--magic word.
+
+There were a few crossroads settlements--"hitch-rail towns"
+--unpainted and ramshackle, but nowhere was there an attempt at
+farming, for this part of Texas had gone hog wild over oil.
+Abandoned straw stacks had settled and molded, cornfields had
+grown up to weeds, what few head of cattle still remained lolled
+near the artificial surface tanks, all but dried into mud holes.
+
+It was a farm of this character that Gray's driver finally pointed
+out as the Briskow ranch. The house, an unsightly story-and-a-half
+affair, stood at the back of what had once been a cultivated
+field, and the place was distinctive only in the fact that it gave
+evidence of a good water well, or a capacious reservoir, in the
+form of a vivid green garden patch and a few flourishing peach
+trees immediately behind the residence--welcome relief to the eye.
+
+Nobody answered Gray's knock at the front door, so he walked
+around the house. Over the garden fence, grown thick with
+brambles, he beheld two feminine figures, or rather two faded
+sunbonnets topping two pairs of shoulders, and as he drew nearer
+he saw that one woman was bent and slow moving, while the other
+was a huge creature, wide of hip and deep of bosom, whose bare
+arms, burnt to a rich golden brown, were like those of a
+blacksmith, and who wielded her heavy hoe as if it were a toy. She
+was singing in a thin, nasal, uncultivated voice.
+
+Evidently they were the Briskow "help," therefore Gray made his
+presence known and inquired for the master or mistress of the
+place.
+
+The elder woman turned, exposing a shrewd, benevolent face, and
+after a moment of appraisal said, "I'm Miz' Briskow."
+
+"Indeed!" The visitor smiled his best and announced the nature of
+his errand.
+
+"Lawsy me!" Mrs. Briskow planted her hoe in the soil and turned
+her back upon Gray. "Allie! Yore pa has gone an' done it again.
+Here's another of his fool notions."
+
+The women regarded each other silently, their facial expressions
+hidden beneath their bonnets; then the mother exposed her
+countenance a second time, and said, "Mister, this is Allegheny,
+our girl."
+
+Miss Allegheny Briskow lifted her head, nodded shortly, and stared
+over the hoe handle at Gray. Her gaze was one of frank curiosity,
+and he returned it in kind, for he had never beheld a creature
+like her. Gray was a tall man, but this girl's eyes met his on a
+level, and her figure, if anything, was heavier than his. Nor was
+its appearance improved by her shapeless garment of faded wash
+material. Her feet were incased in a pair of men's cheap "brogans"
+that Gray could have worn; drops of perspiration gleamed upon her
+face, and her hair, what little was visible beneath the sunbonnet,
+was wet and untidy. Altogether she presented a picture such as
+some painter of peasant types might have sketched. Garbed
+appropriately, in shawl and sabots, she would have passed for some
+European plowwoman of Amazonian proportions. Allegheny! It was a
+suitable name, indeed, for such a mountainous person. Her size was
+truly heroic; she would have been grotesque, ridiculous, except
+for a certain youthful plasticity and a suggestion of tremendous
+vigor and strength that gave her dignity. Her ample, ill-fitting
+dress failed to hide the fact that her robust body was well, even
+splendidly molded.
+
+Gray's attention, however, was particularly challenged by the
+girl's face and eyes. It was a handsome countenance, cut in large,
+bold features, but of a stony immobility; the eyes were watchful,
+brooding, sullen. They regarded him with mingled defiance and
+shyness for an instant, then they avoided his; she averted her
+gaze; she appeared to be meditating ignominious flight.
+
+The mother abandoned her labor, wiped her hands upon her skirt,
+and said, with genuine hospitality: "Come right into the house and
+rest yourself. Pa and Buddy'll be home at dinner time." By now a
+fuller significance of this stranger's presence had struck home
+and she laughed softly as she led the way toward the dwelling.
+"Di'mon's for Allie and me, eh? Land sakes! Pa's up to something
+new every day, lately. I wonder what next."
+
+As Gray stepped aside for the younger woman to precede him, his
+curiosity must have been patent, for Allegheny became even more
+self-conscious than before, and her face flamed a fiery red. As
+yet she had not spoken.
+
+There were three rooms to the Briskow residence, bedrooms all,
+with a semi-detached, ramshackle, whitewashed kitchen at the rear
+and separated from the main house by a narrow "gallery." Into the
+front chamber, which evidently did service also as a parlor, Mrs.
+Briskow led the way. By now she was in quite a flutter of
+excitement. For the guest she drew forth the one rocking chair, a
+patent contraption, the rockers of which were held upon a sort of
+track by stout spiral springs. Its seat and back were of cheap
+carpet material stretched over a lacquered frame, and these she
+hastily dusted with her apron; then she seated herself upon the
+edge of the bed and beamed expectantly.
+
+Allegheny had carelessly brushed back her sunbonnet, exposing a
+mane of damp, straight, brown hair of a quantity and length to
+match her tremendous vigor of limb; but she remained standing at
+the foot of the bed, too ill at ease to take a chair or perhaps
+too agitated to see one. She was staring straight ahead, her eyes
+fixed a foot or two over the caller's head.
+
+Gray ignored her manifest embarrassment, made a gingerly
+acquaintance with the chair of honor, and then devoted his
+attention to the elder woman. At every move the coiled springs
+under him strained and snapped alarmingly.
+
+"We don't often see jewelry peddlers," the mother announced; "but,
+sakes alive! things is changin' so fast we get a new surprise most
+every day. I s'pose you got those rings in that valise?" She
+indicated Gray's stout leather sample case.
+
+"Precisely," said he. "If you have time I'd like to show them to
+you."
+
+Mrs. Briskow's bent figure stirred, she uttered a throaty
+chuckle, and her weary face, lined with the marks of toil and
+hardship, flushed faintly. Her misshapen hands tightly clasped
+themselves and her faded eyes began to sparkle. Gray felt a warm
+thrill of compassion at the agitation of this kindly, worn old
+soul, and he rose quickly. As he gained his feet that amazing
+chair behaved in a manner wholly unusual and startling; relieved
+of strain, the springs snapped and whined, there was a violent
+oscillation of the back, a shudder convulsed the thing, and it
+sprang after him, much as a tame rabbit thumps its feet upon the
+ground in an effort to bluff a kitten.
+
+The volunteer salesman spread out his dazzling wares upon the
+patchwork counterpane, then stepped back to observe the effect. Ma
+Briskow's hands fluttered toward the gems, then reclasped
+themselves in her lap; she bent closer and regarded them fixedly.
+The Juno-like daughter also stared down at the display with
+fascination.
+
+After a moment Allegheny spoke, and her speaking voice was in
+pleasing contrast to the nasal notes of that interrupted song.
+"Are them _real_ di'mon's?" she queried, darkly.
+
+"Oh yes! And most of them are of very fine quality."
+
+"Pa never told us a word," breathed the mother. "He's _allus_ up
+to some trick."
+
+"Please examine them. I want you to look them all over," Gray
+urged.
+
+Mrs. Briskow acted upon this invitation only after she had dried
+her hands, and then with trepidation. Gingerly, reverently she
+removed a ring from its resting place and held it up to the light.
+"My! Ain't it sparkly?" she gasped, after an ecstatic pause.
+
+Again the girl spoke, her eyes fixed defiantly upon Gray. "You
+could fool us easy, 'cause we never saw _real_ di'mon's. We've
+allus been too pore."
+
+The man nodded. "I hope you're not disappointed in them and I hope
+you are going to see and to own a great many finer ones.
+
+"We've never seen noth--anything, nor been anywhere, yet." It
+was Mrs. Briskow speaking. "But we're goin'. We're goin' lots of
+places and we're goin' to see everything wuth seein', so Pa says.
+Anyhow, the children is. First off, Pa's goin' to take us to the
+mountains." The mother faced the visitor at this announcement and
+for a moment she appeared to be gazing at a vision, for her
+wrinkled countenance was glorified. "You've seen 'em, haven't you,
+mister?"
+
+"Mountains? A great many."
+
+Allegheny broke in: "I dunno's these di'mon's is just what _I_
+expected 'em to be. They are and--they ain't. I'm kind of
+disapp'inted."
+
+Gray smiled. "That is true of most things that we anticipate or
+aspire to. It's the tragedy of accomplishment--to find that our
+rewards are never quite up to our expectations."
+
+"Do they cost much?"
+
+"Oh, decidedly! The prices are all plainly marked. Please look
+them over."
+
+Ma Briskow did as urged, but the shock was paralyzing; delight,
+admiration, expectancy, gave place to horrified amazement at the
+figures upon the tags. She shook her head slowly and made repeated
+sounds of disapproval.
+
+"Tse! Tse! Tse! Why, your pa's crazy! Plumb crazy!"
+
+Although the mother's principal emotion for the moment was aroused
+by the price marks on the price tags, Allegheny paid little
+attention to them and began vainly fitting ring after ring to her
+fingers. All were too small, however; most of them refused to pass
+even the first joint, and Gray realized now what Gus Briskow had
+meant when he wrote for rings "of large sises." Eventually the
+girl found one that slipped into place, and this she regarded with
+complacent admiration.
+
+"This one'll do for me," she declared. "And it's a whopper!"
+
+Gray took her hand in his; as yet it had not been greatly distorted by
+manual labor, but the nails were dull and cracked and ragged and they
+were inlaid in deep mourning. "I don't believe you'll like that
+mounting," he said, gently. "It's what we call a man's ring. This is
+the kind women usually wear."  He held up a thin platinum band of
+delicate workmanship which Allegheny examined with frank disdain.
+
+[Image: "THIS ONE'LL DO FOR ME," SHE DECLARED. "AND IT'S A WHOPPER!"]
+
+"Pshaw! I'd bust that the first time I hoed a row of 'taters," she
+declared. "I got to have things stout, for me."
+
+"But," Gray protested, in even a milder voice, "you probably
+wouldn't want to wear expensive jewelry in the garden."
+
+Miss Briskow held her hand high, admiring the play of light upon
+the facets of the splendid jewel, then she voiced a complacent
+thought that has been variously expressed by other women better
+circumstanced than she--"If we can afford to buy 'em, I reckon we
+can afford to wear 'em."
+
+Not until Gray had suggested that her days of work in the fields
+were probably about ended did the girl's expression change. Then
+indeed her interest was arrested. She regarded him with a sudden
+quickening of imagination; she revolved the novel idea in her
+mind.
+
+"From what my driver has told me about the Briskow farm," he ran
+on, "you won't have to work at anything, unless you care to."
+
+Allie continued to weigh this new thought in her mind; that it
+intrigued her was plain, but she made no audible comment.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+For perhaps half an hour the women tried on one piece of jewelry
+after another, exclaiming, admiring, arguing, then the mother
+realized with a start that meal time was near and that the
+menfolks would soon be home. Leaving Allie to entertain their
+guest, she hurried out, and the sound of splitting kindling, the
+clatter of stove lids, the rattle of utensils came from the
+kitchen.
+
+Gray retired to the patent rocker, Miss Briskow settled herself
+upon a straight-backed chair and folded her capable hands in her
+lap; an oppressive silence fell upon the room. Evidently the
+duties of hostess lay with crushing weight upon the girl, for her
+face became stony, her cheeks paled, her eyes glazed; the power of
+speech completely failed her and she answered Gray with nods or
+shakes of her head. The most that he could elicit from her were
+brief "yeps" and "nopes." It was not unlike a "spirit reading," or
+a ouija-board seance. He told himself, in terms of the oil fields,
+that here was a dry well--that the girl was a "duster." Having
+exhausted the usual commonplace topics in the course of a
+monologue that induced no reaction whatever, he voiced a perfectly
+natural remark about the wonder of sudden riches. He was, in a
+way, thinking aloud of the changes wrought in drab lives like the
+Briskows' by the discovery of oil. He was surprised when Allegheny
+responded:
+
+"Ma and me stand it all right, but it's an awful strain on Pa,"
+said she.
+
+"Indeed?"
+
+The girl nodded. "He's got _more_ nutty notions."
+
+Gray endeavored to learn the nature of Pa's recently acquired
+eccentricities, but Allie was flushing and paling as a result of her
+sudden excursion into the audible. Eventually she trembled upon the
+verge of speech once more, then she took another desperate plunge.
+
+"He says folks are going to laugh _at_ us or _with_ us, and--and
+rich people have got to _act rich_. They got to be elegant." She
+laughed loudly, abruptly, and the explosive nature of the sound
+startled her as greatly as it did her hearer. "He's going to get
+somebody to teach Buddy and me how to behave."
+
+"I think he's right," Gray said, quietly.
+
+"Why, he's sent to Fort Worth for a piano, already, and for a lady
+to come out for a coupla days and show me how to play it!" There
+was another black hiatus in the conversation. "We haven't got a
+spare room, but--I'm quick at learnin' tunes. She could bunk in
+with me for a night or two."
+
+Gray eyed the speaker suspiciously, but it was evident that she
+was in sober earnest, and the tragedy of such profound ignorance
+smote the man sharply. Here was a girl of at least average
+intelligence and of sensitive makeup; a girl with looks, too, in
+spite of her size, and no doubt a full share of common sense
+--perhaps even talents of some sort--yet with the knowledge of a
+child. For the first time he realized what playthings of Fate are
+men and women, how completely circumstance can make or mar them,
+and what utter paralysis results from the strangling grip of
+poverty.
+
+History hints that during the Middle Ages there flourished an
+association known as Comprachicos--"child-buyers"--which traded in
+children. The Comprachicos bought little human beings and
+disfigured their features, distorted their bodies, fashioned them
+into ludicrous, grotesque, or hideous monstrosities for king and
+populace to laugh at, and then resold them. Soft, immature faces
+were made into animal likenesses; tender, unformed bodies were put
+into wicker forms or porcelain vases and allowed to grow; then
+when they had become things of compressed flesh and twisted bone,
+the wicker was cut, the vase was broken, leaving a man in the shape
+of a bottle or a mug.
+
+That is precisely what environment does.
+
+In the case of Allegheny Briskow, poverty, the drought, the
+grinding hardships of these hard-scrabble Texas counties, had
+dwarfed the intellect, the very soul of a splendid young animal.
+Or so, at least, Gray told himself. It was a thought that evoked
+profound consideration.
+
+Now that the girl was beginning to lose her painful embarrassment,
+she showed to somewhat better advantage and no longer impressed
+him, as bovine, stolid, almost stupid; he could not but note again
+her full young figure, her well-shaped, well-poised head, and her
+regular features, and the pity of it seemed all the greater by
+reason thereof. He tried to visualize her perfectly groomed, clad
+in a smart gown molded over a well-fitting corset, with her feet
+properly shod and her hair dressed--but the task was beyond him.
+Probably she had never worn a corset, never seen a pair of silk
+stockings. He thought, too, of what was in store for her and
+wondered how she would fit into the new world she was about to
+enter. Not very well, he feared. Might not this prove to be the
+happiest period of all her new life, he asked himself. As yet the
+wonder and the glory of the new estate left room in her
+imagination for little else; the mold was broken, but the child
+was not conscious of its bottle shape. Nevertheless the shape was
+there. When that child learned the truth, when it heard the
+laughter and felt the ridicule, what then? He could not bring
+himself to envy Allegheny Briskow.
+
+"First off, Ma and me are goin' over to Dallas to do some
+tradin'," the girl was saying. "After that we're goin' to the
+mountains."
+
+"Your mother mentioned mountains."
+
+"Yep. Her and Pa have allus been crazy about mountains, but they
+never seen 'em. That's the first thing Ma said when Number One
+blowed in. When we saw that oil go over the crown block, and when
+they told us that black stuff was really oil, Ma busted out cryin' and
+said she'd see the mountains, after all--then she wouldn't mind if
+she died. Pa he cried, too, we'd allus been so pore--You see, Ma's
+kind of marked about mountains--been that way since she was a
+girl. She cuts out stories and pictures of 'em. And that's how me
+and Buddy came to be named Allegheny and Ozark. But we never
+expected to _see_ 'em. The drought burned us out too often."
+
+Allegheny and Ozark. Quaint names. "Times must have been hard."
+The remark was intended only as a spur.
+
+"_Hard!_" There was a pause; slowly the girl's eyes began to
+smolder, and as she went on in her deliberate way, memory set a
+tragic shadow over her face. "I'll say they was hard! Nobody but
+us nesters knows what hard times is. Out west of here they went
+three years without rain, and all around here people was starvin'.
+Grown folks was thin and tired, and children was sickly--they was
+too peaked to play. Why, we took in a hull family--wagon-folks.
+Their hosses died and they couldn't go on, so we kep' 'em--'til
+_we_ burned out. I don't know how we managed to get by except that
+Pa and Buddy are rustlers and I can do more 'n a hired man. We
+_never_ had enough to eat. Stuff just wouldn't grow. The stock got
+bonier and bonier and finally died, 'count of no grass and the
+tanks dryin' out. And all the time the sun was a-blazin' and the
+dust was a-blowin and the clouds would roll up and then drift away
+and the sun would come out hotter 'n ever. Day after day, month
+after month, we waited--eighteen, I think it was. People got so
+they wouldn't pray no more, and the preachers moved away. I guess
+we was as bad off as them pore folks in Beljum. Why, even the
+rattlesnakes pulled out of the country! Somehow the papers got
+hold of it and bime-by some grub was shipped in and give around,
+but--us Briskows didn't get none. Pa'd die before he'd beg."
+
+The girl was herself now; she was talking naturally, feelingly,
+and her voice was both deep and pleasing.
+
+"The thinner Ma got, the more she talked about the mountains,
+where there was water--cool, clear water in the criks. And timber
+on the hills--timber with green leaves on it. And grass that you
+could lay down in and smell. I guess Ma was kind of feverish. We
+was drier 'n a lime-burner's boot when the rain did come. I'll
+never forget--we all stood out in it and soaked it up. It was
+wonderful, to get all wet and soaky, and not with sweat."
+
+"Then on top of that the oil came, too. It _must_ have been
+wonderful."
+
+"Yep. Now we're rich. And buyin' di'mon's and pianos and goin' to
+Dallas for pretty fixin's. Seems kinda dreamy." Allegheny Briskow
+closed her eyes, her massive crown of damp, disordered hair
+drooped backward and for a moment Gray was able, unobserved, to
+study her.
+
+She had revealed herself to him, suddenly, in the space of a few
+moments, and the revelation added such poignancy to his previous
+thoughts that he regarded her with a wholly new sympathy. There
+was nothing dull about this girl. On the contrary, she had
+intelligence and feeling. There had been a rich vibrance in her
+voice as she told of that frightful ordeal; a dimness had come
+into her eyes as she spoke of her mother gabbling feverishly of
+the green hills and babbling brooks; she had yearned maternally at
+mention of those wretched little children. No, there was a sincere
+emotional quality concealed in this young giantess, and a
+sensitiveness quite unexpected.
+
+Gray remained silent until she opened her eyes; then he said:
+"When you and your mother come to Dallas to do your shopping,
+won't you let me take you around to the right shops and see that
+you get the right things?" Then, prompted by the girl's quick
+resentment, he added, hastily, "--at the right prices?"
+
+Allie's face cleared. "Why, that's right nice of you!" she
+declared. "I--I reckon we'd be glad to."
+
+Gus Briskow was a sandy, angular man; a ring of air holes cut in
+the crown of his faded felt hat showed a head of hair faded to
+match the color of his headgear; his greasy overalls were tucked
+into boots, and a ragged Joseph's coat covered his flannel shirt.
+Both the man and his makeup were thoroughly typical of this part
+of the country, except in one particular--Pa Briskow possessed the
+brightest, the shrewdest pair of blue eyes that Calvin Gray had
+ever seen, and they were surrounded by a network of prepossessing wrinkles.
+
+He came directly in to greet his visitor, then said: "I never
+expected you'd come 'way out here an' bring your plunder with you.
+Ma says you got a hull gripful o' di'mon's."
+
+"I have, indeed." Gray pointed to the glittering display still
+spread out upon the varicolored counterpane.
+
+Briskow approached the bed and gazed curiously, silently down at
+the treasure, then his face broke into a sunshiny smile. He wiped
+his hands upon his trousers legs and picked up a ring. But instead
+of examining the jewel, he looked at the price mark, after which
+his smile broadened.
+
+Ozark had entered behind his father, and his sister introduced him
+now. He was a year or two younger than Allegheny, but cast in the
+same heroic mold. They formed a massive pair of children indeed,
+and, as in her case, a sullen distrust of strangers was inherent
+in him. He stared coldly, resentfully, at Gray, mumbled an
+unintelligible greeting, then rudely turned his back upon the
+visitor and joined his father.
+
+The elder Briskow spoke first, and it was evident that he feared
+to betray lack of conservatism, for he said, with admirable
+restraint:
+
+"Likely-lookin' lot of trinkets, eh, Bud?"
+
+Bud grunted. After a moment he inquired of Gray, "How much is that
+hull lot wuth, Mister?"
+
+"Close to a hundred thousand dollars."
+
+Brother and sister exchanged glances; the father considered
+briefly, smilingly, then he said, "With oil at three an' a
+quarter, it wouldn't take long for a twelve-hundred bar'ler to get
+the hull caboodle, would it?" "Is your well producing twelve
+hundred barrels a day?"
+
+"Huh!" Briskow, junior, grinned at his sister, exposing a mouth
+full of teeth as white and as sound as railroad crockery, but his
+next words were directed at Gray: "We got _four_ wells and the
+p'orest one is makin' twelve hundred bar'l."
+
+The guests' mental calculations as to the Briskow royalties were
+interrupted by an announcement that dinner was ready, whereupon
+the father announced:
+
+"Mister, it looks like you'd have to stay overnight with us,
+'cause I got important business after dinner an' I wouldn't trust
+Ma to pick out no jewelry by herself--them prices would skeer her
+to death. We're ignorant people and we ain't used to spendin'
+money, so it'll take time for us to make up our minds. Kin you
+wait?"
+
+"I'll stay as long as you'll keep me," Gray declared, heartily.
+
+A moment later, having learned that a place at the table had been
+set for his driver as well as himself, Gray stepped out to summon
+the man and to effect the necessary change in his arrangements. He
+was not surprised to find the chauffeur with nose flattened
+against a pane of the front-room window, his hands cupped over his
+eyes. Ignoring the fellow's confusion at being discovered, Gray
+told him of his change of plan and instructed him to drive back to
+Ranger and to return late the following afternoon. Then he led the
+way toward the kitchen.
+
+That stay at the Briskows' turned out to be less irksome than the
+visitor had anticipated, for the afternoon was spent with Buddy
+examining the Briskow wells and others near by. It was an
+interesting experience, and Gray obtained a deal of first-hand
+information that he believed would come in handy. Buddy's first
+mistrust was not long in passing, and, once Gray had penetrated
+his guard, the boy was won completely, the pendulum swung to the
+opposite extreme, and erelong suspicion changed to liking, then to
+approval, and at last to open, extravagant admiration.
+
+And Gray liked the youthful giant, too, once the latter had
+dropped his hostility and had become his natural self, for Ozark
+was a lad with temper and with temperament. They got along
+together swimmingly; in fact, they grew thicker than thieves in
+the course of time. The elder man soon became conscious of the
+fact that he was being studied, analyzed, even copied--the
+sincerest form of flattery--and it pleased his vanity. Buddy's
+mind was thirsty, his curiosity was boundless, questions popped
+out of him at every step, and every answer, every bit of
+information or of philosophy that fell from the visitor's lips he
+pounced upon, avidly examined, then carefully put away for future
+use. He was like a magpie filling its nest. Gray's personal
+habits, mannerisms, tricks--all were grist for Buddy's mill. The
+stranger's suit, for instance, was a curiosity to the boy, who
+could not understand wherein it was so different from any other he
+had ever seen; young Briskow attributed that difference to the
+fact that it had probably come from a bigger store than any he had
+known. It amazed him to learn, in answer to a pointed question,
+that it had been cut and fitted to the wearer by expert workmen.
+It disappointed him bitterly to be informed that there was not
+another one exactly like it which he could buy.
+
+And the visitor's silk shirt, with double cuffs and a monogram on
+the sleeve! Fancy "fixin's" like this, Buddy confessed, he had
+always associated with womenfolks, but if Gray wore them there
+could be nothing disgraceful, nothing effeminate about the
+practice. There was a decided thrill in the prospect of possessing
+such finery, all initialed with huge, silken O. B's. Life was
+presenting wholly novel and exciting possibilities to the youth.
+
+When Gray offered him a cigarette, Buddy rudely took the gold case
+out of his hand and examined it, then he laughed in raucous
+delight.
+
+"Gosh! I never knew men had _purty_ things. I--I'm goin' to get me
+one like that."
+
+"Do you like it?" "Gee! It's _swell_!"
+
+"Good! I'll make you a present of it."
+
+Buddy stared at the speaker in speechless surprise. "What--what
+for?" he finally stammered.
+
+"Because you admire it."
+
+"Why--it's solid gold, ain't it?"
+
+"To be sure."
+
+"How much d'it cost?"
+
+"My dear fellow," Gray protested, "you shouldn't ask questions
+like that. You embarrass me."
+
+Buddy examined the object anew, then he inquired, "Say, why'd you
+offer to gimme this?"
+
+"I've just told you." Gray was becoming impatient. "It is a custom
+in some countries to present an object to one who is polite enough
+to admire it."
+
+"Nobody never give _me_ a present," Buddy said. "Not one that I
+wanted. I never had _nothing_ that I didn't have to have and
+couldn't get along without. This cigareet case is worth more 'n
+all the stuff I ever owned, an' I'm sure obliged to you." He
+replaced the article in Gray's hand.
+
+"Eh? Won't you accept it? Why not?"
+
+"I--Oh, I dunno."
+
+Gray pondered this refusal for a moment before saying, "Perhaps
+you think I'm--trying to make a good impression on you, so you'll
+buy some diamonds?"
+
+"Mebbe." Buddy averted his eyes. He was in real distress.
+
+"Um-m! I ought to punch your head." Gray slipped the case into
+young Briskow's pocket. "I don't have to bribe people. Some day
+you'll realize that I like you."
+
+"_Honest?_"
+
+"Cross my heart."
+
+The boy laughed in frank delight, his brown cheeks colored, his
+eyes sparkled. "Gosh!" said he. "I--like _you!_" For some time
+thereafter he remained red and silent, but he kept one big hand in
+the pocket where lay the gold cigarette case. There was a wordless
+song in Buddy Briskow's heart, for--he had made a friend. And such
+a friend!
+
+The Briskow children possessed each other's fullest confidence,
+hence Ozark took the first occasion to show his gift to Allegheny,
+and to tell her in breathless excitement all about that wonderful
+afternoon.
+
+"He said he'd a mind to lick me, an' I bet he could 'a' done it,
+too," the boy concluded.
+
+"Lick you? Hunh!"
+
+"Oh, he's hard-boiled! That's why I like him. He's been 'round the
+world and speaks furrin language like a natif. That suit of clo's
+was _made_ for him, an' he's got thirty others, all better 'n this
+one. Shoes, too! Made special, in New York. Forty dollars a pair!"
+
+"What's he doin' here if he's so rich?" It was the doubting female
+of the species speaking. "Drummers is terrible liars."
+
+Buddy flew to the defense of his hero. "He's doin' this to he'p a
+friend. Told me all about it. I'm goin' to have thirty suits--"
+
+"Shoes don't cost forty dollars. _Clo's_ don't cost that much."
+Allie regarded her brother keenly, understandingly, then she said,
+somberly, "It ain't no use, Buddy."
+
+"What ain't?"
+
+"It ain't no use to wish. Mebbe you can have thirty suits--if the
+wells hold out, but they won't look like his. And me, too. We're
+too big, Buddy, an' the more money we got, the more clo's we put
+on, the more folks is goin' to laugh at us. It shames me to go
+places with anybody but you."
+
+"_He_ wouldn't laugh. He's been all over the world," the boy
+asserted. Then, after some deliberation, "I bet he's seen bigger
+people than us."
+
+As a matter of fact, Allegheny's sensitiveness about her size had
+been quickly apparent to Gray, and during that day he did his
+utmost to overcome it, but with what success he could not know.
+Buddy was his, body and soul, that much was certain; he made the
+conquest doubly secure by engaging the young Behemoth in a scuffle
+and playfully putting him on his back. Defeat, at other hands than
+Gray's, would have enraged Ozark to the point of frenzy, it would
+have been considered by him an indignity and a disgrace. Now,
+however, he looked upon it as a natural and wholly satisfactory
+demonstration of his idol's supreme prowess, and he roared with
+delight at being bested. Gray promptly taught him the wrestling
+trick by which he had accomplished the feat, and flattered the boy
+immensely by refusing to again try his skill. The older man, when
+he really played, could enter into sport with tremendous zest and
+he did so now; he taught Buddy trick after trick; they matched
+each other in feats of strength and agility. They wound up finally
+on opposite sides of the Briskow kitchen table, elbows planted,
+fingers interlocked, straining furiously in that muscle-racking,
+joint-cracking pastime of the lumber camps known as "twisting
+arms." Here again Gray was victorious, until he showed Buddy how
+to gain greater leverage by changing the position of his wrist and
+by slightly altering his grip, whereupon the boy's superior
+strength told. They were red in the face, out of breath, and
+soaked with perspiration, when Pa Briskow drove up in his
+expensive new touring car.
+
+By this time Buddy's admiration had turned to adulation; he had
+passed under the yoke and he gloried shamelessly in his captive
+state. At supper time he appeared with his hair wetly combed in
+imitation of Gray's. He wore a necktie, too, and into it he had
+fastened a cheap brass stickpin, much as Gray wore his. During the
+meal he watched how the guest used his knife and fork and made
+awkward attempts to do likewise, but a table fork was an
+instrument which, heretofore, Buddy had looked upon as a weapon of
+pure offense, like a whaler's harpoon, and conveniently designed
+either for spearing edibles beyond his reach or for retrieving
+fragments of meat lurking between his back teeth. He even did some
+hasty manicuring under the edge of the table with his jack-knife.
+
+Pa Briskow was scarcely less observant than his son. He watched
+Gray's every move; he sounded him out adroitly; he pondered his
+lightest word. After the supper things had been cleared away and
+the dishes washed, the entire family adjourned to the front room
+and again examined the jewelry. It was an absorbing task, they did
+not hurry it. Not until the following afternoon, in fact, did they
+finally make their selections, and then they were guided almost
+wholly by the good taste of their guest. Gray did not exploit
+them. On the contrary, his effort was to limit their extravagance;
+but in this he had little success, for Pa Briskow had decided to
+indulge his generous impulses to the full and insisted upon so
+doing. The check he finally wrote was one of five figures.
+
+By this time the visitor had become aware of arousing a queer
+reaction in Allegheny Briskow. He had overcome her diffidence
+early enough; he had unsealed her lips; he had obtained an insight
+into her character; but once that was done, the girl retired
+within herself again and he could get nothing more out of her. He
+would have believed that she actually disliked him, had it not
+been for the fact that whatever he said, she took as gospel, that
+wherever he chanced to be there she was, her ears open, her
+somber, meditative eyes fixed upon him. Evidently she did not
+actually dislike him; he decided finally that she was studying
+him, striving to analyze and to weigh him to her own complete
+satisfaction before trusting him further than she had.
+
+When it drew near the time for him to leave, and he announced that
+the driver of his hired car had been instructed to return for him,
+there was protest, loud and earnest, from the Briskows, father and
+son. Buddy actually sulked at being denied the pleasure of driving
+his hero to town in the new car, and told about a smooth place on
+a certain detour where he could "get her up to sixty mile an
+hour." "If it was longer, she'd do a hundred," he declared.
+
+Pa Briskow was worried for the security of the diamonds, and
+assured Gray that it was unsafe to trust those service-car
+drivers.
+
+But the latter, seeing a threat to his carefully matured plans,
+refused to listen. "There's one thing you can do for me," he told
+them. "You can give me a pint of cream."
+
+"Cream? What for?" The family regarded him with amazement.
+
+"I'm fond of it. If you have no cream, milk will do."
+
+"Pshaw! I'll put up a hull basket of lunch for you," Mrs. Briskow
+declared. "Buddy, go kill a rooster, an' you, Allie, get them eggs
+out of the nest in the garden, an' a jar of them peach preserves,
+while I make up a pan of biscuits."
+
+Protest was unavailing.
+
+When the others had hurried away, Pa Briskow said: "I been
+studyin' you, Mister Gray, and I got you down as a first-class
+man. When Ma and Allie come over to Dallas to get rigged out, I'd
+like you to help 'em. They 'ain't never been fu'ther from home
+than Cisco--that's thirty mile. I'll pay you for your time."
+
+Gray's hearty acceptance of the first and his prompt refusal of
+the second proposal pleased the speaker.
+
+"Bein' rich is mighty fine, but--" Gus Briskow shook his head
+doubtfully. "It takes a lot of thinkin', and I ain't used to
+thinkin'. Some day, mebbe, I'll get you to give _me_ a hand in
+figgerin' out some worries."
+
+"Business worries?"
+
+"No. I got enough of them, an' more comin', but it ain't that.
+We're goin' to have a heap of money, and"--he looked up with
+straightforward eyes--"we ain't goin' to lose it, if I have my
+way. We've rubbed along, half starved, all our lives, an' done
+without things till we're--Well, look at us! I reckon we've made
+you laugh. Oh, I bet we have! Ma an' me can stand it, but, mister,
+I don't want folks to laugh at my children, and there's other
+things I don't want to happen to 'em. Buddy's a wild hoss and he's
+got a streak of the Old Nick in him. And Allie ain't broke no
+better 'n him. I got a feelin' there may be trouble ahead, an'
+--sometimes I 'most wish we'd never had no oil in Texas."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+"Well, did you land them hicks?" It was Gray's driver speaking.
+Through the gloom of early evening he was guiding his car back
+toward Ranger. The road was the same they had come, but darkness
+had invested it with unfamiliar perils, or so it seemed, for the
+headlights threw every rock and ridge into bold relief and left
+the holes filled with mysterious shadows; the vehicle strained,
+its motor raced, its gears clashed noisily as it rocked along like
+a dory in a boisterous tide rip. Only now and then did a few rods
+of smooth going permit the chauffeur to take his attention from
+the streak of illumination ahead long enough to light another
+cigarette, a swift maneuver, the dexterity of which bespoke long
+practice.
+
+"Yes. And I made a good sale," the passenger declared. With pride
+he announced the size of the Briskow check.
+
+"J'ever see a dame the size of that gal?" A short laugh issued
+from the driver. "She'd clean up in vaudeville, wouldn't she? Why,
+she could lift a ton, in harness. And hoein' the garden, with
+their coin! It's like a woman I heard of: they got a big well on
+their farm and she came to town to do some shoppin'; somebody told
+her she'd ought to buy a present for her old man, so she got him a
+new handle for the ax. _Gawd!_"
+
+A few miles farther on the fellow confessed: "I wasn't crazy about
+comin' for you to-night. Not after I got a flash at what's in that
+valise."
+
+"No?"
+
+"You're takin' a chance, stranger."
+
+"Nothing new about that." Gray remained unperturbed. His left arm
+was behind the driver; with it he clung rigidly to the back of the
+seat as the car plunged and rolled. "Frequently we are in danger
+when we least suspect it. Now you, for instance."
+
+"Me?" The man at the wheel shot a quick glance at his fare.
+
+"You probably take more chances than you dream of."
+
+"How so?"
+
+"Um-m! These roads are a menace to life and limb; the country is
+infested with robbers--"
+
+"Oh, sure! That's what I had in mind. Joy-ridin' at night with a
+hatful of diamonds is my idea of a sucker's amusement. Of course,
+we won't 'get it'--"
+
+"Of course! One never does."
+
+"Sure! But if we should, there's just one thing to do."
+
+"Indeed?" Gray was pleasantly inquisitive, but it was plain that
+he suffered no apprehensions. "And that is--?"
+
+"Sit tight and take your medicine."
+
+"I never take medicine."
+
+The chauffeur shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I do, when it's put
+down my throat. I _been_ stuck up."
+
+"Really!"
+
+"Twice. Tame as a house cat, me--both times. I s'pose I'll get
+nicked again sometime."
+
+"And you won't offer any resistance?"
+
+"Not a one, cull."
+
+"I'm relieved to be assured of that."
+
+For a second time the driver flashed a glance at his companion. It
+was a peculiar remark and voiced in a queer tone. "Yes? Why?"
+
+"Because--" Gray slightly shifted his position, there was a
+movement of his right hand--the one farthest away from the man at
+the wheel--and simultaneously his left arm slipped from the back
+of the seat and tightly encircled the latter's waist. He finished
+in a wholly unfamiliar voice, "Because, my good man, you are now
+held up for the third time, and it would distress me to have to
+kill you."
+
+The driver uttered a loud grunt, for something sharp and hard had
+been thrust deeply into that soft, sensitive region overlying his
+liver, and now it was held there. It was unnecessary for Gray to
+order the car stopped; its brakes squealed, it ceased its progress
+as abruptly as if its front wheels had fetched up against a stone
+wall.
+
+"Hey! What the--?"
+
+"Don't try to 'heel' me with your elbow," Gray warned, sharply.
+"Now, up with 'em--you know. That's nice."
+
+The faces of the men were close together. Gray's was blazing, the
+driver's was stiff with amazement and stamped with an incredulous
+grimace. Paralyzed for the moment with astonishment, he made no
+resistance, not even when he felt that long muscular left arm
+relax and the hand at the end of it go searching over his pockets.
+
+Gray was grim, mocking; some vibrant, evil quality to his voice
+suggested extreme malignity at full cock, like that unseen weapon
+the muzzle of which was buried beneath the driver's short ribs.
+"Ah! You go armed, I see. A shoulder holster, as I suspected. I
+knew you had nothing on this side." Seizing his victim's
+upstretched right hand with his own left, he gave it a sudden
+fierce wrench that all but snapped the wrist, and at the same
+instant he reached across and snatched the concealed weapon from
+its resting place. He flung the chauffeur's body away from him;
+there was a sharp click as he swiftly jammed the barrel of the
+automatic back and let it fly into place.
+
+The entire maneuver had been deftly executed, even yet the object
+of the assault was speechless.
+
+"Now then"--the passenger faced about in his seat and showed his
+teeth in a smile--"it is customary to permit the condemned to
+enjoy the last word. What have you to say for yourself?"
+
+"I--got this to say. It's a hell of a joke--" the man exploded.
+
+"Do I act as if I were joking?"
+
+"If you think it's funny to jab a gun in a man's belly when he
+ain't lookin'--" "A gun? My simple friend, you have--or had--the
+only gun in this party, and you may thank whatever gods you
+worship that you didn't try to use it, for--I would have been
+rough with you. Oh, very rough! I might even have made you eat it.
+Now, inasmuch as you may be tempted to embellish this story with
+some highly imaginary details, I prefer that you know the truth.
+This is the 'gun' I used to stick you up." With a rigidly
+outthrust thumb Gray prodded the driver in the side. "Simple,
+isn't it? And no chance for accidents." The speaker's shoulders
+were shaking.
+
+"Well, I'll be damned!"
+
+"Not a doubt of it!" chuckled the other. "Especially if you follow
+in the course you have chosen. And a similar fate will overtake
+your pal, Mallow. By the way, is that his right name?... Never
+mind, I know him as Mallow. A shallow, trusting man, and, I hope,
+a better judge of diamonds than of character. As for me, I look
+deeper than the surface and am seldom deceived in people--witness
+your case, for example. I knew you at once for a crook. It might
+save you several miles of bad walking to tell me where Mallow is
+waiting to high-jack me.... No?"
+
+"I dunno what you're ravin' about," growled the unhappy owner of
+the automobile. "But, believe me, I'll have you pinched for this."
+
+"How sharper than a serpent's tooth is ingratitude! And what bad
+taste to prattle of prosecution. I sha'n't steal your car, it
+needs too much overhauling. And I abominate cheap machines. It is
+true that I'm one pistol to the good, but in view of the law
+against carrying lethal weapons, surely you won't prefer charges
+against me for removing it from your person. Oh, not that! It
+seems to me that I'm treating you handsomely, for I shall even pay
+you the agreed price for this trip, provided only you tell me
+where you expect to meet Mr. Mallow."
+
+"Go to hell!" "Very well. Oblige me now by getting out.... And
+make it snappy!"
+
+The driver did as directed. Gray pocketed the automatic, slipped
+in behind the steering wheel, and drove away into the night,
+followed by loud and earnest objurgations.
+
+He was still smiling cheerfully when, a mile farther on, he
+brought the car to a stop and clambered out. Passing forward into
+the illumination of the headlights, he busied himself there for
+several moments before resuming his journey.
+
+For the first time in a long while Calvin Gray was thoroughly enjoying
+himself. Here was an enterprise with all the possibilities of a
+first-class adventure, and of the sort, moreover, that he was
+peculiarly qualified to cope with. It possessed enough hazard to lend
+it the requisite zest, it was sufficiently unusual to awaken his
+keenest interest; he experienced an agreeable exaltation of spirit,
+but no misgivings whatever as to the outcome, for he held the
+commanding cards.  Little remained, it seemed to him, except to play
+them carefully and to take the tricks as they fell. He had not the
+slightest notion of permitting Mallow to lay hands upon that case of
+jewels.
+
+There was no mistaking the road, but Gray did not bother to stick
+to the main-traveled course when detours or short cuts promised
+better going, for he knew full well that Mallow would be waiting,
+if at all, in some place he was bound to pass. It was an ideal
+country for a holdup; lonely and lawless. Derrick lights twinkled
+over the mesquite tops, and occasionally the flaming red mouth of
+some boiler gaped at him, or the foliage was illuminated by the
+glare of gas flambeaux--vertical iron pipes at the ends of which
+the surplus from neighboring wells was consumed in what seemed a
+reckless wastage. Occasionally, too, a belated truck thundered
+past, but the traffic was pretty thin.
+
+At last, however, he beheld some distance ahead the white glare of
+two stationary lights. The road was narrow and sandy here, and
+shut in by banks of underbrush; as he drew nearer a figure stepped
+out and stood in silhouette until his own lights picked it up. The
+figure waved its arms, and called attention to the car behind--evidently
+broken down. Here, then, the drama was to be played.
+
+Gray brought his machine on at such a pace and so close to the man
+in the road that the latter was forced to step aside, then he
+swung it far to the right, brought it back with a quick twist of
+the steering wheel, and killed his motor. He was now in the ditch
+and outside the blinding glare of the opposing headlights; the
+stalled machine was in the full illumination of his own lamps.
+
+Contrary to Gray's expectations, the car in the road was empty and
+the man who had hailed him was a stranger. As the latter
+approached, he inquired:
+
+"What's wrong?"
+
+"Out of gas, I guess. Anyhow--I--" The speaker noted that there
+was but one new arrival, where he had expected two, and the
+discovery appeared to nonplus him momentarily. He stammered,
+involuntarily he turned his head.
+
+Gray looked in the same direction, but without changing his
+position, and out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed a new
+figure emerging from the shadows behind him. Very clever! But, at
+least, his unexpected maneuver with his own car had made it
+necessary for both men to approach him from the same side.
+
+While the first stranger continued to mumble, Gray sat motionless,
+keenly conscious, meanwhile, of that other presence closing in
+upon him from the rear. He simulated a violent start when a second
+voice cried:
+
+"Don't move. I've got you covered."
+
+"My God!" Gray twisted about in his seat and exposed a startled
+countenance. A masked man was standing close to the left running
+board, and he held a revolver near Gray's head; the apparition
+appeared to paralyze the unhappy traveler, for he still tightly
+clutched the steering wheel with both hands.
+
+"Just sit still." The cloth of the mask blew outward as the words
+issued; through the slits two malevolent eyes gleamed. "Act
+pretty, and you won't get hurt."
+
+"Why! It's--it's Mr. _Mallow_!" Gray hitched himself farther
+around in his seat and leaned forward in justifiable amazement.
+"As I live it's you, Mallow!" Both highwaymen were in front of
+him, now, and shoulder to shoulder; he made sure there were no
+others behind them.
+
+"Shut up!" Mallow snapped. "Frisk him, Tony, and--"
+
+The command was cut short by a startled, throaty cry--a hoarse
+sound of astonishment and rage--and simultaneously a strange, a
+phenomenal thing occurred. An unseen hand appeared to strike down
+both Mallow and his accomplice where they stood, and it smote
+them, moreover, with appalling force and terrifying effect. One
+moment they were in complete mastery of the situation, the next
+they were groveling in the road, coughing, sneezing, barking,
+retching, blaspheming poisonously. Baffled fury followed their
+first surprise. Mallow tore the mask from his face and groped
+blindly for the weapon he had dropped, but before he could recover
+it, pain mastered him and he fell back, clawing at himself,
+rubbing at his eyes that had been stricken sightless. He yelled.
+Tony yelled. Then upon the startled night there burst a duet of
+squeals and curses, a hideous medley of mingled pain and fright,
+at once terrifying and unnatural. Both bandits appeared to be in
+paroxysms of agony; from Tony issued sounds that might have issued
+from the throat of a woman in deadly fear and excruciating
+torment; Mallow's face had been partially protected, hence he was
+the lesser sufferer; nevertheless, his eyes were boiling in their
+sockets, his lungs were ablaze, ungovernable convulsions ran over
+him.
+
+The men understood vaguely what had afflicted them, for they had
+seen Gray lift one hand from the wheel, and out of that hand they
+had seen a stream of liquid, or a jet of aqueous vapor, leap. It
+was too close to dodge. It had sprung directly into their faces,
+vaporizing as it came, and at its touch, at the first scent of its
+fumes, their legs had collapsed, their eyes had tightly closed,
+and every cell in their outraged bodies had rebelled. It was as if
+acid had been dashed upon them, destroying in one blinding instant
+all power for evil. With every breath, now, a new misery smote them.
+But worse than this torture was the monstrous nature of their
+afflictions. It was mysterious, horrible; they believed themselves
+to be dying and screamed in abysmal terror of the unknown.
+
+Gray squeezed again the rubber bulb that he had carried in his
+hand these last several miles, ejecting from it the last few drops
+of its contents, then he opened the car door, stepped out of it
+and stood over his strangling victims. He kicked Mallow's revolver
+off the road, and, holding his breath, relieved the other high-
+jacker of his weapon. This he flung after the first, then he
+withdrew himself a few paces and lighted a cigarette, for a raw,
+pungent odor offended his nostrils. Both of the bawling bandits
+reeked of it, but their plight left him indifferent. They reminded
+him of a pair of horses he had seen disemboweled by a bursting
+shell, but he felt much less pity for them.
+
+His lack of concern made itself felt finally. Mallow, who was the
+first to show signs of recovery, struggled to his feet and clawed
+blindly toward the automobile. He clung to it, sick and shaking;
+profanely he appealed for aid.
+
+"So! It _is_ Mr. Mallow," Gray said. "Fancy meeting you here!"
+
+A stream of incoherencies issued from the wretched object of this
+mockery. Tony, the other man, stifled his groans, rose to his
+knees, and, with his hands clasped over his eyes, shuffled slowly
+away, as if to escape the sound of Gray's voice.
+
+"Better quiet down and let me do something at once, if you wish
+to save your sight," the latter suggested. "Otherwise I won't
+answer for the result. And you needn't tell me how it hurts. I
+know." This proffer of aid appeared to throw the sufferers into
+new depths of dismay. They called to him in the name of God. They
+were harmless, now, and anyhow they had intended to do him no
+bodily harm. They implored him to lend succor or to put them out
+of their distress.
+
+Gray fell to work promptly. The bottle of cream he had begged from
+Ma Briskow he now put to use. With this soothing liquid he first
+washed out their eyes, the membranes of which were raw and spongy,
+and excruciatingly sensitive to light, then he bandaged them as
+best he could with compresses, wet in it.
+
+"You'll breathe easier as time goes on," he announced. "You'll
+cough a good deal for a few days, but where you are going that
+won't disturb anybody. Your eyes will get well, too, if you take
+care of them as I direct. But, meanwhile, let me warn you against
+lifting those bandages. Advise me as they dry out and I'll wet
+them again."
+
+A blessed relief stole over the unfortunate pair; they were still
+sick and weak, but in a short time the acuteness of their
+suffering had diminished sufficiently for Gray to help them into
+the back seat of his car and resume his journey.
+
+Sarcastically he referred to the sample case on the tonneau floor.
+"If those diamonds are in your way, I'll take them in front with
+me. If not, I'll ask you to keep an eye on them--or, let us say,
+keep a foot on them. If you should be foolish enough to heave them
+overboard or try to renew your assault upon me, I would be tempted
+to break this milk bottle. In that event, my dear Mallow, you'd go
+through life with a tin cup in your hand and a dog on a string."
+
+Tony groaned in abject misery of body and soul. Mallow cursed
+feebly.
+
+"What--is that devilish stuff?" the latter queried. It was plain
+from his voice that he meditated no treachery. "Oh! I was going
+to tell you. It is a product of German ingenuity, designed, I
+believe, for the purpose of quelling riotous and insurrectionary
+prisoners. It was efficacious, also, in taking pill boxes and
+clearing out dug-outs and the like. With some care one is safe in
+using it in an ordinary ammonia gun--the sort policemen use on mad
+dogs. Forgive me, if I say that you have demonstrated its utility
+in peace as well as in war. If there were more high-jackers in the
+world the device might be commercialized at some profit; but,
+alas, my good Mallow, your profession is not a common one."
+
+"Cut out the kidding," Mallow growled, then he fell into a new
+convulsion of coughing. The car proceeded for some time to the
+tune of smothered complaints from the miserable figures bouncing
+upon the rear seat before Gray said: "I fear you are a selfish
+pair of rascals. Have you no concern regarding the fate of the
+third member of your treasure-hunting trio?" Evidently they had
+none. "Too bad! It's a good story."
+
+Whatever their indifference to the welfare of the chauffeur, they
+still had some curiosity as to their own, for Mallow asked:
+
+"What are you going to do with us?"
+
+"What would you do, if you were in my place?"
+
+"I'd--listen to reason."
+
+"Meaning--?"
+
+"Hell! You know what he means," Tony cried, feebly.
+
+"So! You do me the honor to offer a bribe." Gray laughed. "Pardon
+my amusement. It sounds callous, I know, but, frankly, your
+unhappy condition fails to distress me. Well, how much do you
+offer?"
+
+"All we got. A coupla thousand."
+
+"A temptation, truly."
+
+Mallow addressed his companion irritably. "Have a little sense. He
+don't need money."
+
+Calvin Gray had never been more pleased with himself than now, for
+matters had worked out almost exactly according to plan, a
+compliment indeed to his foresight and to his executive ability.
+He loved excitement, he lived upon it, and much of his life had
+been devoted to the stage-management of sensational exploits like
+this one. As a boy plays with a toy, so did Gray amuse himself
+with adventure, and now he was determined to exact from this one
+the last particle of enjoyment and whatever profit it afforded.
+
+Within a few minutes of his arrival at Ranger, the town was noisy
+with the story, for he drove down the brightly lighted main street
+and stopped in front of the most populous cafe. There he called
+loudly for a policeman, and when the latter elbowed his way
+through the crowd, Gray told him, in plain hearing of all, enough
+of his experience to electrify everybody. He told the story well;
+he even made known the value of his diamond stock; mercilessly he
+pilloried the two blindfolded bandits. When he drove to the jail
+the running boards of his car were jammed with inquisitive
+citizens, and those who could not find footing thereon followed at
+a run, laughing, shouting, acclaiming him and jeering at his
+prisoners.
+
+Having surrendered custody of the latter, he dressed their eyes
+once more and explained the sort of care they required, then he
+made an appeal from the front steps of the jail, adjuring the mob
+to disperse quietly and permit the law to take its course.
+
+Nothing like this had occurred during the brief, busy life of the
+town. It was a dramatic incident, but the manner in which this
+capable stranger had handled it and the discomfiture he had
+brought upon his assailants appealed more to the risibilities than
+to the anger of Ranger. Admiration for him displaced indignation
+at the high-jackers; cries for vengeance upon them were drowned in
+noisy appreciation of their captor. Gray became a popular
+character; men clamored to shake his hand, and complimented him
+upon his nerve. The editor of the local newspaper dragged him,
+protesting, to the office and there interviewed him. Gray was
+covered with confusion. Reluctantly he made known his identity,
+and retold the whole story of his trip, this time beginning at his
+meeting with Coverly in Dallas. He displayed the bewildering
+contents of his sample case, now guarded by a uniformed arm of the
+law, and explained how he had volunteered his services out of pure
+love of adventure, then how he had played into Mallow's hands
+while aware of his malign purpose at all times.
+
+This was more than a local story; it was big enough for the wire.
+Gray sat at the editor's elbow while that enthusiastic gentleman
+called Dallas and gave it to the papers there.
+
+He was escorted to the railroad station by an admiring crowd; he
+was cheered as he passed, smiling, into his Pullman car.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+Coverly was at the station when Gray's train arrived at Dallas the
+next morning. He was suffering intense excitement, and he deluged
+his friend with a flood of questions, meanwhile flourishing the
+morning papers, all of which appeared to have devoted much space
+to the Ranger episode. He hugged Gray, and he pumped his hand; he
+laughed and he chattered; he insisted upon hearing the whole story
+without delay. On their way uptown, the returning hero gave it to
+him, together with Gus Briskow's check.
+
+At the size of the latter Coverly gasped. "Didn't I say you were a
+good salesman? And Mallow! You got him, didn't you? I _told_ you
+he was a crook. Just the same, old man, you ran a terrible risk
+and I feel mighty guilty. Why, those fellows would have killed
+you."
+
+"Probably."
+
+"Why didn't you take along a policeman or somebody?"
+
+"And miss all the fun? Miss my pay for the trip? I agreed to take
+my commission in thrills."
+
+The jeweler was frankly curious. "Weren't you frightened?"
+
+"Frightened? No." Gray shook his head. "I've never been really
+afraid of anything or anybody, so far as I recall. I've never been
+able to understand the necessity of being frightened. I dare say
+the capacity for enjoying that particular emotion was omitted from
+my make-up--the result of some peculiar prenatal influence,
+probably. I'm sorry, too, for fear must have a fascination and I
+like unusual sensations."
+
+"Speaking of your commissions, how am I going to pay you--not for
+the sale you made, although I wouldn't have done as well, but for
+the loss you saved the firm and for the risk you ran?"
+
+Gray felt a momentary desire to have done with pretense, to
+confess his true condition and to beg not only a suitable reward
+for his services, but also as large a loan as Coverly could spare.
+It is hard to maintain an attitude of opulence on less than
+nothing; it would be so much easier to have done with this
+counterfeit gesture and trust to a straightforward appeal. But he
+dared not yield to the impulse.
+
+"You may give me anything you see fit," he declared, "and I
+sha'n't embarrass you by refusing. On the contrary, go as strongly
+as you possibly can."
+
+Coverly actually appeared to be relieved at this statement, but he
+inquired, curiously: "What have you got up your sleeve? You don't
+need money."
+
+"Obviously not. But I know a needy object of charity; a worthy
+case, I assure you. I can scarcely call him a friend, but I used
+to admire him greatly, and he is still an agreeable companion--a
+man at once capable, extravagant, entertaining, dissipated. He is
+in a bad way, temporarily, and can scarcely afford even the bare
+necessities of life. It is only with my help, in fact, that he
+maintains its luxuries. Your money shall go to him, and with every
+dollar of it that he squanders, there shall arise an earnest
+orison to you."
+
+The jeweler was delighted. "Good!" he cried. "I detest the
+deserving poor as heartily as you do. And now I'd like to open a
+bottle of champagne with our breakfast."
+
+On the very day that the new sign, "Tom and Bob Parker," went up
+over the door of the insurance office at Wichita Falls, the junior
+partner announced:
+
+"Well, dad, the firm gets busy at once. I'm off for Dallas to-
+night."
+
+"What for?" Tom was dismayed by such a prompt manifestation of
+energy. "I'll have to tell you--" Barbara perched herself upon
+her father's desk and began speaking with a note of excitement in
+her voice. "I heard Henry Nelson was in town, so I went to the
+bank this morning to see him. He's such a big man in the oil
+business I thought he might help me. He was there, but in
+conference with his father and another man. There were several
+people waiting, so I sat down. When the man they were talking to
+came out, it was Pete, that driller who put down the first well
+for us. He was glad to see me, and we had quite a talk, but I
+noticed he was fidgety. He said he was running a rig over near
+'Burk,' and had a fishing job on his hands. With all the
+excitement and everybody running double 'towers' and trying to
+beat the other fellow down to the sand, it struck me as queer that
+a contract driller like Pete would be here in Wichita in
+conference with Bell and Henry Nelson, when he ought to be out on
+the lease fishing for a lost bit. It didn't sound right. The more
+I got out of him, the queerer it sounded, for he had all the
+fishing tools he needed, so I accused him of being a fraud. I told
+him I'd bet he had a showing of oil and was trying to borrow money
+to buy the offset or to get the Nelsons to buy it and carry him
+for an interest."
+
+"Where'd you pick up this lingo?" Tom inquired. "You talk like
+them wild men at the Westland Hotel."
+
+Barbara laughed delightedly. "Didn't I put down all our shallow
+wells? If I didn't, I thought I did. Anyhow, I spent most of my
+time around the rigs and Pete used to call me his boss. Well, that
+wretched man turned all colors when I accused him, and tried to
+'shush' me. He said I mustn't talk about things I knew nothing
+about--somebody might overhear me. He declared the outfit he was
+working for were no good and wouldn't pay a driller a bonus if he
+made a well for them. He was sick of making other people rich and
+getting nothing for himself.... It was time the drilling crews
+shared in the profits.... He'd see that nobody froze him out again
+if he had to spoil the hole. He wound up by denying everything,
+and I pretended to swallow it, but when he had gone I went over my
+maps and located the lease where he's drilling. Three of the
+adjoining tracts are owned by the big companies, so that
+eliminated them, but the twenty to the west belongs to Knute
+Hoaglund. Henry was glad to see me when my turn came to go in,
+and--"
+
+"I bet he was glad," Tom declared.
+
+Barbara's smooth cheeks flushed faintly. "He is too busy and too
+rich to--think about girls."
+
+"He wasn't too busy and too rich to inquire about you 'most every
+day since he got back from the war."
+
+"I didn't forget to call him 'Colonel,' and that pleased both him
+and Bell. Then I told them that I proposed to become a rich and
+successful oil operator and wanted their advice how to begin. Old
+Bell was amused, but Henry--I beg pardon, _Colonel_--Nelson was
+shocked. He couldn't bear to think of women, and of me especially,
+in business. He might have become disagreeably personal if his
+father hadn't been there."
+
+"Dunno's I care much for Henry," Tom said, mildly.
+
+"Oh, he's all right, but--I _hate_ Bell! It makes anybody mad to
+be laughed at. Henry was more diplomatic. He tried to convince me
+that the oil game is altogether a man's business and that no woman
+could succeed at it. 'It is a contest of wits,' he explained.
+'You've got to outguess the other fellow. You've got to know
+everything he's doing and keep him from knowing anything you're
+doing. The minute he knows as much as you do, he's got it on you.'
+That seemed to prove to Henry that no woman could win at it, for
+men are such superior creatures. They know so much more than a
+woman can possibly learn; their wits are so much keener!
+
+"I was duly impressed. I asked him to call this evening, for I did
+so wish to have him teach me what little I was capable of
+learning. But he couldn't come, because he had been called to
+Dallas, unexpectedly. That was my cue. In my most sweetly girlish
+manner I said: 'Oh, indeed! Do you expect to see Knute Hoaglund while
+you're there?'"
+
+Two hectic spots had come into "Bob's" cheeks during this recital;
+she was teetering upon the desk now like a nodding Japanese doll,
+and her blue eyes were dancing.
+
+"I heard Old Bell's chair creak and I saw him shoot a quick glance
+at Henry. Henry admitted, casually, that he might drop in on
+Knute. Why?"
+
+"'You'll be wasting time,' I told him, even more sweetly, 'for dad
+and I have that twenty west of Burkburnett.'
+
+"_Well!_ You'd have thought I had stuck a hatpin into Bell. And
+Henry's mouth actually dropped open. Think of it: Colonel Henry
+Nelson, the hero of Whatever-it-is, with his imperial mouth open
+and nothing coming out of it--not even the imperial breath!"
+
+"Bob" rocked backward and kicked up her neatly shod feet; she
+hugged herself and snickered with a malicious enjoyment not wholly
+Christian-like.
+
+"But--we 'ain't even got an option! It takes _money_ to lease
+close-in stuff." Tom was bewildered.
+
+"Of course. And they realized that, or Bell did, as soon as he'd
+had time to collect himself. But it was too late then; he had
+betrayed himself and he knew it. Oh, he was sore! He'd have flung
+me out if I'd been a man. I got mad, too, and I told him it made
+no real difference whether I was bluffing or not; the jig was up,
+so far as he was concerned. I reminded him of what Henry had just
+said--that the oil business is a game of wits, and that when you
+know what the other fellow is doing you have him licked. I
+admitted that he could probably keep me from getting the lease,
+but I could also keep him from getting it. Bell nearly had a
+stroke at that threat. Henry behaved very decently throughout. I
+think it must have pleased him to find that somebody in Wichita,
+besides him, had the courage to defy his father; anyhow, he said,
+'"Bob" has beaten us at our own game. She knows enough now to
+place that lease in half an hour, and I think we'd better take
+her in. Otherwise she'll wire Knute, and he'll probably protect
+her for an interest.'
+
+"That made me feel awfully fraudulent, but his smarty remarks
+about women in the oil business still rankled, so I just sat
+pretty and blinked like a little owl. Bell swore. In his best and
+most horrible manner, he swore, but--he gave in." "Bob" laughed
+again, a bit hysterically. "That's about all, dad. They agreed to
+put up the money and carry me--us, I mean--for a quarter interest
+if I can get the lease from Knute Hoaglund. So, I'm leaving on the
+night train."
+
+"Son! I--I'm darned if I don't believe we'll make a go of this
+business," Tom Parker declared.
+
+With a little cry Barbara flung herself into his arms.
+* * * * *
+
+The publicity Calvin Gray received from his exploit at Ranger could be
+nothing except agreeable to one of his temperament.  Gratefully he
+basked in his notoriety, meanwhile continuing assiduously to cultivate
+the moneyed men of Dallas. His sudden leap into prominence aroused
+curiosity among the wives and families of the latter, and he became
+the recipient of some social attentions. He accepted every invitation,
+and so well did he carry himself in company, so ornamental and
+engaging was he as a dinner guest, that he was soon in great
+demand. He possessed accomplishments, too, that increased the respect
+of his masculine acquaintances. For instance, he displayed a
+proficiency at golf quite unusual in men of athletic training, and
+they argued that any man who could do par whenever he felt like it
+must be either a professional or a person of limitless leisure. And
+limitless leisure means limitless funds.
+
+Gray studiously maintained his air of financial mystery; he was in
+and out of offices, always purposeful, always in a hurry, but
+always with sufficient time to observe the strictest niceties of
+polite behavior. It was a part of his plan to create an atmosphere
+of his own, to emphasize his knack for quick, decisive, well-
+calculated action. The money he received from Coverly enabled him
+to maintain the posture he had assumed; he spent it with his usual
+prodigality, receiving little direct benefit, but making each
+dollar look like four. Extravagance with him was an art, money ran
+out of his pockets like water, but although he was already in a
+position to borrow, he did not do so. He merely marked time,
+deriving a grim amusement at the way his popularity grew as his
+currency dwindled. It was a game, enjoyable so long as it lasted.
+Egotistical he knew himself to be, but it was a conscious fault;
+to tickle his own vanity filled him with the same satisfaction a
+cat feels at having its back rubbed, and he excused himself by
+reasoning that his deceit harmed nobody. Meanwhile, with feline
+alertness he waited for a mouse to appear.
+
+He was relieved one day to receive a telegram from Gus Briskow
+asking him to meet Ma and Allie at the evening train and "get them
+a hotel." He managed to secure a good suite at the Ajax, and it
+was with genuinely pleasurable anticipation that he drove to the
+station.
+
+Dismay smote him, however, at first sight of the new arrivals. Ma
+Briskow resembled nothing so much as one of those hideous "crayon
+enlargements" he had seen in farmhouses--atrocities of an art long
+dead--for she was clad in an old-fashioned basque and skirt of
+some stiff, near-silk material, and her waist, which buttoned far
+down the front and terminated in deep points, served merely to
+roof over but not to conceal a peculiarity of figure which her
+farm dress had mercifully hidden. Gray discovered that Ma's body,
+alas! bore a quaint resemblance in outline to a gourd. A tiny
+black bonnet, with a wide surcingle of ribbon tied under her chin,
+was ornamented with a sort of centerpiece built of rigid
+artificial fruit and flowers. Her hair, in brave defiance of
+current styles, was rolled into a high pompadour. Beneath that
+pompadour, however, her face was aglow with interest and her eyes
+gleamed almost as brightly as did the brand-new lavalliere and the
+bar pin with its huge six-carat center diamond.
+
+If the mother's appearance was unusual, the daughter's was
+startling, what with her size and the barbaric latitude of color
+she had indulged herself in. Allegheny's get-up screamed. In the
+general store at Cisco, whence it had originated, it had doubtless
+been considered a sport costume, for there was a skirt of huge
+blue and white checks, a crepe waist of burnt orange, and over
+that a vegetable-silk sweater, with the broadest, greenest stripes
+Gray had ever seen. A violent, offensive green, it was; and the
+sweater was too tight. Her hat was large and floppy and adorned
+with preposterous purple blooms; one of her hands was gloved, but
+upon the other she wore her splendid solitaire. She "shone" it, as
+a watchman shines his flashlight.
+
+They were enough to daunt a stronger man than Calvin Gray, these
+two. He could well imagine the sensation he and they would create in
+the lobby of the modish Ajax. But his first surprise was succeeded by
+a gentle pity, for Ma Briskow greeted him rapturously, and in
+Allegheny's somber eyes he detected a look of mingled suffering and
+defiance. She knew, somehow or other, that she was conspicuous,
+grotesque, and her soul was in agony at the knowledge. Before he had
+spoken a half dozen words to her, Gray realized that this girl was in
+torture, and that it had required a magnificent courage on her part to
+meet him as bravely as she did.  He was ashamed of himself; amusement
+at their expense did him no credit, and he determined to relieve her
+pain and to help her attain the likeness of other women if it was in
+his power to do so. It was a tribute to his inherent chivalry that he
+rose to the occasion and welcomed the women with a cordiality that
+warmed their hearts. Enthusiastically he took charge of Ma's lunch
+basket; against Allie's muttered protest he despoiled her of her
+bilious, near-leather suitcase; he complimented them upon their
+appearance and showed such pleasure at seeing them again that they
+surrendered gratefully to him. By the time he had them in a taxicab
+they were as talkative as a pair of magpies.
+
+Of course, they had to know all about the holdup, and his manner
+of telling the story made them feel that they had played an
+important part in it. Arrived at the hotel, he swept them along
+with him so swiftly that they had no time in which to become
+dismayed or self-conscious, and finally he deposited them in their
+rooms quite out of breath and quite delighted. He left them
+palpitating with excitement at the wonders he proposed unfolding
+for them on the morrow.
+
+Allie answered his phone call about eight o'clock the next
+morning.
+
+"Ready for breakfast?" he inquired.
+
+"Why, we et at daylight," she told him, in some astonishment. "I
+been ridin' since then."
+
+"Indeed! Putting roses in your cheeks, eh? With whom did you go?"
+
+"Oh, one of the elevator men."
+
+"B--but--" Gray sputtered, deeply shocked. "Why, Miss Briskow,
+they're _negroes!_ Riding with a nigger! My heavens! Where did you
+go?"
+
+"Nowhere. Just up and down."
+
+It was a moment before the man could speak, then he said, in a
+queerly repressed voice: "That--is quite different. I'll run down
+and get a bite and join you in no time."
+
+"Seems awful funny not to have any housework to do in the
+morning," Ma Briskow confessed, as they left the Ajax. "A hotel
+would spoil me in no time."
+
+"I couldn't keep her from makin' up the beds," Allie announced.
+
+Gray took the elder woman's hand in his and scolded her gently.
+Smilingly, he lectured her on the art of doing nothing, and voiced
+some elemental truths about living.
+
+"Mr. Briskow has but one idea, and that is to surround you two,
+and Buddy, with the advantages and luxuries you have been denied,"
+he reminded her. "You owe it to him to get the most out of your
+money, and you mustn't begin by making hotel beds and robbing some
+poor woman of her livelihood. Not one person in ten really knows how
+to live, for it isn't an easy task, and the saddest thing about the
+newly rich is that they won't learn. They refuse to enjoy their
+wealth. I propose to help you good people get started, if you'll
+permit me. It is not with contrition, but with pride, that I
+recommend myself to you as one of the greatest living authorities
+upon extravagance, idleness, and the minor vices of the prosperous."
+
+The mother nodded, a bit vaguely. "That's kind of like Pa talks.
+He sent you this, and says to tell you it's our first spendin'
+spree and act accordin'." From her pocket she drew a folded check,
+made out in blank to Calvin Gray and signed by Gus Briskow.
+
+"So! I assume that I'm to pay the bills. Very well. The sky is the
+limit, eh?"
+
+"That's it. Of course, I don't need anything for myself--this
+dress and bunnit are good enough--but Allie's got to have new
+fixin's, from the inside out. I s'pose her things'll eat up the
+best part of a hundred dollars, won't they?" The speaker's look of
+worried inquiry bespoke a lifetime of habitual economy.
+
+"We're not going to buy what you _need_, but what you want. You're
+going to have just as many pretty things as Allie."
+
+Ma was panic-stricken at this suggestion. When Gray insisted she
+demurred; when he told her that one nice dress would cost at least
+a hundred dollars, she confessed:
+
+"Why, I don't s'pose all the clo's I've had since I was married
+cost much more 'n that."
+
+"I'll spend at least a thousand on you before noon," he laughed.
+
+Mrs. Briskow gasped, she rolled her eyes and fanned herself; she
+appealed to Allegheny, but it was evident that the latter had kept
+her eyes open and had done some thinking, for she broke out,
+passionately: "You make me sick, Ma! It'll take all Pa can
+afford, and then some, to make us look like other people. I never
+knew how plumb ridic'lous we are till--"
+
+"Not that," Gray protested.
+
+"You _know_ we're ridic'lous," she cried, fiercely. "We're a
+couple of sow's ears and all Pa's royalties can't make us into
+silk purses. But--mebbe we can manage to look like silk, if we
+spend enough."
+
+Gray determined that the girl should not be disappointed if he
+could help it, so he went directly to the head saleswoman of the
+first store, and asked her to assume the role of counselor where
+circumstance compelled him to relinquish it, explaining that in
+addition to hats, gowns, shoes, and the like, both Ma and Allie
+needed a variety of confidential apparel with which he had only
+the vaguest acquaintance. Although the woman agreed to his
+request, he found before long that his trust in her had been
+misplaced. Not only did she threaten to take advantage of her
+customers' ignorance, but also, to Gray's anger, she displayed a
+poorly veiled contempt for and amusement at his charges.
+
+Allegheny was not long in feeling this. She had entered the
+establishment aquiver with hope and anticipation. This was her
+great adventure. She was like a timid child, enraptured at sight
+of its first tinseled Christmas tree; to have that ecstacy
+spoiled, to see the girl's tenderest sensibilities wounded by a
+haughty clerk, enraged the man who played Santa Claus. Abruptly he
+resumed charge of the Briskow purchases, and it gave him a pang to
+note how Allegheny ran to him with her hurt, as it were.
+
+But matters did not progress as well as he had expected. Allie's
+disappointment at the death of her dream she hid under an
+assumption of indifference; she merely pawed over the pretty
+things shown her and pretended to ignore the ridicule she and her
+mother excited. But her face was stony, her eyes were hopeless,
+miserable.
+
+For once in his life Calvin Gray was at a loss, and knowledge of
+that fact caused him to chew savagely at his cigar. To his bewildered
+companions he remained enthusiastic, effervescent, but behind their
+backs he glowered at the well-groomed customers and cursed the
+snickering models who paraded their wares. Engaged thus, he became
+aware of a stranger who looked on at the pitiful little comedy without
+amusement. She was a pretty thing. Gray stared at her openly and his
+scowl vanished. When she moved away, he made a sudden decision, excused
+himself, and followed her.
+
+He was gratified at the manner in which she accepted his
+breathless apology for speaking to her, at the poise with which
+she listened while he made himself and his companions known to her
+and explained the plight in which he found himself.
+
+"You can save the reason of a distracted man and add to the
+happiness of two poor, bewildered women, if you will," he
+concluded, earnestly. "It isn't a funny situation; it's tragic."
+
+"What do you wish me to do?" the girl inquired.
+
+"It's a lot to ask, I know, but won't you help them buy the things
+they need and save them from further humiliation at the hands of
+these highbrow clerks and lowbrow customers? I--I want to punch
+somebody in the nose."
+
+"I was sure you did. That is what attracted my attention."
+
+"You are a person of taste, if you will pardon a perfectly obvious
+compliment from a total stranger, and they need such a woman's
+guidance. But they need, even more, a little bit of feminine tact
+and sympathy. Look!" He showed Gus Briskow's blank check. "The
+whole store is theirs, if they wish it. Think what that ought to
+mean to two poor starved creatures who have never owned enough
+clothing to wad a shotgun."
+
+"The girl is stunning. All she needs is the right sort of things
+--"
+
+Impulsively Gray seized the speaker's hand. "I _knew_ it!" he
+cried. "I can choose gowns for her, but how can I tell her the
+sort of--well, corsets she ought to wear? How can I select for her
+things a bachelor is presumed to know nothing about? Haven't you
+an hour or two in which to play Fairy Godmother?"
+
+"I have all day," the young woman confessed. "I merely came in to
+yearn over the pretty things."
+
+"O messenger from Heaven!" he cried, more hopefully. "Would it
+appear presumptuous if I asked you, in return for this favor, to
+select the very prettiest gown in this shop for your very own?"
+
+The offer was refused pleasantly, but firmly. "I'd be paid ten
+times over by the fun of spending oodles of money even if it were
+not my own. But would they consent to have a stranger--?"
+
+"If you will permit a tiny deceit, I'm sure they will. I shall
+burden my conscience with a white lie and pretend that you are a
+friend to whose judgment I have appealed. My poor conscience is
+scandalously overburdened, but--that girl is suffering!"
+
+"I thought they must have struck oil. I've seen others like them."
+
+Without further ado, Gray hurried his new acquaintance back to the
+dress department, then, in his easiest manner, introduced her to
+the Briskows. She flashed him a look of amusement as he glibly
+made her known as "Miss Good." He had invited Miss Good to join
+their picnic immediately upon hearing that Ma and Allie were
+coming to Dallas, and she had been overjoyed. Miss Good, as they
+could see, possessed unerring good taste, but what was more, she
+had a real genius for finding bargains. As a bargain hunter Miss
+Good was positively unique.
+
+Ma Briskow pricked up her ears at this, soon she and the newcomer
+had their heads together, and within a few minutes Gray realized
+that his experiment was a success. The stranger possessed
+enthusiasm, but it was coupled with common sense, and before her
+sunshiny smile even Allegheny's sullen distrust slowly began to
+thaw. She drew Gray aside finally, and said: "It's all right. They're
+perfect dears, and, now, the best thing you can do is to take yourself
+off."
+
+He agreed promptly, but cautioned her against economy. "That
+bargain-hunting remark was only a bait. Remember, Gus Briskow
+wants them to have everything, and be everything they should be,
+regardless of expense. Why, both he and I would like nothing
+better than to have Allegheny look like you, if that were
+possible."
+
+Miss Good eyed the speaker curiously. "Who are you?" she inquired.
+"What are these nesters to you?"
+
+"I am nobody. They were kind to me and I'm interested in their
+future."
+
+"Are you a fortune hunter, Mr. Gray?"
+
+"I am." Gray's face instantly lighted. "I am the most
+conscienceless fortune hunter you ever met, but--I am hunting my
+own fortune, not Allie Briskow's."
+
+"You needn't laugh. She's very--unusual and--But I dare say you
+wouldn't tell me, anyhow."
+
+"If I have excited your curiosity, I am delighted," Gray declared.
+"Please let me return at lunch time and gratify it. I promise to
+talk upon that subject which every man can discuss to best
+advantage--himself--and I pledge myself not to ask one single
+question about you, Miss Good. Not one--" He bowed ceremoniously
+over her hand. "Although, as you can imagine, I'm dying to ask a
+thousand."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+The luncheon hour was long in arriving, and when it did come
+around Calvin Gray regretted that he had elected to play a game of
+make-believe with "Miss Good," for she rigidly held him to his
+promise, and however adroitly he undertook to ascertain who or
+what she was, she foiled him. It gave her a mischievous pleasure
+to evade his carefully laid conversational traps, and what little
+he learned came from Ma Briskow. Briefly, it amounted to this:
+Miss Good was what the elder woman called "home folks," but she
+had been schooled in the East. Moreover, she was in the oil
+business. This last bit of intelligence naturally intrigued the
+man, and he undertook to gain further illumination, but only to
+have the girl pretend that he knew all about it. He accepted this
+checkmate with the best possible grace, but revenged himself by
+assuming the airs and privileges of a friend more intimate even
+than Miss Good had implied, a pretense that confused and even
+annoyed her. For some reason this counterfeit pleased him; it was
+extremely agreeable even to pretend a close acquaintance with this
+girl.
+
+The luncheon went off gaily enough, then Gray was again banished
+with instructions to return at closing time.
+
+"You took a mean, a malicious advantage of an offer intended only
+to spare your feelings. And you haven't any," he told Miss Good
+when they had a chance for a word alone.
+
+"I have no feelings?"
+
+"None. Or you'd see that I'm perishing of curiosity."
+
+She shook her head, and her blue eyes laughed at him provokingly.
+"Curiosity is fatal only to cats. It is good for people."
+
+"I shall find out all about you."
+
+"How?"
+
+"By cross-examining the Briskows, perhaps."
+
+"But they're waiting to have you tell them what you know. I've
+seen to that."
+
+"If they ask any questions, I'll invent a story. I'll act
+confused, self-conscious. I'll make them think you are a much
+dearer friend than I have pretended, so far; dearer, even, than I
+can hope you ever will be."
+
+"That wouldn't be fair."
+
+"There are occasions when everything is fair. Perhaps these store
+people know something--"
+
+"Nothing whatever."
+
+"Then, for Heaven's sake, release me from my pledge!" Gray spoke
+desperately. "When I return, permit me to ask those thousand
+questions, and what others occur to me. Won't you?"
+
+The girl pondered this request briefly, then smiled. "Very well.
+If you are still curious, when you see me, I'll tell you who I
+am."
+
+"A bargain! I'll be back early." More seriously, Gray declared: "I
+must tell you right now how perfectly splendid I think you are.
+You have completely renewed my belief in human kindness, and I'm
+sure your name must be Miss Good."
+
+But a disappointment awaited Calvin Gray when, late that
+afternoon, he returned to the store. Miss Good had gone. At first
+he refused to believe Ma Briskow's statement, but it was true: she
+had disappeared as quietly and as unobtrusively as she had
+appeared, and, what was more annoying, she had left no word
+whatever for him. This was practical joking, for a certainty, and
+Gray told himself that he abhorred practical jokes. It was a jolt
+to his pride to have his attentions thus ignored, but what irked
+him most was the fact that he was stopped, by reason of his
+deceit, from making any direct inquiries that might lead to a
+further acquaintance with the girl.
+
+Mrs. Briskow, however, was in no condition either to note his dismay
+or to volunteer information upon any except one subject; to wit, corns.
+Human hearts were of less concern to her, for the time being, than
+human feet, and hers were killing her. She began a recital of her
+sufferings, as intimate, as agonizing, and as confidential as if Gray
+were a practicing chiropodist. What she had to say about tight shoes
+was bitter in the extreme; she voiced a gloomy conviction that the
+alarming increase in suicides was due to bunions. The good woman
+confessed that she dearly loved finery and had bought right and left
+with reckless extravagance, but all the merchandise in this department
+store was not worth the anguish she had endured this day. With her
+stiff little bonnet tilted carelessly over her wrinkled forehead, she
+declared emphatically that she would gladly swap all her purchases at
+this moment for a tub of hot water.
+
+"Where is Allie?" Gray inquired.
+
+"Lord knows! She's som'eres around bein' worked over by a couple
+of women. Gettin' her hair washed an' her finger nails cured an' I
+dunno what not. Mercy me! The things Miss Good had 'em do to her!
+An' the money we've spent! Allie's gone hog wild." The complaint
+ended in a stifled moan induced perhaps by some darting pain, then
+without further ado Ma Briskow unbuttoned one shoe and removed
+it. "Whew!" She leaned back in her chair, wiggled her stockinged
+toes, and feebly fanned herself. "But wait till you see her. I
+can't scarcely reco'nize my own flesh an' blood. I never seen such
+a change in a human person."
+
+Gray pretended to listen as the good woman babbled on, but he was
+thinking about the girl who had disappeared. He was surprised at
+the keenness of his chagrin. He had seen Miss Good but a short
+time, and she had made no effort whatever to excite his interest;
+nevertheless, she remained a tantalizingly vivid picture in his
+mind. It was extraordinary.
+
+So engrossed was he in his thoughts that he did not notice
+Allegheny Briskow until she stood close beside him. Then, indeed, he
+experienced a shock, for it was difficult to recognize in this handsome,
+modish young woman the awkward, ill-dressed country girl he had seen at
+noon. Allie was positively stunning. She was completely transformed from
+the soles of her well-shod feet to the tip of her French coiffure, and
+what was more astonishing, she had lost much of her self-consciousness and
+carried herself with a native grace that became her well.
+
+"Why, _Allie!_" Gray exclaimed. "You're wonderful! Let me see
+you." He stood off and gazed at her while she revolved before him.
+
+"Sakes alive! Who'd ever s'pose you'd look like _that!_" the
+mother exclaimed.
+
+"Miss Good told me I'd look nice, but I didn't believe her. Do I?"
+
+"You're wonderful, Allie." Gray said it with conviction.
+
+"Honest? You ain't laughin' at me?" The amazon's voice quavered.
+
+"Can't you see? Look at yourself. I'm proud of you."
+
+"I--She said--" Allegheny twisted her hands, she cast an appealing
+glance at her mother, but the latter was staring at her in open
+amazement, slowly nodding her head and clucking.
+
+"Tse! Tse! Tse!" It was an approving cluck, and it had a peculiar
+effect upon the girl. Allegheny's tears started, she turned
+suddenly and hid her face in her hands.
+
+Gray crossed quickly to her side, saying: "There! We've overdone
+it the first day, and you're tired."
+
+"I _ain't_ tired." His sympathy brought audible sobs; the girl's
+shoulders began to heave.
+
+"Well, _I_ am," the mother complained. "I'm wore to the bone.
+Allie! You dry up an' stop that snivelin' so we kin go home and I
+kin let my feet swell, an' scream."
+
+"You're not too tired, I hope, to have dinner with Allie and me in
+the big dining room at the Ajax?" Gray said, gayly. "You'll be
+all right after an hour's rest, and--'I want to show her off, if
+her nose isn't too red."
+
+"I 'ain't seen that girl cry in ten years," Ma declared, in
+mingled wonderment and irritation. "Why, she didn't cry when
+Number One blowed in."
+
+Allie spoke between her sobs. "There wasn't nothin' to cry for,
+then. But--Miss Good said I--I'd look jest as purty as other folks
+when I got fixed up. An' _he_ says--I do."
+
+Gray decided that all women are vain. Nevertheless, it surprised
+him to discover the trait so early in Allegheny Briskow.
+
+It was on the second day thereafter that Gus Briskow appeared at
+the hotel. He came unexpectedly, and he still wore his rough ranch
+clothes. After an hour or more spent with his wife and daughter,
+he went down to Gray's room and thanked him for the assistance he
+had rendered the two women.
+
+Followed a few moments of desultory conversation, then he put an
+abrupt question: "Mr. Gray, you're a rich man, ain't you?"
+
+"I--am so considered."
+
+"Um-m! Dunno's I'm glad or sorry."
+
+"Indeed! What difference can it make to you?"
+
+"A lot. It's like this: my boy Buddy has took a turrible shine to
+you, an' he can't talk about nothin' else. I was sort of hopin'--"
+
+"Yes?"
+
+"Buddy's ignerunt. He can read an' write an' figger some, but he's
+got about the same company manners as a steer, an' he's skeered of
+crowds. When he sees strangers he's liable to charge 'em or else
+throw up his head an' his tail an' run plumb over a cliff. He'd
+ought to go to school, but he says he's too big, an' he'd have to
+set with a lot of little children. Him an' Allie's alike, that
+way--it r'ars 'em up on their hind feet to be laughed at."
+
+"Get a tutor for them."
+
+"A what?" When Gray had explained the meaning of the word,
+Mr. Briskow's face cleared. "That's what I figgered on, but I didn't
+know what you called 'em. That's why I'm sorry you're so well off. Y'
+see I'd of paid you anything--I'd of doubled whatever you're
+gettin'--" The speaker raised a hopeful gaze; he paused as if to make
+sure that his hearer was beyond temptation. "I thought mebbe him and
+you'd like to travel some--go to furrin places--see the hull world. I
+kin afford it."
+
+"Thank you for the compliment, but--"
+
+"I got some big deals on, an' Buddy's got to learn enough so's to
+hang onto what's comin' to him an' Allie. He needs a man like you
+to learn him, an' be an example. It would be a payin' job, Mister
+Gray."
+
+It was in a voice graver than usual that the younger man spoke:
+"Briskow, you're sensible enough to understand plain talk. I'm not
+a fit man to teach Buddy what he ought to know. In fact, I'm about
+the worst person you could select."
+
+"How so?"
+
+"Because I'm a good deal of a--rotter. I couldn't permit Buddy to
+make a mess of his life, such as I've made of mine."
+
+The father sighed. "I s'pose you know, but--Well, I'm
+disapp'inted. But it wasn't hully on that account I come to Dallas. Ma
+told me over the telephone how nice you been an' what you done for her
+'n' Allie, so I says to myself I'll square things by givin' him a
+chance to make some money."
+
+Gray stirred slightly in his chair and regarded the speaker more
+keenly.
+
+"When oil come in at Ranger, nobody thought it would get out our
+way, but Ma had a dream--a lot of dreams--about oil on our farm,
+so I got an outfit to come there an' drill. Folks thought we was
+crazy, and we didn't expect they'd find much, ourselves--a few
+bar'l a day would of looked big--but I allus had ambitions to be
+good an' rich, so I got options on quite a bit of acreage. It
+didn't take no money at the time, 'cause land was what people had
+most of. Along with the rest, there's a hundred an' sixty right
+next to ours--hill stuff that wouldn't feed a goat. It's wuth a
+lot of money now, but the option's 'most run out."
+
+"When does it expire?"
+
+"Saturday."
+
+"That's to-morrow."
+
+Gus Briskow nodded. "It's cheap at a thousand dollars an acre, an'
+it costs two hundred."
+
+"Of course you'll take it."
+
+"Nope."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Per one thing, I got a lot of other land just as good an' mebbe
+better, an' I been takin' it up out of the royalties that come in.
+We got enough sure money in sight to do us, but I promised Ma to
+play safe, an'--we can't take everything. You kin have that
+option, Mister Gray, for nothin'. You kin sell the lease inside of
+a week an' make fifty thousand dollars, or you kin hold it an'
+make mebbe a million. All it'll cost you is thirty-two thousand
+dollars. I don't make a cent out of it."
+
+"Thirty-two thousand dollars! Not much, is it?"
+
+"It ain't nothin' to a man like you."
+
+Gray nodded and smiled queerly as he thanked the nester, then from
+his pockets he removed several crumpled wads of currency and a
+handful of silver. These he counted before saying: "What capital I
+have is entirely liquid--it's all in cash. There is eighty-seven
+dollars and forty-three cents. It is every dollar in the world
+that I possess."
+
+"Huh?" Gus Briskow's bright eyes searched the smiling countenance
+before him. "You're--jokin'. I thought you said you was rich."
+
+"I am rich. I don't owe a nickel, and won't, until my hotel bill
+is due, day after to-morrow. I'm in full possession of all my
+faculties. I'm perfectly healthy and cheerful. I know men who
+would pay a million dollars for my health alone, and another
+million to enjoy my frame of mind. That's two million--"
+
+"Well--doggone _me_!" There was a pause, then the speaker
+brightened. "Mebbe you'll take Buddy, after all? You kin set your
+own wages."
+
+Gray shook his head. "There are two good reasons why I couldn't
+accept, even if I wished. I've told you one; I'm too fond of you
+Briskows to risk ruining Buddy."
+
+"What's the other one?"
+
+"A purely personal reason. I have a definite something to do here
+in Texas. Before I can accomplish it, I shall have to make a lot
+of money, but that I shall do easily. I make money rapidly when I
+start."
+
+"You gotta git goin' afore long." Briskow allowed his eyes to rove
+about the spacious Governor's suite. "'Specially with only eighty-
+seven forty--"
+
+"That is nearly eighty-seven dollars more than I had when I
+arrived. Three weeks ago I was an utter stranger here; to-day I
+know everybody worth knowing in a business way, and some of them
+are my friends."
+
+"If you could learn Buddy to make friends like that--"
+
+But Gray raised his hand. "I derive a certain amusement from my
+own peculiar characteristics and capabilities, but I should detest
+them in another."
+
+"Well, you sure need money, and--I kin he'p you out."
+
+"Thank you, but I sha'n't borrow. If the time were not so short, I
+could probably turn this lease you so kindly offered me. But
+something else will happen along."
+
+Briskow sighed. "I could of sold it myself--thought I had it sold
+to a bunch from Wichita, but they tricked me. I offered it the day
+you was at our house for eighty thousand and Nelson more 'n half
+agreed to--"
+
+"_Who?_"
+
+Briskow looked up at the tone of this inquiry. "One of the fellers
+from Wichita Falls. I s'pose he knowed the option was about run
+out; anyhow, he's been holdin' me off from day to day till it's
+too late now fer me to--"
+
+"What is his name?" Gray broke in, sharply. "Name's Nelson. Bell
+Nelson's son. Bell's hard-boiled, but--"
+
+"Henry Nelson?"
+
+"That's him."
+
+Gray rose from his chair and strode swiftly to the window. He
+stood there staring down into the street for a moment before
+saying, curtly, "Go on!"
+
+"You know them Nelsons?"
+
+"I know--Henry."
+
+"He's hard-boilder 'n his old man. They got a lot o' money behind
+'em--too much money to act like he done with me. I sure hate to
+see him git that Evans lease for next to nothin', after the way he
+done. I'd call it cheat-in', but--well, I can't han'le it."
+
+The man at the window wheeled suddenly and his face was white, his
+brows were drawn down. "By God!" he cried, tensely. "He _won't_
+get it. Where's that option?"
+
+"I got it right here." Briskow handed over a paper. "An' I got the
+hull title abstrack, too. Had it all ready for Nelson."
+
+When he had swiftly scanned the document, Gray said: "This deal
+means little to you, Briskow, but it means much to me, and I'll
+make it worth something to both of us. At first I thought the time
+was too short, but--I work best when I work fast. You've had your
+chance and failed. Now then, step aside and let a man run who
+knows how."
+
+Mr. Roswell, president of the bank where Gray had first made himself
+known, was a shrewd, forceful man who had attained a position in
+business and arrived at a time of life when he could well afford to
+indulge his likes and his dislikes. Those likes and dislikes were
+strong, for his was a positive character. As is the case with most
+successful men who pride themselves upon their cold caution and
+business acumen--and Mr. Roswell did so pride himself--he really was
+a person of impulse, and intuition played a much larger part in his
+conduct of affairs than he would have acknowledged. Such people make
+mistakes, but they also make friends; occasionally they read character
+wrong, but they inspire loyalty, and big institutions are founded upon
+friendship and loyalty as well as upon stability and fair dealing.
+
+Roswell had liked Gray upon their first meeting, and that liking
+had deepened. Owing to that fact, he had neglected to secure a
+report upon him, assuring himself that there was always time for
+such formalities. He was cordial to-day when Gray strode into his
+office bringing Gus Briskow with him.
+
+The banker listened with interest to what he was told, then he
+studied the map that Briskow spread upon his desk showing the
+location of his own and other near-by wells.
+
+"That looks like a sure thing," Roswell said, finally. "As sure as
+anything in oil can be. What is on your mind?"
+
+"I'd like to get the opinion of the bank's oil expert," Gray told
+him.
+
+This was a matter easily disposed of; the expert was summoned and
+he rendered a prompt opinion. He knew the property; he considered
+it a cheap lease at a thousand dollars an acre. It was proven
+stuff and within thirty days it would probably treble in value.
+When he had gone, the banker smiled.
+
+"Well, Gray," said he, "I knew you'd land something good. You're a
+hustler. You'll make a fortune out of that land."
+
+Gray handed him Gus Briskow's option, and the assignment thereof,
+the ink upon which was scarcely dry. "There's the joker. It
+expires to-morrow night and--it will go to the Nelsons. They've
+double-crossed Mr. Briskow."
+
+"Then don't let them get away with it. Take it yourself."
+
+"It is now three o'clock and this is the golfing season in New
+York," Gray told him. "I couldn't reach my--associates and get any
+action before Monday." "No funds of your own available?"
+
+"Not enough, at such short notice."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"That lease is worth one hundred and sixty thousand dollars, isn't
+it?" The banker nodded. "I'm going to sell it before six o'clock
+for--eighty thousand. I know people here who will take it, but
+I've come first to you. Get together a little syndicate right here
+in the bank, and buy it. I'll agree to take it off your hands
+within thirty days at one hundred and sixty thousand dollars. In
+other words, it is worth to me eighty thousand dollars to have you
+carry it for a month."
+
+"Is your guaranty any good?"
+
+"That is for you to determine. Assume that it is not, and I'll
+better my first offer. I'll undertake to sell off the land in
+twenties right here in Dallas, double your money, and divide the
+profits thereafter with you. It is a safe speculation and a quick
+one. You know I can put it through."
+
+Mr. Roswell considered briefly before replying. "There's no use
+denying that we've made money on deals like this--everybody has.
+So it's nothing new. There's a big play on Ranger stuff and we
+couldn't lose. But I know nothing about you except the little
+you've told me. When I go into a deal I put my trust more in the
+man than the proposition."
+
+"And I trust my own judgment of human character more than that of
+strangers," Gray said, quickly. "So do you. Thirty days is a long
+time with me, and the oil business is just my speed. Permit me to
+remind you that time is flying and that I have given myself only
+three hours in which to turn this property. I intend to beat
+Nelson, and apply that beating on account of an old score. This is
+more than a mere business deal."
+
+"I like your energy," the banker confessed, "and I'm inclined to
+bet some of my own money on you. Now"--he pushed a button on his
+desk--"let's see if there are any others here who feel as I do."
+It was early evening when Gus Briskow returned to his wife's and
+his daughter's rooms at the Ajax. He slipped in quietly and sank
+into a chair.
+
+"Mercy me! I thought you was run over," Ma Briskow exclaimed.
+
+"I feel like I was," the nester declared, with a grin. "Say!
+Mister Gray sold the Evans lease an'--we got more money than
+ever."
+
+"Then mebbe you can afford a new suit," Allie told him. "You look
+like sin."
+
+Her father nodded, but his mind was full of the incidents of that
+afternoon and he began at once to recount them. He told the story
+badly, but in a language that the women understood. He had not
+gone far, however, when the girl interrupted him to exclaim:
+
+"Wait! Why, Pa! You mean to say Mister Gray 'ain't got no money?"
+
+"He had less 'n a hundred dollars. An' him livin' here like a king
+with everybody bowin' an' scrapin'!"
+
+Ignoring the effect upon Allie of this intelligence, he continued
+his recital. "All I done was set around while him an' them bank
+people talked it over," he said, finally. "Then they got their
+lawyer in an' he examined the title papers. Seemed like he'd never
+git through, but he did, an' they signed some things an' we come
+out, an' Mister Gray told me I'd made forty-eight thousand
+dollars."
+
+"Goodness me!" Ma Briskow's eyes widened. "Why, that Evans place
+ain't wuth the taxes."
+
+"It's more 'n likely wuth a million. But think! Him tellin' me
+_I'd_ made forty-eight thousand dollars! It give me a jolt, an' I
+says _I_ didn't make it. I told him I'd fell down an' turned the
+hull thing over to him. 'It's _you_ that's made forty-eight
+thousand,' I says."
+
+"_What?_" Allie inquired, sharply. Then when her father had
+repeated himself, she asked with even greater intensity: "Wha'd he
+say to that? He didn't take it, did he?"
+
+"He laughed kinda queer an' says all I got to do to give him a
+good night's rest is to wire Henry Nelson the deal's closed. An'
+him with less 'n a hundred dollars!"
+
+Allie spoke again in great relief. "Lord! You give me a turn." Her
+expression altered, her lips parted in a slow smile. "So! He's
+pore, eh? Pore as we was. Well, I declare!" She rose and turned
+her back upon her father.
+
+"No, he ain't pore," Briskow said, irritably. "Not now he ain't. I
+says it's his deal an' his money, an' we got plenty. An' I stuck
+to it."
+
+Allie wheeled suddenly at this announcement. She uttered a cry of
+protest; then, "What are you talkin' about?" she roughly demanded.
+
+"We had some argyment an' I got kinda r'iled. Finally he says if I
+feel that way we'll go pardners. He wouldn't listen to nothin'
+else, an'--that's how it stands. He made twenty-four thousand an'
+I--"
+
+"You--You _fool!_"
+
+Gus Briskow looked up with a start to find his daughter standing
+over him, her face ablaze, her deep bosom heaving. He stared at
+her in frank amazement, doubting his senses. Never had Allegheny
+used toward him a word, a tone like this, never had he seen her
+look as she did at this moment. He could not believe his eyes, for
+the girl had become a scowling fury, and she seemed upon the verge
+of destroying him with her strong hands, a task she was amply able
+to accomplish.
+
+"Allie-_Allie!_" the mother gasped. She, too, was aghast. "You
+--you're talkin' to your pa!"
+
+"You give him twenty-four thousan' dollars? _Give_ it to him?
+Wha'd you do it for? Wha'd you--?" Allie's voice failed her
+completely, she groped at her throat, uttering unintelligible,
+animal-like sounds.
+
+"Why, Allie, you're _mad!_ And after all he done for me an' you,"
+Mrs. Briskow cried, accusingly. "You oughter be ashamed."
+
+"Sure! Didn't he make us twenty-four thousan' dollars, where we
+wouldn't of got nothin'? An' us rich as we are, an' him broke? I'm
+supprised at you." A harsh exclamation burst from the girl--to
+the astonished parents it sounded like an oath, but it could not
+have been--then she swung herself heavily about and rushed blindly
+into the next room, slamming the stout metal door behind her with
+a crash that threatened to unhinge it.
+
+"Well, I be--darned!" Gus Briskow turned a slack, empty face upon
+the partner of his joys. "I--I never s'posed that girl would turn
+out--_greedy_."
+
+The mother's countenance slowly wrinkled into lines of grief and
+worry, she wrung her hands and rocked from side to side. "I dunno
+what's come over the child," she moaned, tearfully. "She behaves so
+queer over them silk stockin's an' corsets an' lingeries an' things
+that she skeers me. Sometimes I'm afeerd she's goin' crazy--or
+something."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+No industry can boast a history more dramatic, more exciting, than
+that of oil. From the discovery of petroleum, on through the
+development of its usefulness and the vast expansion of its
+production, the story is one of intense human interest, and not
+even the story of mining has chapters more stirring or more
+spectacular.
+
+The average man has never stopped to consider how close he is to
+the oil business or how dependent he is upon it; from babyhood,
+when his nose is greased with vaseline, to the occasion when a
+motor hearse carries him on his last journey, there is not often a
+day when he fails to make use of mineral oil or some of its by-
+products. Ocean liners and farmers' plows are driven by it; it
+takes the rich man to his office and it cleans the shopgirl's
+gloves; it gives us dominion over the air and beneath the waters
+of the sea. We live in a mechanical age, and without oil our
+bearings would run hot and civilization, as we know it, would
+stop. It is the very blood of the earth.
+
+Oil production is a highly specialized industry, and it has developed
+a type of man with a type of mind quite as characteristic as the type
+of machinery employed in the drilling of wells. The latter, for
+instance, appears at first glance to be crude and awkward, but as a
+matter of fact it is amazingly ingenious and extremely efficient, and
+your oil-field operator is pretty much the same. Nor is there any
+business in which practical experience is more valuable. As a result,
+most of the big oil men, especially those engaged in production, are
+graduates of the school of hard knocks; they are big-fisted,
+harsh-handed fellows who are as thoroughly at home on the "thribble
+board" of a derrick as at a desk or a directors' table, and they are
+quite as colorful as the oil fields themselves. Their lives are full
+and vigorous.
+
+Of all the oil excitements, that which occurred in North Texas was
+perhaps the most remarkable; at any rate, the world has never
+witnessed such scenes as were enacted there. The California gold
+rush, the great Alaskan stampede, the diamond frenzies of South
+Africa and of Australia, all were epic in their way, but none bred
+a wilder insanity than did the discovery of oil in the Red River
+district.
+
+For one thing, the time was ripe and conditions were propitious
+for the staging of an unprecedented drama. The enormous wastage of
+a world's war, resulting in a cry for more production, a new level
+of high prices for crude, rumors of an alarming shortage of
+supply, the success of independent producers, large and small--all
+these, and other reasons, too, caused many people hitherto
+uninterested to turn their serious attention to petroleum. The
+country was prosperous, banks were bulging with money, pockets
+were stuffed with profits; poor men had the means with which to
+gamble and rich men were looking for quicker gains. Inasmuch as
+the world had lived for four years upon a steady diet of
+excitement, it was indeed the psychological moment for a
+spectacular boom.
+
+The strike at Ranger lit the fuse, the explosion came with the
+first gush of inflammable liquid from the Fowler farm at
+Burkburnett. Then, indeed, a conflagration occurred, the
+comprehensive story of which can never be written, owing to the
+fact that no human mind could follow the swift events of the next
+few tumultuous months, no brain could record it. Chaos came. Life
+in the oil fields became a phantasmagoria of ceaseless action and
+excitement--a fantastic stereopticon that changed hourly.
+
+"Burk" was a sleepy little town, dozing amid parched wheat fields.
+The paint was off it; nothing much more exciting than a crop
+failure ever happened there. The main topic of conversation was
+the weather and, as Mark Twain said, everybody talked about it,
+but nothing was done. Within sixty days this soporific village
+became a roaring bedlam; every town lot was leased, derricks rose
+out of chicken runs, boilers panted in front yards, mobs of
+strangers surged through the streets and the air grew shrill with
+their bickerings. From a distance, the sky line of the town looked
+like a thick nest of lattice battle masts, and at night it blazed
+like Coney Island.
+
+The black-lime territory farther south had proven too expensive
+for individual operators and small companies to handle, but here
+the oil was closer to the surface and the ground was easily
+drilled, hence it quickly became known as a poor man's pool. Then,
+too, experienced oil men and the large companies who had seen
+town-site booms in other states, kept away, surrendering the place
+to tenderfeet and to promoters. Of these, thousands came, and
+never was there a harvest so ripe for their gleaning.
+
+Naturally a little country town like this could not hold the
+newcomers, therefore Wichita Falls became their headquarters. Here
+there were at least a few hotels and some sort of office
+quarters--sheds beneath which the shearing could take place--and
+there the herd assembled.
+
+Of course, the cougars followed, and, oh, the easy pickings for
+them! A fresh kill daily. Warm meat with every meal. Such hunting
+they had never known, hence they gorged themselves openly, seldom
+quarreling among themselves nor even bothering to conceal the
+carcasses of their prey. It was easier to pull down a new victim
+than to return to the one of the day before.
+
+Rooming houses slept their guests in relays, canvas dormitories
+sprang up on vacant lots, the lobbies of the hotels were packed
+with shouldering maniacs until they resembled wheat pits, the
+streets were clogged with motor cars, and the sidewalks were
+jammed like subway platforms. Store fronts were knocked out and
+the floor space was railed off into rows of tiny bull-pen brokers'
+offices, and in these companies by the hundred were promoted.
+Stock in them was sold on the sidewalks by bally-hoo men with
+megaphone voices. It seldom required more than a few hours to
+dispose of an entire issue, for this was a credulous and an elated
+mob, and its daily fare was exaggeration. Stock exchanges were
+opened up where, amid frenzied shoutings, went on a feverish
+commerce in wildcat securities; shopgirls, matrons, housemaids
+gambled in shares quite as wildly as did the unkempt disreputables
+from the oil fields or the newcomers spilled out of every train.
+People trafficked not in oil, but in stocks and in leases, the
+values of which were entirely chimerical.
+
+But this speculative frenzy was by no means local. Burkburnett
+became a name to conjure with and there was no lack of conjurers.
+These latter spread to the four points of the compass, and the
+printing presses ran hot to meet their demands. A flood of money
+flowed into their pockets. While this boom was at its height a new
+pool, vaster and richer, was penetrated and the world heard of the
+Northwest Extension of the Burkburnett field, a veritable lake--an
+ocean--of oil. Then a wilder madness reigned. Daily came reports
+of new wells in the Extension with a flush production running up
+into the thousands of barrels. There appeared to be no limit to
+the size of this deposit, and now the old-line operators who had
+shunned the town-site boom bid feverishly against the promoters
+and the tenderfeet for acreage. Farms and ranches previously all
+but worthless were cut up into small tracts and drilling sites,
+and these were sold for unheard-of prices. Up leaped another
+forest of skeleton towers some ten miles long and half as wide.
+
+But this was the open range with nothing except the sky for
+shelter, so towns were knocked together--queer, greasy, ramshackle
+settlements of flimsy shacks--and so quickly were they built that
+they outran the law, which is ever deliberate. The camps of the
+black-lime district, which had been considered hell holes, were in
+reality models of order compared with these mushroom cities of raw
+boards, tar paper, and tin. Gambling joints, dance halls, and dens
+more vicious flourished openly, and around them gathered the
+scum and the flotsam that crests a rising tide.
+
+Winter brought the rains, and existence in the new fields became
+an ugly and a troublesome thing. Roads there were none, and
+supplies became difficult to secure. The surface of the land
+melted and spinning wheels churned it; traffic halted, vehicles
+sank, horses drowned. Between rains the sun dried the mud, the
+wind whirled it into suffocating clouds. Sandstorms swept over the
+miserable inhabitants; tornadoes, thick with a burden of cutting
+particles, harried them until they cursed the fate that had
+brought them thither.
+
+But in Wichita Falls, where there was shelter overhead and
+pavements underfoot, the sheep shearing proceeded gayly.
+
+Of the men engaged in this shearing business, none, perhaps, had
+gathered more wool in the same length of time than the two members
+of the firm of McWade & Stoner. Mr. Billy McWade, junior partner,
+was a man of wide experience and some accomplishments, but until
+his arrival at Wichita Falls he had never made a conspicuous
+success of any business enterprise. The unforeseen invariably had
+intervened to prevent a killing. Either a pal had squealed, or the
+postal authorities had investigated, or a horse had fallen
+--anyhow, whenever victory had perched upon his banner something
+always had happened to frighten the bird before its wings were
+fairly folded.
+
+Mr. McWade had finally determined to wipe off the slate and
+commence all over. Accordingly, he had selected a new field, and,
+in order to make it a real standing start, he had likewise chosen
+a new name. He had arrived at Wichita Falls with one suit of
+clothes and nothing more, except an assortment of contusions
+ranging in color from angry red to black-and-blue, these same
+being the direct result of repeated altercations with roughshod
+members of a train crew. These collisions McWade had not sought.
+On the contrary, when, for instance, outside the yards at Fort
+Worth his unobtrusive presence on the blind baggage had been
+discovered, he had done his best to avoid trouble. He had
+explained earnestly that he simply must leave the city by that
+particular train. The circumstances were such that no other train
+would do at all, so he declared. When he had been booted off he
+swung under and rode the trucks to the next stop. There a man with
+a lantern had searched him out, much as a nigger shines the eyes
+of a possum, and had dragged him forth. He was dragged forth at
+the second stop, and again at the third. Finally, the train was
+halted far out on a lonely prairie and a large brakeman with gold
+teeth and corns on his palms held a knee upon Mr. McWade's chest
+until the train started. Ignoring the hoarse warning breathed into
+his dusty countenance, along with the odor of young onions, the
+traveler argued volubly, but with no heat, that it was vitally
+necessary to his affairs that he continue this journey without
+interruption; then, when the brakeman rose and raced after the
+departing train, he sprang to his feet and outran him. McWade was
+lithe and nervous and fleet; he managed to swing under the last
+Pullman at the same instant his captor reached its rear platform.
+
+It is probable that a blithe determination even such as this would
+have eventually succumbed to repeated discouragements, but at the
+next stop, a watering tank, aid came from an unexpected quarter.
+From the roof of the car another knight of the road signaled, and
+thither McWade clambered, kicking off the clutching hand of his
+former enemy.
+
+The second traveler was a robust man, deliberate but sure of
+movement, and his pockets were filled with nuts and bolts. This
+ammunition he divided with his companion, and such was their
+unerring aim that they maintained their sanctuary for the
+remainder of the journey.
+
+On the way in to Wichita Falls the stranger introduced himself as
+Brick Stoner. He was a practical oil man, a driller and a sort of
+promoter, too. It was his last pro motion, he confided, that had
+made it necessary for him to travel in this fashion. He had many
+practical ideas, had Mr. Stoner, as, for instance, the use to be
+made of a stick with a crook in it or a lath with a nail in the
+end. Armed thus, he declared, it was possible for a man on the
+roof of a sleeping car to pick up a completely new wardrobe in the
+course of a night's ride, provided the upper berths were occupied
+and the ventilators were open. Mr. Stoner deeply regretted the
+lack of such a simple aid, but agreed that it was better to leave
+well enough alone.
+
+McWade warmed to his traveling companion, and they talked of
+many things, such as money and finance, sudden riches, and ways
+and means. This led them back naturally to a discussion of
+Stoner's latest promotion; he called it the Lost Bull well, and
+the circumstances connected therewith he related with a subtlety
+of humor rare in a man of his sorts. The nature of the story
+appealed keenly to McWade, and it ran like this: Stoner had been
+working in the Louisiana gas fields near the scene of a railroad
+accident--three bulls had strayed upon the right of way with
+results disastrous to a freight train and fatal to themselves.
+After the wreckage had been cleared away, the claim agent settled
+with the owner of the bulls and the carcasses were buried in an
+adjoining field. This had occurred some time prior to Stoner's
+arrival; in fact, it was only by chance that he heard of it.
+
+One day in passing the spot Stoner noticed a slight depression in
+the ground, filled with water through which occasional bubbles of
+gas rose. Being of an inquisitive turn of mind, he had amused
+himself with some experiments and found that the gas was
+inflammable. Moreover, it gave off an odor not unlike that of
+natural gas. It was a phenomenon of decomposition new to the
+driller, and it gave him a great idea. He went to town and very
+cautiously told of his discovery--a gas seepage, with traces of
+oil. His story caused a sensation, and he led several of the
+wealthiest citizens to the spot, then watched them in all gravity
+while they ignited the gas, smelled it, tasted the soil. They
+were convinced. They appointed Stoner their agent to buy the farm,
+under cover, which he did at a nice profit--to himself. This
+profit he spent in riotous living while a rig was being moved upon
+the ground. Not until the derrick was up and the crew, in the
+presence of the excited stockholders, came to "spud in," was the
+true source of that gas discovered--then the enterprise assumed
+such a bad odor that bystanders fled and Mr. Stoner was forced to
+leave the state without his baggage.
+
+This had been the nature of McWade's and Stoner's meeting; on the
+roof of that swaying Pullman they laid the corner stone of their
+partnership.
+
+Arrived at Wichita Falls, Stoner went into the field and McWade
+obtained employment in a restaurant. It was a position of trust,
+for upon him developed the entire responsibility of removing the
+traces of food from the used dishes, and drying them without a too
+great percentage of breakage. It kept McWade upon his feet, but,
+anyhow, he could not sit with comfort, and it enabled him, in the
+course of a week, to purchase a change of linen and to have his
+suit sponged and pressed. This done, he resigned and went to the
+leading bank, where he opened an account by depositing a check
+drawn upon a Chicago institution for fifty thousand dollars.
+McWade made it a practice always to have a few blank checks on
+hand. Airily, but in all earnestness, he invited the Texas bank to
+verify the check at its convenience.
+
+So many were the strangers in Wichita Falls, so great the rush of
+new customers, that the banks had no means of investigating their
+accounts except by wiring at their own expense. This was Saturday
+afternoon, which gave McWade two days of grace, so he pocketed his
+new pass and check books, then mingled with the crowd at the
+Westland Hotel. He bought leases and drilling sites, issuing local
+checks in payment thereof--nobody could question the validity of
+those checks with the evidence of fifty thousand dollars deposited
+that very day--and on Sunday he sold them. By the time the
+Wichita Falls bank opened its doors on Monday morning he had
+turned his last lease and had made ten thousand dollars.
+
+A few days later he and Stoner incorporated their first company.
+This was at the height of the town-site boom, and within a few
+hours McWade had sold the stock. Thereafter prosperity dogged the
+pair, and before long they had made reputations for themselves as
+the only sure-fire wildcat promoters in town. McWade possessed the
+gift of sidewalk oratory; Stoner posed as the practical field man
+whose word upon prospects was final. He it was who did the
+investigating, the "experting"; his partner was the bally-hoo.
+
+But competition grew steadily keener, other promoters followed
+their lead, and it became necessary to introduce new and original
+methods of gathering an audience. Mere vocal persuasiveness did
+not serve to arrest the flow of pedestrians, and so McWade's
+ingenuity was taxed. But he was equal to the task; seldom did he
+fail of ideas, and, once he had the attention of a crowd, the rest
+was easy.
+
+One morning he and his partner provided themselves with some
+dice and several hundred dollars in gold coin. With these they
+began shooting craps on the sidewalk in front of their office. Now
+gambling was taboo, hence the spectacle of two expensively
+dressed, eminently prosperous men squatting upon their heels with
+a stack of double eagles before them caused a sensation, and
+people halted to witness their impending arrest. Soon traffic was
+blocked.
+
+The gamblers remained engrossed in their pastime, as well they
+could, having thoughtfully arranged the matter with the policeman
+on duty; gravely they breathed upon the cubes; earnestly they
+called upon "Little Joe," "Long Liz," "Ada," and the rest;
+silently they exchanged their stacks of gold pieces as they won or
+lost.
+
+Calvin Gray, but just arrived from Dallas, looked on at the game
+with some curiosity, not divining its purpose, until McWade
+pocketed the dice, then mounted a box at the curb and began,
+loudly:
+
+"Now, gentlemen, that is one way of making money, but it is a
+foolish and a hazardous way. There is a much saner, safer method,
+and I'm going to tell you about it. Don't pass on until you hear
+me, for I have a most incredible story to relate, and you'll be
+sorry you missed it."
+
+There was a ripple of appreciative laughter, but the crowd
+pressed closer as the orator continued:
+
+"You've all heard about these 'doodlebugs' who go around locating
+oil with a divining rod, haven't you? And you don't believe in
+them. Of course you don't. Neither do I. I can't put any trust in
+willow twigs, but--we'll all admit that there are forces of nature
+that we don't understand. Who can explain the principle of
+magnetic attraction, for instance? What causes the glowing
+splendor of the Aurora Borealis? What force holds the compass
+needle to the north? What makes a carpet tack jump onto a magnet
+like"--the speaker paused and stared hard at a member of his
+audience who had passed a humorous remark at his expense--"just
+like I'll jump you, stranger, if you don't keep your trap closed.
+I say who can read those secrets, who can harness those forces?
+The man who can has got the world by the tail and a downhill pull.
+Now then, for the plot of my story, and it will pay you to do a
+week of listening in the next five minutes. Awhile ago an eminent
+scientist, unknown to me or to my partner, Mr. Stoner, came into
+our office, which is at your backs, one flight up, second door to
+the right, and showed us an electrical device he has been working
+on for the last eight years. He claimed he had it perfected and
+that it would indicate the presence of oil on the same principle
+that one mineral attracts another. 'Oil is a mineral,' said he,
+'and I think I've got its magnetic complement. I believe my
+invention will work.'
+
+"'I'll bet a thousand dollars it won't,' I told him. But what do
+you think that pilgrim did? He took me up. Then he bet Stoner
+another thousand that I'd made a bad bet." McWade grinned in
+sympathy with the general amusement. "We arranged a thorough test.
+We took him, blindfolded, through the field, and, believe me or
+not, he called the turn on forty-three wells straight and never
+missed it once. Call it a miracle if you choose, but it cost Brick
+and me two thousand iron men, and I've got ten thousand more that
+says he can do the trick for you. I'll let a committee of
+responsible citizens take a dozen five-gallon cans and fill one
+with oil and the rest with water and set them in a row behind a
+brick wall. My ten, or any part of it, says his electric wiggle
+stick will point to the one with the oil. What do you say to that?
+Here's a chance for a quick clean-up. Who cares to take me on?"
+
+From the edge of the crowd Gray watched the effect of this offer.
+Divining rods, he well knew, were as old as the oil industry, but
+he was surprised to see that fully half of this audience appeared
+to put faith in the claim, and the other half were not entirely
+skeptical. A man at his side began reciting an experience of his
+own.
+
+McWade now introduced the miracle worker himself, and Gray rose on
+tiptoe to see him. A moment, then he smiled widely, for the
+eminent scientist was none other than Mr. Mallow--Mallow, a bit
+pallid and pasty, as if from confinement, and with eyes hidden
+behind dark goggles. With a show of some embarrassment, the
+inventor displayed his tester, a sufficiently impressive device
+with rubber handles and a resistance coil attached to a dry
+battery, which he carried in his pocket.
+
+Gray looked on as the comedy was played out. It transpired that
+Professor Mallow had tested, among other properties, the newest
+McWade-Stoner lease, a company to drill which had just been formed
+under the title of "The Desert Scorpion," and he really judged
+from the behavior of his machine that a remarkable pool underlaid
+the tract. He was willing to risk his reputation upon the guaranty
+that the first well would produce not less than three thousand
+barrels a day. He was interested in the out-come only from a
+scientific standpoint; he owned not one single share of stock.
+Then McWade resumed his sway over the crowd, and soon shares in
+"The Desert Scorpion" were selling rapidly.
+
+Shortly after lunch, Mallow and the two partners were seated in
+the office upstairs, their work done for the day. Another
+successful promotion had gone to the credit of McWade and Stoner;
+all three were in a triumphal mood. Mallow was recounting a story
+that had just come to his ears.
+
+"Remember that old silver tip that took a stand in front of the
+Owl Drug Store a few days back? He called his company 'The Star of
+Hope.'"
+
+Stoner nodded. "He had a good piece of ground, right adjoining the
+Moon Petroleum tract--three wells down to the sand. I wondered how
+he ever got hold of it."
+
+"He didn't. That's the big laugh. He didn't own that land at all.
+He just had himself a map drawn, with the numbers changed. His
+ground was a mile away. He sold his stock in two days, thirty-five
+thousand shares, then he blew. Some Coal-oil John, who had plunged
+for about three shares, got to studying his own map, found there
+was something wrong and let up a squawk. But Silver Tip had faded
+like the mists of early morn--thirty-five stronger than he was.
+Snappy work, eh?"
+
+McWade frowned his disapproval. "Something ought to be done to
+stop those crooks or they'll kill us legitimate promoters. You
+can't sting a crowd too often in the same spot."
+
+There came a knock at the door, and in answer to an invitation to
+enter it opened. The next instant both McWade and Stoner sat erect
+in their chairs, with eyes alert and questioning, for at sight of
+the stranger Mallow had leaped to his feet with a smothered
+exclamation, and now stood with his back to the desk and with his
+head outthrust in a peculiar attitude of strained intensity.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+"Well, well, Mallow!" The caller's face broke into an engaging
+smile as he crossed the threshold. "Still wearing dark glasses,
+eh? I'm afraid you didn't heed my instructions."
+
+Mallow spoke huskily, "What the hell you doing here?"
+
+"Following the excitement, merely. I shall open an office and
+spend a good deal of my time in Wichita Falls. I hoped I'd find
+you here, for this morning I heard you describe your invention
+and--admiration overcame me. I felt constrained to congratulate
+you upon your scientific attainments. Marvelous, my dear Doctor!
+Or is it Professor Mallow?" The speaker laughed heartily. "Won't
+you introduce me to these--let us say magnetic forces of nature
+that you have discovered?" He indicated the two partners.
+
+"What do you want?" Mallow barked.
+
+"Momentary agitation has robbed our Professor of his habitual
+politeness--a not unusual phenomenon of the preoccupied scientific
+mind." These words were directed at McWade and Stoner. "My name is
+Gray. Perhaps Doctor Mallow has made mention of me."
+
+"So you're the lad that threw pepper in his eyes?" Brick Stoner
+stared at the newcomer with undisguised interest. He rose, as did
+McWade. "I'll say we've heard of you. Your name's getting as
+common as safety-razor blades. You've been cleaning up, haven't
+you?"
+
+"Um-m, moderately." Calvin Gray shook hands with the promoters, then
+to the agitated Mallow, who still peered at him apprehensively, he
+said: "Come, come! Let down your hammer!  Uncoil!"
+
+"Listen, you!" the other burst forth. "I beat that thing out. I'm
+clean and I don't intend to go back. You're a strong guy and you
+got a bunch of kale, and you're a getter, but the taller they come
+the harder they fall. You can be had." The speaker was desperate;
+his face was flushed with anger, the tone of his voice was defiant
+and threatening.
+
+Gray helped himself to a chair, crossed his legs, and lit a cigar.
+McWade and Stoner neither moved nor spoke.
+
+"My dear Mallow, you wrong me." In the newcomer's voice there was
+no longer any mockery. "I gave you credit for more intelligence.
+We played our little farce and it is done--the episode is closed,
+so far as I am concerned. I supposed you understood that much. I
+helped you and I came here to enlist your help."
+
+"You helped _me_?" Mallow showed his teeth in a snarl.
+
+"Precisely. Think a moment. Was it not odd that I failed to appear
+against you? That the case was never pressed, the prosecution
+dropped?"
+
+"I s'pose you were afraid to go through. Thought I'd get you."
+
+Gray shook his head impatiently. "Afraid? Of you? Oh, Mallow! Had
+I feared your majestic wrath, do you think I would have arranged
+for that doctor to see you every day? And paid his bill? Who,
+pray, sent in those good things for you to eat?"
+
+There was a pause.
+
+"Did you?"
+
+"I did."
+
+Again there was silence.
+
+"Why?"
+
+"For one thing, I was sorry for you. I really was. I had caused
+you and Tony a great deal of suffering, and I cannot bring myself
+to inflict actual suffering upon anyone without doing my best to
+alleviate it. Then again, I had nothing against you personally. We
+merely clashed in the course of--business." Mallow allowed himself
+to sink back upon the desk; he turned his dark goggles upon his
+friends in a blind stare of bewilderment.
+
+"Well, I'll be damned!" he said, finally.
+
+"Mallow thought _we_ had helped to spring him." It was McWade
+speaking. "That's why he beat it up here and that's how we
+happened to put him to work."
+
+"I don't get you yet," the man in glasses muttered. "I can't
+understand why--"
+
+"What's the odds why he done it?" Stoner inquired, sharply. "Any
+man that can squirt my eyes full of tobasco, and me with a six gun
+on him, is all right. And him with a bottle of milk duly made and
+provided!" The field member of the firm slapped his thigh and
+laughed loudly. "Then to forget the whole fracas and shake hands
+on it! That's handsome! Mr. Gray, I'm here to say there's a lot of
+boys going to lay off you like you was a cactus."
+
+The object of this commendation was pleased. "Gratitude is rare,"
+he murmured. "I thank you. Now then, I was thinking of making
+friend Mallow a business proposition, but--perhaps I can interest
+you, also, in doing something for me. I'll pay well."
+
+"We're live ones," Stoner asserted.
+
+"It is business of a confidential nature."
+
+"All the talking we do is on the street. We're promoting wildcats,
+but I guess we know as much about the good wells as the big
+companies themselves, and when it comes to actual drilling, I've
+forgotten more than all these boll weevils will ever learn. What
+can we do for you?"
+
+"For one thing, I wish to hire the brightest oil scout in the
+district, but I don't want him, nor anyone else, for the time
+being, to suspect that he's working for me. I will double his
+salary to watch one operator. Perhaps he could appear to be in
+your employ? Furthermore, I intend to do considerable secret
+buying and selling, and I will need several dummies--moral
+character unimportant. All I insist upon is absolute loyalty and
+obedience to my orders."
+
+During the silence that followed, Gray felt the three men staring
+at him curiously.
+
+"You're after big game, I take it?" McWade inquired, mildly.
+
+"The biggest in these woods."
+
+"One man, did you say?"
+
+"One man."
+
+"Some--grudge, perhaps?"
+
+"Perhaps."
+
+"A yacht is too expensive for most men, but they don't burn money
+as fast as a grudge."
+
+"This one will take his last dollar--or mine."
+
+"We're a legitimate firm, you know--"
+
+Gray's eyes twinkled as he exclaimed: "Exactly! If I have caused
+you to infer that I shall employ anything except legitimate means
+to effect my purpose, it is my error. At the same time, my
+proposition is not one that I could well afford to take to the
+ordinary, conservative type of broker. Now then, how about you,
+Mallow? Would you care to work for me?"
+
+The latter's pale face broke into a grin. "I am working for you,"
+he declared. "I've been on your pay roll now for five minutes.
+What's more, if it'll save money to croak this certain party and
+be done with it, why, maybe that can be arranged, too. My new
+wiggle stick may not find oil every crack, but I bet I can make it
+point to half a dozen men who--"
+
+Gray lifted an admonitory hand. "Patience! It may come to
+something like that, but I intend to break him first. Can I arrive
+at terms with you gentlemen?"
+
+"Write your own ticket," McWade declared, and Mr. Stoner echoed
+this statement with enthusiasm.
+
+"Very well! Details later. Now, I shall give myself the pleasure
+of calling upon my man and telling him exactly what I intend
+doing." The speaker rose and shook hands with the three precious
+scoundrels. When the door had closed behind him McWade inquired:
+"Now what do you make of that? Going to serve notice on his bird!"
+
+"Say! He's the hardest guy I ever saw," Stoner declared,
+admiringly. Mallow spoke last, but he spoke with conviction.
+"You said it, Brick. I had his number from the start. He's a
+master crook, and--it'll pay us all to string with him."
+
+Henry Nelson's activities in the oil fields did not leave him much
+time in which to attend to his duties as vice-president of his
+father's bank, for what success he and Old Bell Nelson had had
+since the boom started was the direct result of the younger man's
+personal attention to their joint operations. That attention was
+close; their success, already considerable, promised to be
+enormous.
+
+But of late things had not been going well. The turn had come with
+the loss of the Evans lease, and that misfortune had been followed
+by others. Contrary to custom, it was Henry, and not Bell, who had
+flown into a rage at receipt of Gus Briskow's telegram announcing
+a slip-up in the deal--a sale to Calvin Gray; that message, in
+fact, had affected the son in a most peculiar manner. For days
+thereafter he had been nervous, almost apprehensive, and his
+nervousness had increased when he secured the back files of the
+Dallas papers and read those issues which he had missed while out
+of town. Since that time he had made excuses to avoid trips into
+the Ranger field and had conducted much of his work over the
+telephone. Perhaps for that reason it was that trouble with
+drilling crews had arisen, and that one well had been "jimmed";
+perhaps that explained why a deal as good as closed had gotten
+away, why a certain lease had cost fully double what it should
+have cost, and why the sale of another tract had not gone through.
+
+Be that as it may, it was this generally unsatisfactory state of
+affairs that accounted for the junior Nelson's presence in Wichita
+Falls at this time. He and Bell had spent a stormy forenoon
+together; he was in an irritable mood when, early in the
+afternoon, a card was brought into his office.
+
+Nelson could not restrain a start at sight of the name engraved
+thereon; his impulse was to leap to his feet. But the partition
+separating him from the bank lobby was of glass, and he knew his
+every action to be visible. He allowed himself a moment in which
+to collect his wits, then he opened slightly the desk drawer in
+which he kept his revolver and gave instructions to admit the
+caller.
+
+Nelson revolved slowly in his chair; he stared curiously at the
+newcomer, and his voice was cold, unfriendly, as he said:
+
+"This is quite a surprise, Gray."
+
+"Not wholly unexpected, I hope."
+
+"Entirely! I knew you were in Texas, but I hardly expected you to
+present yourself here."
+
+Gray seated himself. For a moment the two men eyed each other, the
+one stony, forbidding, suspicious, the other smiling, suave,
+apparently frank.
+
+"To what am I indebted for this--_honor?_" Nelson inquired, with a
+lift of his lip.
+
+"My dear Colonel, would you expect me to come to Wichita Falls
+without paying my respects to my ranking officer, my immediate
+superior?"
+
+"Bosh! All that is over, forgotten."
+
+"Forgotten?" The caller's brows arched incredulously. "You are a
+busy and a successful man; the late war lives in your mind only as
+a disagreeable memory to be banished as quickly as possible, but
+--"
+
+Henry Nelson stirred impatiently. "Come! Come! Don't let's waste
+time."
+
+"--but I retain distinct recollections of our Great Adventure, and
+always shall."
+
+"That means, I infer, that you refuse to close the chapter?"
+
+As if he had not heard this last remark, Gray continued easily:
+"It is a selfish motive that brings me here. I come to crow. It is
+my peculiar weakness that I demand an audience for what I do; I must
+share my triumphs with some one, else they taste flat, and since you
+are perhaps the one man in Texas who knows me best, or has the
+slightest interest in my doings, it is natural that I come to you."
+
+This guileless confession evoked a positive scowl. "What have you
+done," the banker sneered, "except get your name in the papers?"
+
+"I have made a large amount of money, for one thing, and I am
+having a glorious time. Now that Evans lease, for instance--"
+
+"Oh! You've come to crow about that."
+
+"Not loudly, but a little. I turned the greater part of that land
+for as much as five thousand dollars an acre. Odd that we should
+have come into competition with each other on my very first
+undertaking, isn't it? Fascinating business, this oil. All one
+needs, to succeed, is experience and capital."
+
+"What do you know about the business?"
+
+"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. But I am learning. Luck, I find, is
+a good substitute for experience, and I certainly am lucky. As for
+capital--of course I was blessed in having unlimited money with
+which to operate. You inferred as much, I take it. Of course! Yes,
+Colonel, I have the money touch and everything I have put my hand
+to has turned out well."
+
+Nelson burst forth in sudden irritation. "What are you getting at?
+You know I don't care a damn what you're doing, how much money
+you're making--"
+
+"Strange! Inasmuch as practically every dollar I have made has
+come out of you, indirectly."
+
+For a moment Nelson said nothing; then, "Just what do you mean by
+that?"
+
+"Exactly what I said. I've cut under you wherever possible. When
+you wanted acreage, I bid against you and ran the price up until
+you paid more than it was worth. That which I secured I managed--"
+
+"_You!_ So--_you're_ the one back of that!" Nelson's amazement
+destroyed the insecure hold he had thus far maintained upon
+himself. Furiously he cried: "You're out to get me! That's it,
+eh?"
+
+"I am, indeed. And half my satisfaction in doing so will be in
+knowing that you know what I'm up to. One needs steady nerves and
+a sure touch in any speculative enterprise; he daren't wabble. I'm
+going to get your nerve, Nelson. I'm going to make you wabble.
+You're going to think twice and doubt your own hunches, and make
+mistakes, and I--I shall take advantage of them. Of course I shall
+do more than merely--"
+
+"Well, by God! I knew you had the gall of the devil, but--See
+here, Gray, don't you understand what I can do to you? I don't
+want any trouble with you, but one word from me and--"
+
+"Of course you want no trouble with me; but, alas! my dear
+Colonel, you are going to have it. Oh, a great deal of trouble.
+More trouble than you ever had in all your life. Either you are
+going broke, or I am. You see, I have all the advantage in this
+little game, for I will pay a dollar for every dollar I can cause
+you to lose, and that is too high a price for you to meet. If I
+should go bankrupt, which of course I sha'n't, it would mean
+nothing to me, while to you--" The speaker shrugged. "You haven't
+my temperament. No, the advantage is all mine." Gray's tone
+changed abruptly. "For your own good remove your hand from the
+neighborhood of that drawer. I am too close to you for a gun-play.
+Good! Now about that one word from you. You won't speak it, for
+that would force me to utter nasty truths about you, and you would
+suffer more than I, this being your home town where you are
+respected. And the truth is nasty, isn't it?"
+
+Colonel Nelson had grown very white during this long speech. He
+rose to his feet and laid one shaking hand upon his desk as if to
+steady himself; his tongue was thick in his mouth as he said,
+hoarsely:
+
+"I'd like to think you are crazy, but--you're not."
+
+"Almost a compliment, coming from you!"
+
+"You think you can beat me--Want to make it a money fight, do you?
+Well, I'll give you a bellyful. Every dollar I've got will go to
+smash you--smash you!"
+
+"Splendid!" Gray was on his feet now and he was smiling icily.
+"One or the other of us will be ruined, and then perhaps we can
+resort to those methods which both of us would enjoy using. Of the
+two, I believe I am the more primitive, for the mere act of
+killing does not satisfy me. I've come a long way to sink my teeth
+into you. Now that they're in, they'll stay. So long as you're
+willing to fight clean, I'll--"
+
+"Are you gentlemen going to talk forever?" The inquiry came in a
+woman's voice. Both Nelson and Gray turned to behold a smiling,
+animated face framed in a crack of the door.
+
+"Miss Good!" Calvin Gray strode forward, took the girl's hands in
+his and drew her over the threshold. "My dear Miss Good, I have
+rummaged half the state, looking for you."
+
+"I hope I'm not interrupting.--I recognized you and--" The girl
+turned her eyes to Henry Nelson, but at sight of his face her
+smile vanished. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried. "Let me run out--"
+
+Gray held her hands more firmly. "Never. Do you think I shall risk
+losing you again? Colonel Nelson and I had finished our chat and
+were merely exchanging pleasantries."
+
+"Cross your heart?"
+
+"Cross my heart and hope to die." Gray laughed joyously and again
+shook the girl's hands.
+
+"Yes. Colonel Gray was just leaving," Nelson managed to say.
+
+"Colonel? Are you a colonel, too?" the girl inquired, and Gray
+bowed.
+
+"I was."
+
+"And you knew each other abroad?"
+
+"We came to know each other very well. We were, in fact,
+commissioned at the same time and place, but Colonel Nelson
+received his a moment earlier than I received mine, therefore he
+outranked me. Now then, permit me to retire while you and he--"
+
+"Oh, there's nothing confidential about what I have to say. It's
+good news for my partner, and I'm sure he'd love to share it." To
+Nelson she announced, "Pete has a showing of oil!"
+
+The vice-president of the bank murmured something which was lost
+in Gray's quick inquiry: "Partner? Are you a partner of Colonel
+Nelson's?"
+
+"After a fashion. We own a twenty-acre lease west of 'Burk'--that
+is, I have a quarter interest and Henry is putting down a well. I
+drove out there, and his driller told me it is looking good."
+
+Gray turned a keenly inquisitive gaze upon his enemy, and what he
+saw, or fancied he saw, gave him the thrill of a new discovery. It
+may have been no more than intuition on his part, but something
+convinced him that his acquaintance with Miss Good deeply
+displeased the man. If he knew Henry Nelson as well as he believed
+he did, it was more than disapproval, more than mere personal
+dislike, that smoldered in the latter's eyes. This was luck!
+
+In his warmest tone he cried: "Congratulations, my dear Colonel.
+However badly you have fared in the Ranger district, fortune
+favors you here. But why only a quarter interest? You put too low
+a price upon your blessings. I'll better that arrangement. Why, I
+was ready to offer Miss Good a full half of all I have, when she
+played a heartless jest upon me. Ran away! Disappeared! I'll admit
+I was piqued. I was deeply resentful, but--"
+
+Nelson interrupted this flow of extravagance. "'Miss Good'?" he
+said, curiously. "Why does he call you that, 'Bob'?"
+
+"A secret! A little game of pretense," Gray declared, nastily.
+"For the sake of our friendship, Colonel, don't tell me her real
+name and rob me of the pleasure of hearing it from her own lips.
+Come, Miss Good! Enough of money making and oil wells and stupid
+business affairs. I am going to bear you away upon my arm, even at
+the risk of displeasing my superior officer. Ha! Lucky the war is
+over. Now then, your promise."
+
+Gray's impetuosity, his buoyancy, robbed his speech of boldness,
+nevertheless Barbara Parker flushed faintly. She was ill at ease;
+she felt sure she had erred in interrupting these two men; she was
+glad of an excuse to leave.
+
+Gray lingered a moment, long enougn for his eyes to meet those of
+the banker. In his there was a light of triumph, of mockery, as he
+said:
+
+"A pleasant interview, wasn't it, Colonel? And now we understand
+each other perfectly. A fair fight and no quarter asked."
+
+Henry Nelson stood motionless as he watched his two callers leave
+the bank together, then slowly he clenched his muscular hands, and
+from his lips there issued an oath better left unwritten.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+It was several moments after they had left the bank before "Bob"
+Parker could manage to slip a word in edgewise, so rapid, so eager
+was Gray's flow of conversation, so genuine was his pleasure at
+again seeing her. Finally, however, she inquired, curiously:
+
+"What was it you said to Henry Nelson as I came out? 'No quarter
+asked'?"
+
+Her escort stared down at her, his brows lifted, his tone betrayed
+blank astonishment. "'No quarter asked'? Bless me! What are you
+talking about?" Then his face cleared. "Now I remember--I said I
+had found quarters at last. The town is so crowded, you know; I
+didn't want him to feel bound to put me up. I abhor visiting.
+Don't you?"
+
+"Are you really good friends? I felt very queer, the instant after
+I had walked in. But--I was bursting with good news and I couldn't
+see Henry's face until too late. Then, it seemed to me--"
+
+"Nelson and I are scarcely 'good' friends--we never were chummy
+--but we were thrown together in France and saw a lot of each other.
+At first, my respect for him was not great, for he is a--difficult
+person to understand; but as my understanding grew, so did my
+respect. He is a remarkably capable man and a determined fighter.
+Admirable qualities in a soldier. My call to-day was in the nature
+of a ceremonial."
+
+"Um-m! There's a ceremony before every duel--the salute. I thought
+I could hear the ring of steel."
+
+Gray laughed off the suggestion. "Merely the jingle of officers'
+spurs, I assure you. We amateurs cling to the Regular Army pomp
+and practice. Frankly, I love it; I admire the military method
+--a rule for every occasion, a rigid adherence to form, no price too
+high for a necessary objective. And the army code! Ironclad and
+exacting! Honors difficult and disgrace easy. One learns to set
+great store by both. You've no idea, Miss Good, how precious is
+the one and how-hideous is the other."
+
+"You mustn't call me Miss Good any longer," the girl told him. "My
+name is Barbara Parker."
+
+"Oh, I like that!"
+
+"I'm more generally known as 'Bob.'"
+
+"Even better! It sounds tomboyish."
+
+"It's not. It is Tom Parkerish. Father insisted on calling me that
+and--it stuck. He's a man's man and my being a girl was a total
+surprise to him. It completely upset his plans. So I did my best
+to remedy the mistake and learn to do and to take an interest in
+the things he was interested in."
+
+"Those were--?"
+
+Miss Parker looked up from beneath her trim velvet hat and her
+blue eyes were defiant. "All that people like you disapprove of;
+all that you probably consider undignified and unladylike, such as
+riding, roping, shooting--"
+
+"Riding--unladylike? It's very smart. And why do you say people
+'like me'? There are no people like me."
+
+"You know what I mean. You're not a Westerner. You are what a
+cowpuncher would call a swell Easterner." Ignoring Gray's grimace
+of dislike she went on, deliberately exaggerating her musical
+Texas drawl. "You are a person of education and culture; you speak
+languages; you have the broad 'a,' and if you had to go unshaven
+it would be a living death. You are rich, too, and probably play
+the piano. People like that don't admire cow-girls."
+
+The man laughed heartily. "In spite of my broad 'a' and my safety
+razor, I'm as much of a man's man as your father. Frankly, I don't
+admire cowgirls, but I do admire you and everything you say about
+yourself adds to that admiration. If your father is Tom Parker
+--well. I congratulate you upon an admirable taste in the
+selection of parents."
+
+"Do you know him?" Barbara eagerly inquired.
+
+"No. But I know of him and I know what he stands for. I think we
+have many things in common, and I venture to say that he is going
+to like me."
+
+Barbara smiled. This vibrant stranger had an air about him and an
+irresistible magnetism. It was flattering to receive marked
+attentions from a person of his age and consequence--the girl felt
+an access of importance--and the tone of his voice, his every
+look, assured her that she had indeed challenged his deepest
+interest. She colored faintly as he ran on:
+
+"So you're a partner of Henry Nelson's! He doesn't deserve it and--our
+friendship ceases. I shall now hate him. Yes, henceforth he and I
+shall be enemies."
+
+"I love to be flattered, but please don't become Henry's enemy.
+The most dreadful things happen to them."
+
+"He pretends to be a friend, but in reality he is a suitor--a
+detestable suitor--and the ties of business bind you closer! I see it
+all. I--I consider it abominable." Gray's tone was as gay as his
+demeanor had been thus far, nevertheless he was probing deliberately,
+and the result appeared to verify his earlier suspicions. Calm as he
+had appeared to be during that interview in the bank, in reality he
+had been, and still was, in a state of intense nervous excitement; his
+mind was galloping; the effect of that clash had been to rouse in him
+a keen exaltation and a sense of resistless power. If Henry Nelson was
+seriously interested in this girl, he reasoned, here then was another
+weapon ready shaped--a rapier aimed at his enemy's breast--and all he
+had to do was grasp it. That promised to be a pleasant undertaking.
+Nor had he any doubt of success, for Barbara Parker had aroused his
+liking so promptly that reason--and experience--told him they must be
+in close sentimental accord. Even had she proven less responsive, he
+would still have been confident of himself, for few women remained
+long indifferent to his zeal, once he deliberately set about winning
+them. To build upon that subtle, involuntary attraction, therefore,
+and to profit by it, appeared advisable, nay, necessary, for
+henceforth all must be grist that came to his mill. In view of his
+declaration of war, he could afford to scorn no advantage, however
+direct or indirect its bearing.
+
+"Tell me about the Briskows," Barbara demanded.
+
+"Of course! I'm dying to do so, but"--Gray looked at his watch
+--"even the good must lunch. No doubt you abhor the public eating
+places, but, alas--"
+
+"I do. So does everybody who tries them. But our cook has been
+speculating in shares, and yesterday she stalked majestically from
+the kitchen. She was a wretched cook, anyhow; but we couldn't
+afford a better one. We're very poor, dad and I."
+
+"Were poor. Not poor any longer, I hope."
+
+"Oh, that well! It is exciting, isn't it? Dad has gone out there
+to see it, so--Yes, I'll lunch with you and be duly grateful."
+
+"Where shall we go?"
+
+Barbara's brows drew together in a frown of consideration, and
+Gray told himself that she was even more charming when serious
+than when smiling. "Wherever we go, we'll be sorry we didn't go
+somewhere else. We might try the Professor's place. He's a Greek
+scholar--left his university to get rich quick in the oil fields,
+but failed. He started a sandwich and pie counter--a good one--and
+it pays better than a pumper. But we'd have to sit on high stools
+and be scowled at if we didn't gobble our food and make room for
+others. Then there is Ptomaine Tommy's. Cafes are good and bad by
+comparison. After you've been here a few days you'll enjoy
+Tommy's."
+
+"Then I vote for his poison palace. The very name has a thrill to
+it."
+
+On their way to the restaurant, Gray said: "Pa and Ma and Allie
+Briskow and the tutoress have gone to the mountains--Ma's beloved
+mountains--and they appear to be living up to her expectations.
+The mountains, I mean. The old dear writes me every week, and her
+letters are wonderful, even outside of the spelling. She hasn't
+lost a single illusion. She has a soul for adventure, has Ma;
+she's hunting for caves now--keeps her ears open to hear if the
+ground sounds hollow; wants to find a mysterious cavern and
+explore it, with her heart in her mouth. She revels in the clean,
+green foliage and the spring brooks. She says the trees are awful
+crowded in places and there's no dust on them."
+
+"And Allie has a tutor!"
+
+"The best money could secure. And, by the way, you wouldn't have
+known the girl after you got through with her that day. That was
+only the beginning, too. She fills the eye now, and she's
+growing."
+
+"_Growing?_"
+
+Gray chuckled. "Not physically, but mentally, psychologically,
+intellectually."
+
+"I said she had possibilities."
+
+"Yes. More than I gave her credit for, but what they are, where
+they will lead her, I don't know. I'm a foolish person, Miss
+Parker, for I take an intense interest in the affairs of other
+people, especially my friends. My favorite dissipation is to share
+the troubles of those whom I like, and right now I'm quite as
+worried over Allie as her father is. You see, she has outdistanced
+her parents already; the dream part is wearing off and her new
+life is a reality. She is confronted with the grim and appalling
+necessity of adapting herself to a completely new and bewildering
+set of conditions. I'm not sure that she will be equal to it."
+
+"I presume you mean that she is sensitive."
+
+"Supersensitive! And ambitious! That's the trouble. If she were
+dull and conceited she could be both happy and contented. But
+she's bright, and she lacks egotism, so she'll never be either.
+Adversity would temper a girl like her; prosperity may--spoil
+her."
+
+"There is a boy, too, isn't there?"
+
+"Oh, Buddy! He's away at school. He'll make a hand, or--well, if
+he doesn't, I'll beat the foolishness out of him. I've assumed
+complete responsibility for Buddy, and he'll be a credit to me."
+
+There was a tone in Gray's voice when he spoke of the Briskows
+that gave Barbara Parker a wholly new insight into his character;
+it was with a feeling that she knew him and liked him better that
+she said:
+
+"You think a lot of those nesters, don't you?"
+
+"More than they believe, and more than I would have thought
+possible," he readily declared. "I'm a lonesome institution.
+There's nobody dependent upon me; I owe no bills, no gratitude,
+and I've canceled the obligations that others owe me. You've no
+idea how unnecessary I am. It gives me a pleasing sense of
+importance, therefore, to feel that I fill a place in somebody's
+affairs."
+
+Wichita Falls's facilities for public entertainment reflected
+perhaps as correctly as anything else the general chaos consequent
+upon its swift expansion into a city. Such hotels as had been
+capable of caring for the transient trade of pre-petroleum days
+were full and carried waiting lists like exclusive clubs; rooming
+houses and private dwellings were crowded. A new and modern
+fireproof hotel was stretching skeleton fingers of steel skyward,
+but meanwhile the task of sheltering, and especially of feeding
+three times a day, the hungry hordes that bulged the sides of the
+little city was a difficult one. To wrest possession of a cafe
+table for two at the rush hour was an undertaking almost as
+hazardous as jumping a mining claim, but Calvin Gray succeeded and
+eventually he and "Bob" found themselves facing each other over a
+discolored tablecloth, reading a soiled menu card to a perspiring
+waiter. It was in some ways an ideal retreat for a tete-a-tete,
+for the bellowed orders, the rattle of crockery, the voice of the
+hungry food battlers, and the clash of their steel made intimate
+conversation easy. Gray noted with approval the ease with which
+his dainty companion adapted herself to the surroundings and
+remarked upon it.
+
+"After four years in the East it took me a little while to get
+used to it," she confessed. "The Wichita I left was a quiet town;
+the one I came home to was a madhouse. At first the excitement
+frightened me, for I felt as if I were being run over, tossed
+aside. But now that I've fallen in with the chase, why--I think it
+is splendid."
+
+"Just what are you doing and how do you do it?" Gray wanted to
+know.
+
+Barbara was glad to tell him about her brief but eventful
+experience since that morning at the Nelson bank when she had
+executed her coup, and she recited the story with enthusiasm.
+
+"Having no capital to go on," she explained, "I've merely bought
+and sold on commission so far, but I'm not always going to be a
+broker. I'm making good, and some day dad and I will be big
+operators. I've been able to buy a car, and most of my time I'm
+out in the field. They tell me I'm as good an oil scout as some of
+the' men working for the big companies; but, of course, I'm not. I
+merely have an advantage; drillers tell me more than they'd tell a
+man."
+
+"Of course, with your father along you're safe in going anywhere,
+but to go through the fields alone--"
+
+"Oh, dad doesn't go!"
+
+"What?" Gray looked up incredulously, but "Bob" nodded her head
+vigorously.
+
+"Dad hates automobiles; they frighten him. So I go out alone while
+he runs the office."
+
+"Extraordinary! But, my dear girl, it's dangerous."
+
+"Naturally, I avoid 'Burk' and the Northwest Extension after
+dark--even the scouts do that. But it wouldn't pay anybody to
+high-jack me. No. I go right in on the derrick floors and hobnob with
+the drillers, talk about their wives and their families, discuss croup
+and fishing jobs; sometimes they let me taste the sand and even show
+me the logs of their wells. It amused them at first to think of a girl
+playing the game single-handed--most men, however rough, have a sense
+of chivalry, you know, and are better sports than they realize.
+Now--well, they're beginning to respect my business ability. They have
+learned that I keep my mouth closed and that I'll treat them
+squarely. Some of them would fight for me. I tell you it is the
+greatest experience, the most thrilling adventure, a girl ever had."
+
+"You are a brave child, and I admire your courage," Gray declared.
+
+"But I'm not. I'm afraid of everything that other girls are afraid
+of." Leaning forward confidentially, the girl continued: "I'm a
+hollow sham, Mr. Gray, but dad doesn't know it. After I learned
+how badly he wanted me to be a boy, and how he had set his heart
+on teaching me the things he thought a son of his should know, I
+had a secret meeting with myself and I voted unanimously to fill
+the specifications if it killed me. So I began a fraudulent life.
+I'm in earnest. For instance, I abhor guns, but I learned to shoot
+with either hand until--well, I'm pretty expert. And roping! I can
+build a loop, jump through it, do straight and fancy catches like
+a cowboy. I worked at it for months, years it seemed to me. I knew
+very well it was a ridiculous waste of time, but I'll never forget
+how proud dad was when I learned the 'butterfly.' That was my
+reward. Horses used to frighten me blue, but I learned to ride
+well enough. In fact, it has been a keen disappointment to him
+that I won't enter the Frontier Day contests. He'd like nothing
+better than to see me win the bucking-horse match. Think of it!
+And I'm so timid I can't look an oat in the face!" Barbara
+attempted a shy laugh, but there was a quaver to her voice, and
+when Gray continued to stare at her gravely, sympathetically, her
+face quickly sobered. "Now you understand why my father doesn't
+think it necessary to go along on my trips through the oil fields.
+It has never occurred to him that I'm anything but 'Bob' Parker,
+his boy. Mind you, he is lost in admiration of me and I rule him
+like a slave. I think he is great, too, and he _is_. He is the
+dearest, gentlest, sweetest father in the world, and I wouldn't
+have him learn the hideous truth about me for anything."
+
+For a moment Barbara's listener studied her thoughtfully, then he
+said: "I'm immensely flattered that you like me well enough to
+make me your confessor. Now I'm going to confess to you that I
+also am an arrant coward."
+
+"Please don't joke. You have become quite a famous character, and
+if the stories I hear are true--"
+
+"The stories one hears are never true. I have my share of physical
+courage, perhaps; that's a common, elementary virtue, like
+generosity, gratitude, sympathy. The most mediocre people are
+blessed that way."
+
+"Oh! Generosity and gratitude are divine qualities!"
+
+Gray shook his head positively. "Impulses! Heart impulses, not
+brain impulses. They have nothing to do with character. Now I'm
+deathly afraid of one thing."
+
+"What, pray?"
+
+"Ridicule! You see, I'm egotistical and ostentatious. Oh, very!
+Disgustingly vain, in fact. If I were unconscious of it, I'd be
+unbearable, but--it amuses me as much as it amuses others, and
+that takes the curse off of it. I am delighted at some of my own
+antics. I love to swagger and I adore an audience, but to be
+laughed at by others would kill me. Ridicule! Scorn! I'm
+insensible to anything except those."
+
+"You're a queer man."
+
+Gray's gaze became fixed; there was a peculiar light--almost a
+glitter--in his eyes; he talked on as if voicing some engrossing
+thought. "Of course, I'm vindictive--that's a part of the
+swashbuckling character; it goes with the ruffles, the jack boots, and
+the swagger. It is a luxury of which I am extremely jealous."
+Bringing his attention back to the girl, he smiled and his manner
+changed abruptly. "There! I've proved it all by talking about myself
+when I'm interested only in you. However, it is sometimes easier to
+sell a thing by frankly decrying it than by covering up its bad
+points, and I'm trying desperately to make a good impression upon
+you. Now then, I'm tremendously interested in what you have told me
+about yourself, and I'm sure you are a better oil man--oil girl--than
+you have led me to suppose.  But these are no times for social
+pleasantries. We are living in bedlam. There is nothing in the air but
+business--oil--profits. You are a business woman, and if we are to
+become as well acquainted as I hope we will, it must be the result of
+a common business interest. So, then, for a bargain. I am going to
+enter this field in a large way; if you will take me for a client, I
+will buy and sell through you whenever possible.  Perhaps we can even
+speculate together now and then. I'll guarantee you against loss. What
+do you say?"
+
+"Why--it's a splendid opportunity for me. And I know of some good
+things; I'm overflowing with information, in fact. For instance--"
+Barbara hurriedly produced her oil map and, shoving aside the
+dishes in front of her, she spread it upon the table. "There is a
+wildcat going down out here that looks awfully good." As she
+indicated a tiny circle marked into the corner of one square, Gray
+noted that there was a dimple at the base of her finger. "The
+scouts don't think much of it, but I happen to know it is on a
+structure and has a good showing of oil. The driller is a friend
+of mine, and he has told me that his casing is set. He'll tip me
+off when he intends to drill through, and if you like we'll go out
+there and see what happens. If it comes in, it will mean a big
+play on surrounding property; prices will double, treble. My
+theory is this--"
+
+Gray's head was close to the speaker's, but, although he pretended
+to listen to her words and to follow the tracings of her finger
+with studious consideration, in reality his attention was fixed
+upon the tantalizing curve of her smooth cheek and throat. In some
+perplexity of spirit he asked himself why it was that mere
+proximity to this wholly sensible and matter-of-fact young
+creature filled him with such a vague yet pleasurable excitement.
+He realized that he was not easily thrilled; feminine beauty,
+feminine charm were nothing new, nevertheless at this moment he
+experienced an intense elation, an eagerness of spirit, such as he
+had not felt since he was in the first resistless vigor of youth,
+and his voice, when he spoke, carried an unconscious quality
+strange to his ears.
+
+It was the more bewildering because nothing had happened to awaken
+such feelings. He had met this unworldly, inexperienced prairie
+girl but twice, and on her part she had betrayed no particular
+attraction for him. As a matter of fact, she probably considered
+him an old man--young girls were like that. Of course, that was
+absurd. He was right in his prime, youth sang through his veins at
+this moment, and yet--she must like him, he must have somehow
+impressed her. That was fortunate, in view of her relations with
+Henry Nelson; luck was coming his way, and she would undoubtedly
+prove useful. The last thing Calvin Gray contemplated was a
+sentimental woman complication, but on account of this girl's
+peculiar knowledge it seemed to him the part of wisdom to
+cultivate her--to see as much of her as possible.
+
+"If you will come over to the office, I'll show you how I think
+that pool lies," Barbara was saying, and Gray came to with a
+start.
+
+It was midafternoon when he left the Parker office--at least he
+thought it must be midafternoon until he consulted his watch and
+discovered that, to all intents and purposes, he had completely
+lost two hours. An amazing loss, truly. There was no lack of
+youthful vigor in Calvin Gray's movements at any time, but now
+there was an unusual lightness to his tread and his lips puckered
+into a joyous whistle. It had been a great day, a day of the
+widest extremes, a day of adventure and romance. And that is what
+every day should be.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+If Gray cherished any lingering doubts as to the loyalty of
+Mallow, erstwhile victim of his ruthlessness, or of McWade and
+Stoner, the wildcat promoters, those doubts vanished during the
+next day or two. As a matter of fact, the readiness, nay, the
+enthusiasm with which they fell in with his schemes convinced him
+that he had acted wisely in yielding to an impulse to trust them.
+At first, when he divulged his enemy's identity, they were
+thunderstruck; mere mention of Henry Nelson's name rendered them
+speechless and caused them to regard their employer as a harmless
+madman, but as he unfolded his plans in greater detail they
+listened with growing respect. The idea seized them finally. In
+the first place, it was sufficiently fantastic to appeal to their
+imaginations, for they saw in Gray a lone wolf with the courage
+and the ferocity to single out and pull down the leader of the
+herd, and, what was more, they scented profit to themselves in
+trailing with him. Then, too, the enterprise promised to afford
+free scope for their ingenuity, their cunning, their devious
+business methods, and that could be nothing less than pleasing to
+men of their type.
+
+But early enough he made it plain that he intended and would tolerate
+no actual dishonesty; crooked methods were both dangerous and
+unsatisfactory, he told them, hence the fight must be fair even though
+merciless. To annoy, to harass, to injure, and if possible actually to
+ruin the banker, that was his intention; to accomplish those ends he
+was willing to employ any legitimate device, however shrewd, however
+smart. His entire fortune--and his associates, of course, greatly
+exaggerated its size--would be available for the purpose, and when he
+sketched out the measures he had in mind the trio of rogues realized
+that here indeed was a field wide enough for the exercise of their
+peculiar gifts. They acknowledged, too, a certain pleasure in the
+comfortable assurance that they would involve themselves in no illegal
+consequences.
+
+At their first council of war Gray gave each of them a number of
+definite things to do or to have done, the while he sought certain
+facts; when they assembled for a second time, it was to compare,
+to tabulate, and to consider an amount of information concerning
+the activities of Henry Nelson that would have greatly surprised
+that gentleman had he been present to hear it.
+
+For one thing, there had been prepared a comprehensive list of the
+Nelson holdings, together with maps showing their acreage and
+production, the location of drilling wells, the ownership of
+adjoining properties, and the like. There was also a considerable
+amount of data concerning the terms of the Nelson leases, renewal
+dates, and such matters. Gray was forced reluctantly to admit that
+his enemy was more strongly intrenched than he had supposed;
+careful study of the data showed that the Nelson acreage had been
+well selected and that it was scientifically "checkerboarded"
+throughout the various fields. What was more significant was the
+amount of proven or semiproven stuff.
+
+"It took work and money to get together that group of leases,"
+Brick Stoner declared, after he had checked them off. "That's one
+of the best layouts in Texas, and they're shaped up to put over a
+big deal if they want to."
+
+"They lack production," said Gray.
+
+"Sure! But they'll have it before long. Lookit the wells they're
+putting down and that's going down around 'em."
+
+The former speaker chewed his cigar thoughtfully for a while,
+then: "I don't believe they contemplate a big deal. They're not
+that sort. Henry Nelson is selfish and suspicious, and I'm told
+that Bell wouldn't trust anybody. I'm informed also that every
+dollar they have made has gone back into new leases and wells and
+that they intend to hold everything for themselves. It is rumored,
+quietly, that they are overextended."
+
+"I wouldn't care how thin I was stretched if I had their gamble,"
+McWade asserted. "All they have to do is to sit tight. The law of
+average will pull them out. What do you intend to do?"
+
+"To begin with, I intend to stretch them even thinner--so thin
+they'll break, if that is possible."
+
+"You can't load them up with more property."
+
+"Certainly not, but I can make them drill more wells."
+
+"Offsets, eh?" Stoner studied the map a bit doubtfully. "You can't
+make 'em offset dry holes, and if they strike oil in their wells
+the other fellers will have to do the offsetting."
+
+"True. I can, of course, prevent them from extending their
+renewals. I can cost them a pretty penny just by forcing them to a
+rigid adherence to the terms of their leases and agreements and--"
+
+"What do you mean, 'offsets'?" Mallow inquired. "How you going to
+break a man by bringing in wells alongside of his property?
+That'll make him rich."
+
+"Can you beat that?" Stoner inquired. "Mallow's been selling oil
+stock and experting wells for us with the Marvelous Magnetic
+Finder and he don't know an offset from a headache post."
+
+"Certainly, I know--"
+
+"Why, Professor! Is it possible we have been deceived in you? An
+offset is the thing that sets off to one side of the crown block
+and it's a light blue, the same as a formation. It's the shape of
+a syncline, only bigger."
+
+"Don't get funny. You drill an offset well to keep a man from
+sucking all the oil out from under your land."
+
+"Right!" said Gray. "Wells, as you know, are drilled as close to
+the side lines as the law allows. When oil is found, the adjoining
+landowner can compel his lessee to put down a well to offset every
+one that threatens to draw oil from beneath his property."
+"That's what I've just been telling you."
+
+"Many an operator has gone broke offsetting wells in order to
+protect his leases, especially if he has a number of neighbors who
+all start drilling promptly. That is one of the many production
+troubles--and there's a saying that trouble begins when the oil
+starts."
+
+"You said it. But to offset the Nelsons so's to cripple 'em--"
+Brick Stoner shook his head. "It ain't hard to borrow money for
+good offsets. "Most any bank will lend."
+
+"It is hard for anybody who is overextended to borrow. Possibly my
+plan won't work, but to annoy, to harass, to embarrass, to stretch
+them thin--it's all a part of the game. People are never as well
+off as we think they are. The Nelsons are close to the sand in a
+number of places. I want to procure the adjoining acreage. For
+every well they make, I'll force them to drill six more. The day
+they strike oil I'll have a string of derricks every two hundred
+feet along their side lines."
+
+It was Mallow who spoke next. "That will cost you dollar for
+dollar, boss. Have you got chips enough to match their stack?"
+
+"I don't have to invest dollar for dollar. My money will go for
+leases, and I'll let drilling contracts, fifty-fifty, sixty-forty,
+seventy-thirty--anything to get quick action. Other people's money
+will do the work for me. Remember, I'm not after oil, I'm after a
+man."
+
+"I'll say you are!" Stoner looked up from a frowning contemplation
+of the maps. "And if you'll take a chance I'll show you how you
+can drill one well and cost them three--that is, provided you
+hit." As the others leaned over his shoulder he explained: "Here's
+a square block of four twenties--separate leases, all of 'em--and
+the Nelsons own three. You can cop the fourth twenty, drill right
+at the inside corner, where all the lines cross. If you pull a
+duster, you'll be out and injured, maybe twenty-five thousand, but
+if it comes wet they'll have to protect those three leases with
+three offsets. It ain't a bad-looking piece of ground; you'll have about
+a one-to-three chance of making a well."
+
+"How many companies have you gentlemen promoted?" Gray inquired.
+
+"Twenty-two. And from a shoestring. Every well went down, or is
+going down, and every dollar we got right here on the street."
+
+"And all of them are dry, are they not?"
+
+McWade spoke up, defensively: "Sure. They were all wildcats of the
+wildest kind. But we don't deal in oil, we sell stock. Every issue
+we've put out has gone above par at some time or other, and that's
+playing the game square with our customers, ain't it? We see that
+they have a chance to get out with a profit; if they hang on it's
+their own fault. That's how we've built up a clienteel."
+
+"It wouldn't hurt your reputation to bring in a wet well for a
+change, would it?" Both partners agreed that it would not. "I'll
+buy this twenty-acre lease, and you can promote a company to drill
+ten of it, Stoner says it's a one-to-three shot."
+
+McWade blazed with enthusiasm at the suggestion. "Take a piece of
+the stock yourself, Mr. Gray, and we'll put it over in a day. With
+your name at the top of the list it will bally-hoo itself."
+
+"Not a share. Your amiable proposition brings me directly to
+another point which has a bearing upon our main campaign. Law is a
+dry subject, but I must bore you with a brief dissertation upon a
+provision of one statute which has doubtless escaped your notice.
+It has escaped the notice of most people, even of Henry Nelson, I
+believe. You realize that all but a few Texas oil companies are
+not organized as corporations, but as joint stock associations--in
+effect declarations of trust."
+
+"We oughta know it," Stoner said. "It saves paying a big
+corporation tax and lets you sell all the full-paid, nonassessable
+stock you want to issue, regardless of what the property is worth.
+Oh, we got wise to that, _muy pronto!_ Why, these here Texas
+laws are the bunk! Them fellows at Austin, if they had their way,
+would make it impossible to promote a legitimate enterprise--on a
+paying basis. They'd make you turn in cash or property the
+equivocal thereto every time you organized. Wouldn't that be
+sweet? This joint-stock arrangement is the only way to beat the
+game. It's a shrewd device, and my hat's off to the guy that
+invented it."
+
+"Very true. Very well expressed. But in the statute governing the
+procedure there is wrapped up a bundle of bad news, for it is
+provided that any officer or stockholder may become personally
+liable for the entire debt of the association. There is going to
+be a lot of sleep lost over that fact when the truth becomes
+known."
+
+"You mean if I got stock in a company that's blowed up, and I'm
+living in Oshkosh, all pretty, that I can be hooked for the debts
+some crook runs up here in Texas?"
+
+"Precisely."
+
+This intelligence brought no consternation to the partners; on the
+contrary, McWade, the optimist, grinned widely. "Goes to show you
+we have been playing the game along safe and legitimate lines,"
+said he. "We don't own a share in any of our own enterprises, and
+if we have to pick up a few now and then to boost the market, we
+drop them again as if they were hot. It's a pretty thought,
+though. Why, I can see years of activity ahead of Brick and me,
+buying up the debts of defunct oil companies and collecting in
+full from prosperous strangers hither and yon. For Heaven's sake,
+don't let it get out!"
+
+"I won't, at least until after I have accumulated a number of
+potential judgments against Henry Nelson. He has had his share of
+cats and dogs, of course, and some day I hope to lead them back to
+his doorstep. If they return at the right moment, they may prove
+an embarrassment. Who knows?"
+
+"Got anything else up your sleeve?" Behind Mallow's dark glasses his
+eyes could be dimly seen, and they were active with curiosity.
+
+"Plenty. But we have enough here to start on. First, I want these
+various leases, then I want a company promoted and a well started
+on that twenty we talked about."
+
+For some time longer the conspirators busied themselves over the
+details of their plans, and Gray was beginning to feel some
+satisfaction at his rate of progress when an interruption occurred
+that threatened to delay action and even to rob him of the
+services of the two partners. That interruption took the form of a
+call from a group of highly excited and indignant purchasers of
+stock in the Desert Scorpion Company, that promotion in which
+Professor Mallow had assisted on the morning of Gray's arrival.
+These stockholders swarmed into the office, bringing with them an
+air of angry menace; they were noisy; they all talked at once.
+
+From out of the confusion it soon became apparent that they had a
+real grievance, and one which called for immediate satisfaction;
+moreover, it was made plain that the callers cared little what
+form that satisfaction took, whether tar and feathers or a rope
+and a lamp-post. They had been sold, victimized, flimflammed,
+skinned; the scorpion had stung them and the poison was boiling in
+their veins. Briefly, the swindle was this: investigation had
+shown that the land owned by the Desert Scorpion was not where it
+had been represented to be, but more than a mile distant
+therefrom. Chance alone had brought forth the truth; the hour of
+vengeance had struck.
+
+Calvin Gray withdrew quietly from the hubbub and asked Mallow,
+"Can that be true?"
+
+The eminent scientist shrugged; out of the corner of his mouth he
+murmured: "Why not? It all looks alike."
+
+Me Wade and Stoner were not in the least dismayed by this amazing
+intelligence; as a matter of fact, the former assumed an air of
+even greater geniality than usual and nodded a careless agreement
+to every accusation hurled against him. "Right you are, men!
+Absolutely right. We were victimized, but we're tickled to death
+to rectify the error. Mighty fortunate mistake, as a matter of
+fact. Brick, out with the old check book and give these birds back
+their money." With alacrity Mr. Stoner cleared off his desk and
+seated himself, pen in hand. "Step up and get a dollar a share
+--just what you paid. Fair enough, I calls it. The banks are open
+and the checks are good."
+
+Immediately the repurchase of stock began, but anger and suspicion
+still smoldered; there were dissatisfied mutterings. One investor,
+a field man in greasy overalls, spoke out:
+
+"We'll get ours, all right. Don't worry. But how about the other
+suckers? There's fifty thousand shares out. What you going to do
+about that?"
+
+"Buy it back. Know where you can get any more?"
+
+"Maybe."
+
+"We'll pay a dollar and a half a share for all you can get, to-
+morrow."
+
+"What?"
+
+"You heard me. Breast up, boys, and get your money back. Our offer
+stands--a dollar a share to-day, a dollar and a half to-morrow."
+
+There was a stir among the indignant speculators; the man for whom
+Stoner was writing a check inquired: "What's the idea? Why not a
+dollar and a half now?"
+
+Stoner and McWade exchanged a meaning glance--it was not lost upon
+their attentive audience--but the latter shrugged and smiled
+provocatively. "That's our business," he declared, lightly. "You
+ghost dancers want your money back and we're giving it to you.
+You're letting up a holler that you were robbed, so come and get
+it. The faster you come the better it'll suit us. Scorpion stock
+will close at a dollar and a half or better to-morrow night."
+
+"Bluff!" somebody growled.
+
+Stoner finished his signature with a nourish, blotted it, then he
+hesitated. He flung down his pen and turned defiantly upon his partner,
+crying:
+
+"This ain't fair to these men, Mac. They're customers of ours and
+we owe 'em the chance to make a killing. It's up to us to tell 'em
+the truth."
+
+McWade was angry. His indignation flamed. Vigorously he denied the
+charge of unfairness. A spirited argument ensued, with Stoner
+asserting that the firm was morally obligated to protect its
+clients to a greater extent than merely by returning their money,
+and with McWade as stoutly maintaining that all obligations, moral
+and legal, were canceled with the repurchase of the stock.
+
+Meanwhile it became evident that the alarming rumor about Desert
+Scorpion was rapidly spreading, for other investors were climbing
+the stairs now, and the office was becoming crowded. The later
+arrivals were in time to witness McWade finally defer to his
+partner and to hear him announce that a rare stroke of fortune had
+favored purchasers of this particular issue of stock, for the land
+which really belonged to the company had turned out to be much
+better than that which it owned. Certain information from the
+field had arrived that very day which was bound to send the stock
+to two dollars. If anybody wanted to sell, the promoters would be
+glad to buy, and they would advance their price on the morrow, as
+McWade had promised, so here was a chance for those present to
+turn a pretty penny by getting busy at once. Frankly, however, he
+advised his hearers to hang on and make a real clean-up. The
+information, which was not yet public, had nothing to do with the
+fact that Doctor Mallow had experted both properties with his
+scientific device and pronounced the new acreage much richer than
+the old--this latter was merely corroborative evidence, and in
+view of the fact that some people put no credence in so-called
+"doodle bugs," he merely offered the record of the tester for what
+it was worth. His original bet of ten to one still held, by the
+way, and once again he repeated that those who wished to sell out
+would be accommodated with the greatest alacrity. Only they
+mustn't return later and squawk.
+
+McWade confessed that he was neither angry nor offended at the
+recent attitude of suspicion--he was merely amused. It made him
+laugh. The idea of his firm turning a crooked trick, when it was
+an established institution as strong as Gibraltar and as
+conservative as a national bank, was ridiculous. He and Stoner
+could point with pride to an unbroken record of successes and to a
+list of satisfied investors as long as a Santa Fe time-table.
+Desert Scorpion stock would go to two dollars, and five would get
+you ten if you didn't think so. Now then, step lively!
+
+The refunding of money halted; there was a deal of noisy argument.
+Some of the disgruntled investors still insisted upon selling out;
+others decided to hold on; even a few asked to repurchase the
+stock they had turned in, and this they were reluctantly permitted
+to do at an advance of fifty per cent.
+
+When the last caller had disappeared, Gray inquired, curiously:
+"How are you going to make good on your assertion that the stock
+will rise?"
+
+"Easy!" said Stoner. "I'll change into my old clothes, put four
+mud chains on my car, and drive up, to the exchange in a hurry,
+then give some gabby guy a tip to grab Desert Scorpion for me at a
+dollar and a half--all he can get. After that I'll shoot out of
+town on high, with the cut-out open. There will be a string of
+cars after me inside of half an hour, and the stock will be up
+before I can get back."
+
+"We'll make good, all right," McWade asserted. "Those customers
+are in luck dealing with a house like us. All they expect is a
+chance to get out with a profit and sting the next fellow. They
+don't want oil; they want a run for their money and a quick turn.
+We give it to them."
+
+"And do they always buy your issues?"
+
+"I ain't saying they do. Sometimes they're cold until you put on
+the Indian sign. But all you have to do when stock don't sell is
+to raise the price. Oh, if you know how, it ain't hard to make an
+honest dollar in the oil business!" Mr. McWade smiled with conscious
+satisfaction.
+
+"I'm sure of it," Gray said, heartily. "There is so little
+competition."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+Ma Briskow always had been known as a woman without guile, but of
+late she had developed rare powers of dissimulation. She was, in
+fact, leading a double life, and neither her husband nor her
+daughter suspected the extent of her deception. To the patrons of
+the Burlington Notch Hotel she was merely a drab, indistinct,
+washed-out old woman, unmarked except by a choice of clashing
+colors in dress; to her family she remained what she always had
+been; nobody dreamed that she was in reality a bandit queen, the
+leader of a wild, unfettered band of mountaineers. But that is
+what she was. And worse at times.
+
+Yes, Ma had slipped the leash. She was a robber baroness; she
+dwelt in a rocky "fastness"--whatever that was--surrounded by a
+crew of outlaws as desperate as any that ever drew cutlass and
+dagger, and she ruled them not only by native strength of
+character, but also by the aid of other forces, for she was on
+friendly terms with the more prominent wood sprites, fairies, and
+the like, and they brought her wisdom. Moreover, she had learned
+the language of dumb animals and could talk to squirrels, beetles,
+porcupines, frogs.
+
+All this, as may be surmised, had come about as the result of Ma's
+early reading: a haphazard choice of story books, in which were
+tales of treasure trove, of pirates, of wronged maidens and
+gallant squires--romantic stories peculiarly designed to stir a
+cramped imagination like hers. It was from them that she had
+gained her ideas of the world, her notions of manners, even her
+love of the mountains, and that unquenchable desire to see them
+that she had confided to Calvin Gray.
+
+He it was, by the way, who had selected the Notch for these Texas
+nesters. It had proved a happy choice, for the hotel sat upon the
+top of the world, and beneath it lay outspread the whole green and
+purple vastness of the earth. The Briskows were entranced, of
+course, and, once they had established themselves here, they never
+thought of moving, nor did it occur to them that there might--be
+other mountains than these, other hotels as good as this. To them
+Burlington Notch became merely a colloquial name for Paradise, and
+life in the great hotel itself a beautiful dream.
+
+The place was famous the country over as a health resort, and,
+indeed, it must have possessed miraculous curative properties,
+otherwise Gus Briskow, strong and vigorous as he was, could never
+have survived the shock of receiving his first week's bill. It was
+with conflicting emotions that he had divided the sum at the foot
+of the statement into seven parts and realized the daily ransom in
+which he and his family were held; it had given him a feeling of
+tremendous importance and extreme insignificance. He spoke
+feelingly that night about the high cost of loafing, but Ma showed
+such dismay at the mere suggestion of leaving that he had resigned
+himself, and thereafter the sight of his weekly bill evoked
+nothing more than a shudder and a prayer--a prayer that none of
+his wells would go dry overnight.
+
+But lifelong habits of prudence are not easily broken. The Notch
+Hotel was altogether too rich for Gus Briskow's blood, so he
+sought a more congenial environment. He found it in the village,
+in a livery stable; there, amid familiar odors and surroundings
+both agreeable and economical, he spent most of his time, leaving
+Ma to amuse herself and Allie to pursue the routine of studies
+laid down by her tutoress.
+
+Now Ma had not gone wild all at once; her atavism had been
+gradual--the result of her persistent explorations. She had never
+seen a real waterfall, for instance, and the first one proved so
+amazing that she was impelled to seek more, after which she became
+interested in caves, and before long her ramblings had taken her up
+every watercourse and into every ravine in the neighborhood. This sense
+of treading untrodden ground roused in Ma a venturesome spirit of
+independence, an unsuspected capacity for adventure, and when the wealth
+of her discoveries failed to awaken interest in her family she ceased
+reporting them and became more solitary than ever in her habits.
+Every morning she slipped out of the hotel, meandered through the
+grounds apparently without purpose, but in reality pursuing a
+circuitous route and taking sudden twistings and turnings to throw
+pursuers off the scent. Ever deeper into the wilderness she
+penetrated, but with the sly caution of an old fox returning to
+its lair, for she was always being followed by wicked people,
+such, for instance, as minions of the law, members of the Black
+Hand, foreign spies, gen-darmys, and detectifs. Having baffled
+them all, she laughed scornfully, flung deceit to the winds, then
+hurried straight to the "fastness," and there uttered the tribal
+call. At the sound her gypsy band came bounding forth to meet her,
+and she gave them her royal hand to kiss, raising them graciously
+when they knelt, giving a kind word here or a sharp reprimand
+there.
+
+They were the fiercest gypsies in the world, and quarrelsome, too.
+They were forever fighting among themselves and crying: "Curse
+you, Jack Dalton! Take that!" and plunging swords into one
+another, but they had good hearts and they loved Ma and were
+devoted to her lost cause. She could handle them where others
+would have failed.
+
+Having accepted their homage and heard the details of their latest
+raids against her enemy, the false Duke of Dallas--he whose
+treachery had made her what she was--she assumed her throne and
+held formal court.
+
+The throne was a low, flat rock beside a stream, and usually Ma
+removed her shoes and stockings and paddled her feet in the water
+while she gave audience to visiting potentates. Those enlarged joints
+never seemed to ac commodate themselves wholly to the sort of shoes
+Allie made her wear. Court "let out" when Ma's feet had become rested,
+after which there were less formal affairs of state to settle. These
+out of the way, it was time for the queen's recreations, which took
+the form of singing, dancing, conversations with animals, visits with
+the invisible fairy folk who lived in flowers arid gave them their
+pretty smells.
+
+Ma never had any trouble putting in the whole day in some such
+manner as this; evening came all too soon, as a matter of fact.
+Then it was that she bade good-by to her faithful subjects and
+prepared once more to fare forth and mingle, in the cunning guise
+of an old woman, with the followers of the false and lying Duke of
+Dallas. But courage! Patience! The day of reckoning was at hand
+when she would come into her own and the world would recognize her
+as the wronged but rightful Princess Pensacola.
+
+Thus would Ma Briskow spend one morning. Another perhaps she would
+be an altogether different character, but always she was young and
+beautiful and full of grace, and only when it came time to go did
+she assume the disguise of an aged, wrinkled, bent old woman.
+Sometimes she ran miles and miles at a stretch, darting, springing
+like a fawn, rushing through the soft, green leaves, leaping rock
+and rill, her laughter echoing, her bare limbs flashing, her gold
+hair streaming, her scanty silken draperies whipped to shreds
+behind her by the very swiftness of her going. Oh, the ecstasy of
+that! The excitement!
+
+Of course Ma did not actually run. Neither did her bare limbs
+flash--being incased in flannels. And her hair was not gold. It
+was gray, what little there was of it. No, she ambled a bit,
+perhaps, where the grass was short and the ground smooth, then she
+stood still, closed her eyes, and ran and leaped and swayed and
+darted--with her arms. Anybody can do it.
+
+At other times she defied gravitation, a secret accomplishment
+all her own, which she manifested in this wise. She would begin to
+jump, higher and higher, and the higher she jumped the lighter she
+became, until finally she weighed no more than a thistledown, and
+the effort of leaping became a pure joy and an exhilaration.
+Having attained this perfect state of buoyancy, she would set out
+upon wonderful journeys, springing lightly as far as it pleased
+her to spring, soaring gracefully over obstacles, and deriving a
+delirious pleasure from the sensation. One cannot appreciate the
+enjoyment to be had from this method of locomotion without trying
+it.
+
+And always when Ma came back to earth and opened her eyes there
+were the great smiling mountains, the clear, clean waters foaming
+over the rocks, and underfoot was the cool, green grass, not that
+hot, hard 'dobe clay she had always known. Trees, too! Beautiful
+whispering trees, with smooth leaves instead of burrs and spines
+and stickers. Nor was there the faintest choking smell of dust; no
+sand blowing up her nose and smarting her eyes.
+
+Ma Briskow had never dreamed that the world was so clean. She
+blessed God for making oil to lie in the rocks of the earth, and
+she prayed that none of "them hotel people" would discover her
+retreat.
+
+But, of course, somebody did discover it. Mr. Delamater, the
+dancing instructor, for one, stumbled upon it while Ma Briskow was
+in the midst of one of her imaginary games, and he reported his
+discovery to the day clerk.
+
+"What ails that old dame, anyhow?" he inquired, after recounting
+Ma's peculiar behavior.
+
+"Not a thing in the world except money," the clerk declared.
+
+Doubtfully Mr. Delamater shook his handsome auburn head. "People with
+good sense don't act like that. She was doing an Isadora Duncan when I
+saw her. Dancing--if you care to call it that!  Anyhow, her hair was
+hanging, she was flapping her arms and jiggling up and down."
+Delamater laughed at the memory. "There's a big, awkward bird--sort of
+a crane or buzzard of some kind--that dances. I never saw one, but
+she reminded me of it. And she _sang_! Gee! it was fierce!"
+
+"Did she see you?"
+
+"Scarcely. I don't mind being alone with Allie"--Delamater's teeth
+shone in a smile, then, seeing his reflection in a convenient
+mirror, he studied it with complacent favor. He tried the smile
+again, and, getting it to his better satisfaction, concluded
+--"don't mind it a bit, but a bosky dell with a mad woman is my idea
+of no place to be."
+
+"Allie?" The clerk lifted his brows. "So--'_Allie_'! Has it gone
+as far as that, Del?"
+
+"Oh, you know how it is! A lesson every day, soft music, arm
+around the waist, a kind word. The girl is human. I'm probably
+different to anything that ever came into her young life. Look at
+my wardrobe! She's not so bad to take, either, and yet--" The
+immaculate speaker frowned. "Father smells like a horse, and
+mother's a nut! Gee! It would take some coin to square that."
+
+"That's one thing they've got," asserted the clerk. "Nothing but!"
+
+Mr. Delamater debated further. "Think of marrying The Powerful
+Katrinka! I'll admit it has its points. If anything went wrong
+with the bank roll Allie could make a good living for both of us.
+Suppose, for instance, the old Statue of Liberty slipped and fell.
+Allie could jump over to Bedloe's Island and take a turn at
+holding the torch. Ifi they've got the coin you say they have, I
+think I'll have to see more of her."
+
+"You won't see any more than you do. She's hitting on all four."
+
+"What is she up to all day?"
+
+"I don't know. Working, studying, exercising. Rehearsing for the
+movies, I guess. She has worn that companion of hers down to a
+frazzle. She has her own masseuse in the bath department, she
+rides a horse three days a week, and every morning she takes a
+long walk--"
+
+"I've got it!" Mr. Delamater slapped his thigh. "Road work! She's
+getting ready to take on Dempsey." He laughed musically. "If she
+marries me her days of labor will be over; it will mean for her
+the dawn of a new life--provided, of course, those oil wells are
+what you say they are. Kidding aside, though, I don't dislike the
+girl and--I've a notion to give her a chance."
+
+What the clerk said was true. Allie Briskow was indeed in
+training, both physical and mental, and the application, the
+energy she displayed had surprised not only her parents, who could
+but dimly understand the necessity of self-culture, but also Mrs.
+Ring, the instructress. Mrs. Ring, a handsome, middle-aged woman
+whose specialty was the finishing of wealthy young "ladies," had
+been induced to accept this position partly by reason of the
+attractive salary mentioned in Calvin Gray's telegram, and partly
+by reason of the fact that she needed a rest. She had met the
+Briskows in Dallas only a short time before their departure for
+the north, and although that first interview had been a good deal
+of a shock to her--almost as much of a shock as if she had been
+asked to tutor the offspring of a pair of chimpanzees--
+nevertheless she had nerved herself to the necessary sacrifice of
+dignity. After all, Allegheny was only an overgrown child in need
+of advanced kindergarten training, and in the meantime there was
+the prospect of a season at Burlington Notch. The latter was, in
+itself, a prospect alluring to one suffering from the wear and
+tear of a trying profession. After some hesitation, Mrs. Ring had
+accepted the position, feeling sure that it would rest her nerves.
+
+But never had the good woman suffered such a disillusionment.
+Allie, she soon discovered, was anything but a child, or rather
+she was an amazing and contradictory combination of child and
+adult. What Mrs. Ring had taken to be mental apathy, inherent
+dullness, was in reality caution, diffidence, the shyness of some
+wild animal.
+
+Nor was that the most bewildering of the teacher's surprises;
+Allie possessed character and will power. For some time she had
+accepted Mrs. Ring's tutorship without comment or question--Calvin
+Gray had recommended it, therefore she obeyed blindly--but one
+day, after they had become settled in the mountains, she came out
+with a forceful declaration.
+
+She knew full well her own shortcomings, so she declared, and she
+was not content to learn a few things day by day. She demanded
+intensified training; education under forced draught.
+
+"They took green country boys durin' the war--"
+
+"During the war. Don't drop your g's, my dear."
+
+"--during the war, and learned 'em--"
+
+"Taught them!"
+
+"--taught them to be soldiers in six months. Well, I'm strong as a
+horse, and I've got a brain, and I'm quick at pickin'--I mean I
+pick up things quick--"
+
+"You pick them up quickly. Quickly is an adverb; quick is an--"
+
+Allie's dark eyes grew darker. Imperiously she cried: "All right!
+But let me say this my own way. It won't be right or elegant, but
+you'll understand. And that's what we got to have first off--a
+good understanding. After I've said it, you can rub it down and
+curry it. I been watching you like a hawk, Miz' Ring, and you're
+just what he said you was. You got everything I want, but--I can't
+go so slow; I got to get it quick--quickly. You been teaching me
+to read and talk, and how to laugh, and how to set--sit--but we
+been _playing_. We got to _work_! Oh, I know I'm forgetting
+everything for a minute. Miz' Ring, I gotta learn how to act
+pretty and talk pretty and _look_ pretty. And I gotta learn how,
+_quick_."
+
+"You are a fine-looking girl as it is, Allegheny."
+
+"Oh, I guess I look _dressed up_, but I'm awkward. I'm stiff as a
+hired hand, and I fall over my feet. Look at 'em. Biggest live
+things in the world without lungs! I got to get slim and graceful--"
+
+"I'll teach you a setting-up routine, if you wish, although it
+is scarcely in my line. Goodness knows you don't need physical
+culture."
+
+"But I do," cried the girl.
+
+"Very well. Riding is a smart accomplishment. Can you ride a
+horse?"
+
+"Pshaw! I can carry a horse."
+
+"You'd look well in a habit, and with baths, massage, dancing, and
+a little diet I dare say you can reduce."
+
+"I'll starve," Allie asserted, fiercely. "But that ain't half
+enough. You gotta give me more studyin'. I got callouses on my
+hands and I'm used to work. We'll get up at daylight-"
+
+"Good heavens!" Mrs. Ring exclaimed, faintly.
+
+"You learn me how to do the sitting-up things first off, then I'll
+do 'em alone. Ride me hard, Miz' Ring. I'll remember. I'll work;
+you won't have to tell me twice. But I gotta make speed. I 'ain't
+got the time other girls have."
+
+"My dear child, all this cannot be done in a day, a week, a
+month."
+
+"How long you allow it will take?"
+
+The elder woman shrugged. "Years, perhaps."
+
+"Years?"
+
+"Real culture, social accomplishments, are the results of
+generations of careful training. I'm not a miracle worker. But why
+this impatience?"
+
+"I got-"
+
+"I have."
+
+"I have a reason. I can't take a generation; I'd be too late."
+
+"Too late for what?"
+
+But Allie refused to answer. "We'll start in to-day and we'll work
+double tower till one of us plays out. What d'you say?"
+
+At first Mrs. Ring took this energetic declaration with some
+reserve, but before long she realized with consternation that
+Allie Briskow was in deep earnest and that this was not a soft berth.
+Instead of obtaining a rest she was being worked as never before. Allie
+was a thing of iron; she was indefatigable; and her thirst for
+knowledge was insatiate; it grew daily as she gained fuller understanding
+of her ignorance. There was a frantic eagerness to her efforts, almost
+pitiful. As time went on she began to hate herself for her stupidity
+and to blame her people for her condition. She was a harder taskmaster
+than her teacher. Most things she apprehended readily enough, but when she
+failed to learn, when mental or physical awkwardness halted
+progress, then she flew into a fury. Her temper appalled Mrs.
+Ring.
+
+At such times Allie was more than disagreeable. Hate flamed in her
+eyes, she beat herself with her fists, she kicked the furniture,
+and she broke things. Once she even butted her head against the
+wall, uttering language meanwhile that all but caused her
+companion to swoon.
+
+Mrs. Ring resigned after this final exhibition, but, lacking the
+courage to face Allie in a mood like that, she went to Gus
+Briskow.
+
+"It is simply impossible to remain," she told him. "Already I'm a
+physical wreck, for I never get a moment's rest. The salary is
+attractive, but Allegheny is too much for me. She saps every ounce
+of vitality I have; she keeps me going every hour. And her
+terrific tempers are actually--dangerous."
+
+"She don't ever get mad at you, does she?"
+
+"Oh no! And she repents quickly enough. As a matter of fact, I am
+afraid she is overdoing her studies, but there's no holding her
+back."
+
+"You're kinda worked up, Miz' Ring. Mebbe I can make it pleasanter
+for you."
+
+"In what way, may I ask?"
+
+"Well, by payin' you more."
+
+"You are generous. The salary we agreed upon isn't low."
+
+"Yes'm--No, ma'am!"
+
+"I wouldn't feel right to accept more."
+
+"Try it, ma'am, for a little while. Mebbe it won't bother you so
+much after you get used to it. Allie likes you."
+
+"And I--I _am_ interested in her. She is progressing, too; in
+fact, I have never seen anyone learn more rapidly. But--she is so
+unusual. Still, perhaps I _am_ the one--perhaps it is my duty,
+under the circumstances--"
+
+With this disposition to compromise the father had little
+difficulty in dealing, so the daily routine was continued. Allie
+applied herself to the cultivation of the ordinary social niceties
+with the same zeal that she followed her studies and her physical
+exercises. Fortunately these exercises afforded outlet for the
+impatience and the scorn that she felt for herself. Otherwise
+there would have been no living with her. As it was she showed
+herself no mercy. Daylight found her stirring, her Swedish drill
+she took with a vigor that fairly shook the floor, and, having
+finished this, she donned sweater and boots and went for a swift
+walk over the hills. At this hour she had the roads to herself and
+was glad of it, for she felt ridiculous. At breakfast, although
+she had a ravenous appetite, she ate sparingly. The day was spent
+in reading aloud, in lessons in deportment, voice modulation,
+conversation, and the like; in learning how to enter and how to
+leave a room, how to behave at a tea or a reception, how to accept
+and how to make an introduction, how to walk, how to sit, how to
+rise. Allie did sums in arithmetic, she studied grammar and
+geography and penmanship--in short, she took an intensified
+common-school course. Here was where her tutoress had trouble, for
+when the girl's brain became weary or confused she relieved her
+baffled rage in her most natural way, the while Mrs. Ring stopped
+her ears and moaned. It was a regimen that no ordinary woman could
+have endured; it would have taxed the strength of an athlete.
+
+Late in the afternoon Allie went riding, and here was one
+accomplishment in which she required no coaching. Frequently she
+vented her spite upon her horse, and more than once she brought it
+home with its mouth bleeding and its flanks white with lather. She
+rode with a magnificent recklessness that finally caused comment among
+the other guests.
+
+Allie was sitting alone in her room one evening, fagged out from a
+hard day. Some people were talking on the veranda outside her
+window, and she heard one say:
+
+"The girl can look really stunning."
+
+"Exactly. I don't understand where she gets her looks, for her
+parents are--impossible. Wouldn't you _know_ what they were?"
+
+Allie needed no clearer indication of who was under discussion.
+Instinctive resentment at the reference to her father and mother
+was followed by amazement, delight, at the compliment to herself
+--the first she had ever received. She leaned forward, straining to
+hear more. What mattered it how these contemptuous outsiders
+referred to her parents? They agreed that she was "stunning,"
+which was their way of saying that she was pretty, nay, more
+--beautiful, perhaps.
+
+"She's a glorious rider," the first speaker was saying. "She
+passed me the other day, going like sin, with her face blazing and
+that big, lively chestnut running flat. The way she took that
+curve above the Devil's Slide brought my heart into my mouth."
+
+The breathless eavesdropper felt a hot wave of delight pour over
+her, her very flesh seemed to ripple like the fur of a cat when it
+is stroked.
+
+"Oh, she's a picture, mounted! Seems to have complete confidence
+in herself; and the strength of a giantess, too. But--my God! when
+she's on her feet! And have you heard her talk?" Evidently the
+other speaker had, for there came the sound of low laughter, a
+sound that stabbed Allie Briskow like a bayonet and left her white
+and furious. She sat motionless for a long time, and something
+told her that as long as she lived she would never forget, never
+forgive, that laughter.
+
+She was unusually silent and somber for the next three or four
+days; she went through her exercises without vim; at her studies
+she was both stupid and sullen. When Mrs. Ring's patience was
+exhausted and her frayed nerves finally gave out, Allie rounded
+upon her with a violence unparalleled. Those previous exhibitions
+of temper were tame as compared with this one; the girl spat scorn
+and bitterness and hatred; she became a volcano in active
+eruption.
+
+In a panic Mrs. Ring sought out Gus Briskow and again resigned. By
+this time, however, the novelty of her resignation had largely
+worn off, for seldom did more than two weeks elapse without a
+hysterical threat to quit. But this one required more than the
+usual amount of persuasion, and it was not without long and
+patient pleading, coupled with the periodical raise, that the
+father induced her to change her mind. Gus told himself somberly
+that the price of Allegheny's education was mounting so rapidly
+that it might be the part of economy to take Mrs. Ring in as a
+full partner in the Briskow oil wells. He decided, after some
+consideration, to wire Calvin Gray and offer to pay his traveling
+expenses if he would come to Burlington Notch for a few days.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+One accomplishment that Allegheny mastered with gratifying ease
+was dancing. It came naturally to her, for both she and Buddy were
+full of music. At first she had been extremely self-conscious;
+Professor Delamater had found her to be as heavy as stone and as
+awkward as a bear; but later, as her embarrassment became less
+painful, she relaxed. She regained her power of speech, also, and
+in time she voiced an eager desire to learn all there was to
+learn.
+
+Having quickly schooled her in the simpler forms of ballroom
+dancing, Delamater suggested a course in the deeper intricacies of
+fancy dancing.
+
+"You're getting on," he told her, one day. "That last was
+splendid--top hole, absolutely."
+
+Delamater, who was quite thoroughly American, affected at times an
+English turn to his conversation, believing that it gave him an
+air. It went particularly well, he thought, with light trousers,
+spats, and an afternoon coat cut close at the waist.
+
+"Don't fool me," panted the red-faced Juno. "You must have iron
+feet."
+
+"My word! Spoof you, indeed! Not for worlds, if you know what I
+mean? I shall expect to see you in the ballroom every evening."
+
+But Allie's confidence forsook her at this. "I'd--be scared stiff.
+Folks would laugh. They haven't got--haven't anything to do but
+laugh at other folks, and I don't like to be laughed at."
+
+"Laugh at you! Fancy that! You're too modest." Delamater adopted
+the cooing note of a dove. "'Pon my word, you're too modest. If
+you could hear the things I hear--" He paused, not knowing exactly
+what to say he had heard, but his vagueness, the very eloquence of his
+hesitation, caused Allie's face to light up. This was the second
+compliment paid her since her arrival at the Notch, therefore when
+the phonograph resumed its melodious measures she yielded herself
+with abandon to the arms of her partner, and her red lips were
+parted, her somber eyes were shining. That day she began a course
+of exhibition dancing.
+
+It was on that afternoon that Delamater had told the clerk of
+discovering Ma Briskow alone in the woods. There was an open golf
+tournament at the Notch, prominent amateurs and professionals were
+competing, and the hotel was crowded to its capacity with players,
+fashionable followers of the game and a small army of society
+reporters and sport writers. This being the height of the season,
+social doings at the resort were featured in all the large Eastern
+papers, for famous names were on the register and the hotel switch
+was jammed with private cars.
+
+Allie Briskow was in one of her trying moods to-day, for the out-
+of-doors called to her. Sounds of laughter and gayety, strains of
+music, had distracted her from her studies, her monotonous routine
+had become hopelessly unbearable all at once. From her window she
+could see young people, hear young voices, and envy flamed in her
+soul. Those girls were her age; those men, easy, immaculate,
+different from anything she had ever seen--except Calvin Gray
+--they, too, were young and they courted those girls. Contemplation
+of the chattering throngs showed Allie more clearly than ever the
+chasm separating her from these people, and reawakened in her that
+black resentment which at times made her so difficult to manage.
+She was thankful that her mother had disappeared and that her
+father was at the livery stable; she hoped they would stay away
+all day. At least, they were safe from ridicule. She wondered if
+she might not induce them to dine in their rooms that evening, and
+thus spare herself the embarrassment she always suffered when she
+accompanied them into the public dining room.
+
+It seemed to her that whenever they went to dinner--Gus in his
+baggy pepper-and-salt sack suit, his loose, lay-down collar, and
+his wide-toed shoes, Ma in one of her giddy, gaudy dinner dresses
+--it seemed as if the entire assemblage was stricken dumb and as if
+every eye was turned upon them in mockery and amusement. Even the
+waiters, Allie felt sure, noted the difference between the
+Briskows and the other guests, and only with difficulty concealed
+their contempt.
+
+The occasional presence of Mrs. Ring, handsome, dignified,
+unruffled, intensified that contrast and fairly shouted the
+humiliating announcement that here were three nobodies who wanted
+to be somebodies, but never could.
+
+Invariably when they went out in public together Mrs. Ring made
+Allie feel as if she belonged to a lower, cruder order of animal
+life; as if she were an inhabitant of another sphere. And yet,
+Mrs. Ring was poor; she worked for wages! Allie could not
+understand this phenomenon; thought of it now caused her
+resentment to kindle.
+
+Of course it was the lot of the hapless tutoress to select such a
+moment as this in which to sweetly chide the girl for some lapse
+of form. Allie exploded. She reduced the elder woman to tears,
+then, ashamed of herself, she flung blindly out of the room,
+crashing the door to behind her. She decided to dance her anger
+away. It was some consolation to know that she could dance as
+well, or better, than those slim and pampered beauties outside her
+window. Some consolation, even though she never expected to have a
+chance of proving it.
+
+Delamater was especially agreeable to-day, more than usually
+nattering. Not for some time did his scholar become conscious of
+the subtle change in his demeanor, and even then its significance
+awoke only a shadowy contentment. Allie hated herself too
+thoroughly to-day to believe that anybody could really approve of
+her. As for him, he entirely misconstrued the meaning of her
+silent acceptance of his flattery.
+
+They had become well acquainted by now and were on a basis of easy
+familiarity, nevertheless it came as a shock to Allie to be called
+by her first name-such a shock that she missed a step and trod on
+Delamater's foot. They came to a pause.
+
+The dancing master was tall and slim, his face was on a level with
+hers, and now he smiled into it, saying, "My mistake, my dear."
+
+"I--reckon it was." The girl's eyes were glowing queerly, and the
+man was amused at her evident agitation. His first word had thrown
+the poor thing into a flurry.
+
+They began to dance again, and, after a moment, with a gently
+rising inflection, Delamater murmured, "You heard what I called
+you?" He approved of the sachet that Allie used, and he became
+acutely conscious of the jewels resting in the palm of his left
+hand. The girl was rich and she was--different, unusual. Ever
+since she had learned to yield herself to his embrace, he had been
+conscious of her strong physical attraction, and now it got the
+better of him. "You don't care?" he said, with his lips close to
+her ear.
+
+"Humph! I'm not caring for anything or anybody to-day."
+
+"Somebody has hurt my little girl."
+
+Allie threw back her head and stared at him with quick suspicion.
+"Your little girl?" she repeated.
+
+It is the lot of any man in the heat of his desire to make
+mistakes, and Delamater erred gravely at this moment. He kissed
+Allie. Without warning he kissed her full and fair upon her red,
+half-open lips.
+
+For the briefest instant of amazement the two stood motionless in the
+middle of the polished floor while the phonograph brayed on; then
+Allie shook herself free of her partner, and in the same movement she
+smote him a mighty slap that sent him reeling.  Delamater saw
+stars. The constellation of Orion gleamed in dazzling splendor within
+his tightly shut lids; he collided with a chair and went sprawling.
+
+With a cry he scrambled to his feet. "What the hell--?" he
+growled, savagely.
+
+Allie's face was chalky. Breathlessly, curiously she inquired,
+"Wha'd you do that for?"
+
+"What did I _do_ it for? Say! You ought to be complimented
+--tickled to death." Delamater rubbed his cheek and glared at her.
+"By God! I wish you were a man. Oh, don't worry, I won't touch you
+again! Who the hell would, after that?" Allie opened her lips to
+speak, but he ran on more angrily as the pain bit into him.
+"Thought I meant it, eh? Why, you lumbering ox--"
+
+"Then you ain't--in love with me or--or anything?"
+
+"_Love_?" The speaker uttered an unpleasant sound indicative of
+scorn. "Wake up, sister! What d'you take me for? Why, your mother
+talks bird talk, and your dad lives in a box stall and eats oats
+with his knife! Here I kid you along a little bit--slip you a
+little kiss, as I would any girl, and you--you--" Delamater
+stuttered impotently. "_Love_? I guess I'm the first regular
+fellow that ever gave you a chance."
+
+Delamater was surprised when his pupil turned her back upon him,
+strode to the nearest window, and flung it open as if for air; his
+surprise deepened when she faced him again and moved in his
+direction. Her expression caused him to utter a profane warning,
+but she continued to bear down upon him, and when she reached out
+to seize him he struck at her as he would have struck at a man.
+
+To those who are familiar with Burlington Notch, it will be remembered
+that the hotel is pitched upon a slope and that the rooms on the first
+floor of the east wing are raised a considerable distance above the
+lawn. The windows of these east rooms overlook the eighteenth green,
+and during tournaments they are favorite vantage points of golf widows
+and enthusiasts who are too old to follow the competitors around the
+course. To-day they were filled, for an international title was at
+issue and Herring, prince of amateurs, was playing off the final round
+of his match with the dour Scotch professional, McLeod.
+
+A highly enthusiastic "gallery" accompanied the pair, a crowd composed
+not only of spectators, but also of officials, defeated players,
+newspaper writers, camera men, caddies, and the like.  They streamed
+up the final fairway behind the gladiators and for the moment they
+were enveloped in gloom, for Herring had sliced off the seventeenth
+tee and a marvelous recovery, together with a good approach, had still
+left his ball on the edge of the green, while McLeod, man of iron, had
+laid his third shot within three feet of the flag. It meant a sure
+four for the latter, with not less than a five for Herring. One of
+those golfing miracles, a forty-foot putt, would halve the match, to
+be sure, but in tournament golf miracles have a way of occurring on
+any except the deciding hole.
+
+Sympathy usually follows the amateur, therefore it was a silent
+throng that ranged itself about the gently undulating expanse of
+velvet sod in the shadow of the east wing. Herring had played a
+wonderful match; he stood for all that is clean and fine in golf.
+The end of the balcony was jammed; nearly every window framed
+eager faces; amid a breathless intensity of interest the youthful
+contender tested the turf with the head of his club and studied
+the run of the green. A moment, then he took his stance and swung
+his putter smoothly. The ball sped away, taking a curving course,
+and followed by five hundred pairs of eyes. It ran too swiftly!
+Herring, in desperation, had overplayed! But no--it lost momentum
+as it topped a rise, then gathered speed, all but died at the edge
+of the cup and--toppled in amid a salvo of handclaps and roar of
+"Bravo!"
+
+That was nerve, courage, skill! That was golf! The miracle had
+happened! Another hole to decide the match.
+
+Quickly the crowd became still again as McLeod, his teeth set upon
+the stem of his pipe, his stony face masking a murderous
+disappointment, stepped forward to run down his four.
+
+The silence was broken by a cry. Out of the air overhead came the
+sound of a disturbance, and every face turned. A most amazing
+thing was in the way of happening, a phenomenon unique in the
+history of tournaments, for a man was being thrust forth from one
+of the hotel windows, perhaps twenty-five feet above the ground--a
+writhing, struggling, kicking man with fawn-colored spats. He was
+being ejected painlessly but firmly, and by a girl--a grim-faced
+young woman of splendid proportions. For a moment she allowed him
+to dangle; then she dropped him into a handsome Dorothy Perkins
+rosebush. He landed with a shriek. Briefly the amazon remained
+framed in the casement, staring with dark defiance down into the
+upturned faces; her deep bosom was heaving, her smoky hair was
+slightly disarranged; she allowed her eyes to rest upon the figure
+entangled among the thorns beneath her, then she closed the
+window.
+
+Nothing like this had ever occurred in Scotland. The mighty McLeod
+missed his putt and took a five.
+
+As Allie Briskow passed through the lobby with her head erect and
+her fists clenched, she heard the sound of a great shouting
+outside and she believed it was directed at her. She fled into her
+room and flung herself upon her bed, sobbing hoarsely.
+
+Mrs. Ring was waiting on the veranda for Gus Briskow when he
+returned to the hotel about dark. He had learned to dread the
+sight of her on that veranda, for it was her favorite resigning
+place--what Gus called her "quitting spot," and it was evident to-
+night that she was in a quitting mood, a mood more hysterical than
+ever before. It was some time before he could get at the facts,
+and even then he could not fully appreciate the enormity of the
+disgrace that had overwhelmed Allie's instructress.
+
+"She chucked the dancin' teacher out of a winder?" he repeated,
+blankly. "What for?"
+
+"Goodness knows, Mr. Briskow! Something he said, or did--I
+couldn't make out precisely. I found her in a dreadful state, and
+I tried to comfort her, I did really, but--oh! If you could have
+_heard_ her! Where she learned such language I don't know. My ears
+_burn_! But that isn't the worst; you should hear what--"
+
+"He must of said something pretty low down." Briskow spoke
+quietly; his bright blue eyes were hard. "I reckon she'll tell
+me."
+
+"You don't understand," chattered the woman. "She flung the man
+bodily out of the window and into a bed of thorns. It nearly
+killed him; he was painfully lacerated and bruised and--Right in
+the middle of a golf game! It did something dreadful--I don't know
+what--just as the world's champion caught the ball, or something."
+
+"If he's crippled I'll get him that much easier," said Briskow,
+and at the purposeful expression upon his weather-beaten face Mrs.
+Ring uttered a faint bleat of terror. She pawed at him as he
+undertook to pass her.
+
+"Oh, my heavens! What are you going to do?"
+
+"Depends on what he said to Allie."
+
+The woman wrung her hands. "What people! What--_savages_! You're
+--going to shoot him, I suppose, just because--"
+
+"Yes'm!" the father nodded. "You got it right, motif an' all.
+'Just because'!"
+
+"You _can't_. I sha'n't permit it. I--I'll call the police."
+
+"Don't do that, ma'am. I've stood a lot from you, in one way or
+another."
+
+"But it's _murder_! You--you can't mean it." Moans issued from the
+speaker. "What _ever_ possessed me to accept this position? It's
+unendurable, and I'll be involved--"
+
+"I've saw your last raise, Miz' Ring."
+
+"Do you think I'd stay, after this? It's bad enough to be made
+ridiculous--the whole hotel is in laughter; laughter at me, I dare say,
+as much as at her. Imagine! Hurling a full-grown man from a window--"
+
+"I don't hear nobody laughing." Briskow swung his head slowly from
+side to side.
+
+"But to contemplate murder--"
+
+"What's more, I don't intend to hear nobody laugh. By God! Now I
+come to think about it, there ain't a-goin' to be no laughing at
+all around here." Gus continued slowly to swing his head, like a
+bear. "She's my kid!" He pushed past Mrs. Ring, still muttering,
+"My kid--there ain't a-goin' to be no laughing at all."
+
+Going directly to the desk, he asked for the manager, then stood
+aside, hat in hand, until the latter made his appearance. The
+manager began a hasty and rather mixed apology on behalf of the
+hotel for what had occurred in the dancing room, but his tone of
+annoyance was an accusation in itself. It was plain that, to his
+mind, the catastrophe on the eighteenth green outweighed in
+importance whatever may have led up to it. That was something
+actually tragic, something frightful, appalling; it involved the
+good name of the hotel and affected the world's golf title.
+
+"Very--unfortunate," he lamented. "We haven't heard the last of
+it, by any means. McLeod may file a protest. And there is
+something to be said on both sides; rather a nice question, in
+fact."
+
+"Prob'ly so," the father agreed. "An' I got something to say about
+it, too. Get that dancin' perfessor off the place quick or I'll
+kill him."
+
+The manager recoiled; his startled eyes searched Briskow's face
+incredulously. "I--beg pardon?"
+
+"I 'ain't heard my kid's side of the story yet, but I'm goin' to
+see her now, so you better get word to that jumpin' jack in a
+hurry. That is, if you want to save him."
+
+"He is discharged, of course, for we tolerate no rudeness on the
+part of our employees--or our guests, for that matter; but I
+believe he is suffering some effects from the shock. I couldn't
+well ask him to go before--"
+
+"It'll take me prob'ly twenty minutes, talkin' to my girl.
+That'll give him time, if he moves fast. But I may get through in
+fifteen."
+
+At the door to his suite Gus Briskow paused to wipe his
+countenance clean of the expression it had worn for the last few
+minutes, and when he entered it was with his usual friendly smile.
+Allie and her mother were waiting; they were white and silent. Gus
+kissed his daughter before saying:
+
+"Don't worry, honey; he won't bother you no more."
+
+Allie averted her face. Mrs. Briskow inquired, "Did you see the
+skunk?"
+
+"No. I give him a few minutes to clear out."
+
+"Hadn't we better leave, too?" ventured Allie.
+
+"Oh-h!" In Ma's eyes was such bleak dismay, such a piteous appeal,
+that Gus shook his head.
+
+"What fer? We got nice quarters and your ma likes it here--"
+
+"They're laughing at me. I heard 'em hollering."
+
+"They won't laugh long. No, you're learnin' fast, and we're all
+havin' a nice time. Only one thing--I'm kinda tired of that Miz'
+Ring. I let her go, but I'll get you another--"
+
+"She quit, eh?"
+
+"Um-m, not exactly. I--"
+
+"I don't blame her. I've been mighty mean. But I couldn't help it,
+pa. When you put a wild horse in a pen, it don't do to prod him
+and throw things and--That's what they've done to me. I bite and
+kick like any bronc. When you're hurt, constant, you get spells
+when you've got to hurt back. I've been rotten to her, and now
+this coming on top of it--"
+
+"Wha'd that dancin' dude do, anyhow?"
+
+Allie related her experience with Professor Delamater; she told it
+all up to the burst of shouting that followed her through the
+lobby. "You should of heard 'em yelling, clapping their hands--!
+I"--she choked, her voice failed her, miserably she concluded--"I
+wish to God we'd never struck oil!"
+
+"You're just wore out, dearie," her mother said, comfortingly, and
+Briskow agreed. He assured her that all would be well.
+
+All was not well, however. The next morning when Gus Briskow was
+about to leave the hotel as usual--Professor Delamater having
+departed hurriedly the evening before with fully four minutes of
+his twenty to spare--he was stopped by the manager, who requested
+him to give up his rooms. The Texan was bewildered; he could not
+understand the reason for such a request.
+
+"'Ain't I paid my bills?" he queried.
+
+The manager assured him that he had; he was profoundly regretful,
+as a matter of fact; but it so happened that the Briskow suite had
+been reserved early in the season, and the party who had made the
+reservation had just wired that he was arriving that day. He was a
+gentleman of importance--it was indeed unfortunate--the management
+appreciated Mr. Briskow's patronage--they hoped he and his family
+would return to the Notch sometime.
+
+"Mebbe you got some other rooms that would do us," Gus ventured.
+
+It was too bad, but the hotel was overcrowded. Later, perhaps--
+Now at that very moment the lobby was filled with tournament
+golfers who were leaving on the morning train, and Briskow knew
+it. He studied the speaker with an expression that caused the
+latter extreme discomfort; it was much the same expression he had
+worn the night before when he had served warning upon Delamater.
+
+"Lemme get this right," he said. "You can talk straight to me.
+Bein' ignerunt, I 'ain't got the same feelin's as these other
+folks got. I got a shell like a land turtle."
+
+"It is quite customary, I assure you. No offense, my dear sir."
+
+"That's how I figgered! Just bouncin' a low-down var mint ain't
+offense enough to be throwed out about, when you pay your bills--"
+
+"You quite misapprehend--"
+
+"Fired, eh? It 'll go hard with Ma. She's gainin' here, and she
+likes it. That's why I never told her you was chargin' us about
+double what you charge these rich folks."
+
+The manager stiffened. "I regret exceedingly, sir, that you take
+it this way. But there is nothing more to be said, is there?"
+
+It was with a heavy heart and a heavy tread that Briskow returned
+to his room. Ma took the announcement like a death blow, for it
+meant the end of all her dreams, all her joyous games of
+"pretend." Her mountains--those clean, green, friendly mountains
+that she loved with a passion so intense that she fairly ached
+--those and her caves, her waterfalls, her gypsy band, were to be
+taken from her. She was to be banished, exiled.
+
+She did not weep a great deal, but she seemed suddenly to grow
+older and more bent. Listlessly, laboriously she began to pack,
+and her husband noticed with a pang that her hands shook
+wretchedly.
+
+As for Allie, she told herself that this was the end. She had
+tried to make something of herself and had failed. She had
+crucified herself; she had bled her body and scourged her soul
+only to gain ridicule and disgrace. There was no use of trying
+further; Gray had been mistaken in her, and her misery, her shame
+at the realization was intolerable. There was no facing him, after
+this.
+
+Allie decided to do away with herself.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+Gus Briskow was waiting at the cashier's desk for his bill when
+the bustle of incoming guests told him that the morning train had
+arrived. Probably it had brought that "gentleman of importance" to
+whom the manager had referred. "To hell with people like that
+manager!" the Texan muttered. He would take his family back home
+and chance no more humiliations like this. And to think that he
+had allowed that dancing monkey to escape when he could have shot
+him as well as not!
+
+Briskow's chain of thought was broken by a slap on the back that
+nearly drove him through the cashier's window; then by a loud,
+cheery greeting. The next moment he found himself actually
+embraced by--Gus could not believe his eyes--by Calvin Gray!
+
+The latter's affectionate greeting, his frank delight at seeing
+the Texan, caused people in the lobby to center amused attention
+upon them, and induced those behind the desk to regard Briskow
+with new respect.
+
+"Gus! You precious pirate! My, but I'm glad to see you! Ma and
+Allie are well, I know; they couldn't be otherwise here. Great
+place, isn't it? Nothing in this country or Europe that compares
+with it, and I've sent dozens of my friends here. I came north on
+business and couldn't bear to go back without seeing you. Come!
+Give me a welcome, for I've traveled across three states to get
+here."
+
+The two stood hand in hand. Gray beamed approvingly. Gus, too, was
+smiling, but earnestly he said, "I'm right glad to see you, Mr.
+Gray, for we're in trouble."
+
+"Trouble? What sort? Not illness?"
+
+"No. We're leavin'--been throwed out."
+
+The younger man's face sobered. "Don't joke!" he cried, sharply.
+
+"I ain't joking. Feller insulted Allie and she throwed him out of
+a window--"
+
+"Exactly! It's in the morning paper."
+
+"They don't seem to think it was reefined, so they--throwed _us_
+out."
+
+"Nonsense! Why, it is a corking story, and Allie was splendid--she
+gave the championship to Herring, who deserved it, thereby
+delighting every golfer on this side of the Atlantic. Jove! that
+girl is developing and I'm going to hug her--if there's no window
+handy! Throw you out? Why, there's some mistake, surely!"
+
+Briskow shook his head; in greater detail he made known the facts.
+When he had finished his halting recital Calvin Gray's face was
+flushed with anger, there was a dark frown between his eyes.
+
+"We'll see!" he muttered. "Wait here--or go back and tell Ma to
+commence unpacking." Then he was gone.
+
+For perhaps ten minutes Gus waited nervously; he was amazed
+finally to see Gray approaching arm in arm with the manager; both
+were laughing, the hotel man's face was radiant with good humor.
+To the departing guest he said, genially:
+
+"You are not going to leave us, after all, Mr. Briskow. On the
+contrary, we are going to keep you at the Notch as long as you'll
+stay. Stupid misunderstanding on my part, and I apologize. I'm
+going to ask you to move, but into a better suite--the very best
+one we have. And the rate will be the same. Come! What do you
+say?" When he was met by a stammered protest, he insisted
+forcefully: "I sha'n't take 'no' for an answer, my dear sir; we
+simply refuse to let you leave. The best we have is yours, and I
+guarantee that you will be made comfortable."
+
+"He offered to extend you the courtesies of the house--make you
+guests of the hotel," Gray added, "but I knew you wouldn't accept."
+
+"Dunno's I want to stay at all," Gus murmured, angrily. "We ain't
+no better'n we was a half hour ago."
+
+"To be sure, but I've made you better known. You are too shy; you
+didn't afford my friend here the pleasure of making your
+acquaintance, and I had to tell him the sort of person you really
+are. Serves you right, Gus, for being so exclusive. Gad! I think
+I'll give you a few lessons in democracy. Now then, come along!
+I'm dying to see Ma."
+
+As the father trotted down the hall beside his swiftly striding
+deliverer, he gasped, "How'd you do it?"
+
+"Nothing simpler. I merely showed Mr. What's-his-name that he was
+making an ass of himself. I've spent a fortune here; know the
+owners, too. Nice chap, that manager, but he has no business
+running a hotel, and I so informed him. He'll probably annoy you
+to death with his attentions. He'll let you play 'shinny' in the
+halls if you want to. Now--wait!" The speaker laid a finger upon
+his lips; his eyes were dancing. He knocked sharply at the Briskow
+door and cried, "Baggage ready, ma'am?"
+
+There was a stir from within, the door was slowly opened by a
+bent, pathetic figure of grief.
+
+"Ma!" Gray cried, and he held out his arms.
+
+Perhaps it was his virile personality radiating confidence,
+security, or perhaps it was Gus Briskow's shining face that told
+the story; whatever the fact, Ma Briskow uttered a thin, broken
+wail, then walked into those open arms and laid her head upon
+Gray's breast. She clung to him eagerly and the tears she had been
+blinking so hard to restrain flowed silently.
+
+"Oh-n-h! We ain't goin'away!" she said. "We ain't--goin' away!"
+
+"Of course not. Gus misunderstood. The manager merely wanted you
+to move--into a larger, finer suite, and he is positively
+distressed at the thought of your leaving. The poor man is dashing
+about collecting an armful of roses for you and Allie. He wants to
+come in person and apologize."
+
+There was another sound and Gray looked up to see Allie standing
+in the doorway to her bedroom; with one hand she clutched the
+jamb, the other was pressed to her bosom; she was staring at him
+as at an apparition. The girl was quite colorless, there was a
+look almost of fright in her eyes, and when he came toward her she
+swayed weakly. Her hands, when he took them, were icy; it shocked
+him to see how worn, how weary she had grown.
+
+It was several hours later. In the parlor of the new suite, a
+spacious, sunny room, fragrant with flowers and cheerful with
+brilliant cretonnes, Gray and Briskow were talking. Allie and her
+mother could be seen in their bedrooms putting away the last of
+their belongings. Gray's eyes had been drawn, at frequent
+intervals, to the younger woman, for the change in her became the
+more amazing the more he observed her, and he was still striving
+to reconcile this creature to the picture he had held in his mind.
+In a few months Allie had become almost a stranger to him. It was
+a marked and yet a subtle change that had come over her; she was
+anything but a polished young woman, of course; nevertheless she
+had been modified, toned down, vastly improved, and not until her
+first queer emotion at seeing him had disappeared was the full
+extent of that improvement manifest to the newcomer. He wondered
+why she had acted so oddly at first; surely she did not fear him.
+No, Allie's face at this moment was alight with supreme joy and
+satisfaction; she appeared to be quite as happily at her ease as
+Ma, who was singing steadily in a thin, rusty voice.
+
+Gray sent the father away on some pretext, finally; then he called
+to Allie: "Come in here and talk to me. I am a guest and I demand
+entertainment." He observed with silent approval her carriage as
+she entered the room and accepted the chair he offered her. Faint
+trace of the nester's daughter here. "I want a good chance to look
+at you."
+
+Allie colored faintly. "I guess I'm not much to look at."
+
+"Hm-m! You don't in the least resemble that girl I found hoeing in
+the garden. You are terribly thin."
+
+"Spinach!" said Allie.
+
+"Dieting, eh?"
+
+"Yes. Spinach and water and a rubber suit. Sometimes I have a
+party and eat a whole soda cracker."
+
+"It isn't too high a price to pay for beauty--beauty, 'the fading
+rainbow's pride.' We men should thank Heaven for women's courage
+in pursuing it. It is all that makes this world an attractive
+dwelling place for nice people."
+
+"Sometimes I think it's kind of wicked to spend so much time and
+money that way, but--I guess it's all right. I want to look as
+good as other people."
+
+"I'm in a mood for quotations. 'Is beauty vain because it will
+fade? Then are earth's green robe and heaven's light vain.' Pride,
+even vanity, is less of a vice than slovenliness, my dear. Now
+then, do you like Mrs. Ring?"
+
+Allie nodded. "I like her, but--I hate her. She makes me feel
+awful mad because she can't understand that I ain't--I am not mad
+at her, but at myself. I don't hardly know how to explain it. If I
+was her I'd hate me, like I do."
+
+"Would you like to have her remain?"
+
+"Oh, I would! She knows everything, and she makes me learn. But
+she won't stay. I just found out that she's been quitting every
+few weeks, and Pa's been raising her wages. No, the disgrace, and
+our being thrown out--"
+
+"My dear girl, let me assure you, once for all, there is no
+suggestion of disgrace about this affair. You behaved with spirit,
+and those who have heard about it admire you. I have talked with a
+number of them, and I know. I had a talk with Mrs. Ring also, and
+she will remain if you wish her to do so."
+
+"You're a--a good man, ain't--"
+
+"Aren't!"
+
+"--aren't you, Mr. Gray? You fix everything."
+
+"Not a good, but a convenient man. My specialty is making things
+easier for my friends."
+
+"Are these other folks, these rich ones around the hotel, like
+you?"
+
+"Oh, much nicer than I!" Gray laughed. "You must meet some of
+them."
+
+Allie's face whitened at this suggestion. "Please, sir--I'm
+scared!"
+
+"Very well. As you wish. Tell me, what are you going to do with me
+this afternoon?"
+
+"I dunno!" Allie looked blank. "I don't do anything but study. I
+s'pose I got to study."
+
+"Nothing of the sort. You have circles under your eyes now from
+overwork, and this is your vacation. I am a visitor, a restless
+visitor; I abhor being asked to make myself at home, and I never
+do. I demand amusement. Do you know what I'd like to do best of
+all?" Allie did not know. "I'd like to sit here and smoke while
+you show me all your pretty dresses. Ah! Those dark eyes brighten.
+You're dying to show them to me, aren't you?"
+
+"_Would_ you? Honest?"
+
+"Cross my heart. But remember, I have a color sense and I'm not
+easily pleased. I'll probably condemn some of them."
+
+Allie breathed deeply. "Oh, Gee!" she said.
+
+"Run along and try them on, then I'll borrow a pair of puttees and
+we'll go for a ride."
+
+For the next two hours Allegheny Briskow was in heaven. Never had
+she dreamed of anything like this. To have Calvin Gray alone, all
+to herself--Ma, as usual, had disappeared--and to discuss with him
+exciting questions of dress and good taste that she could not
+discuss with her own people; to meet his occasional hearty
+approval--well, it was enough to make a girl drunk with happiness.
+Gowns that he liked became precious; she hated those that he condemned.
+Her fingers grew clumsy with haste, her cheeks burned. He said she wore
+her clothes well, that she carried herself well. He approved of her--liked
+her! God above! And to think that she had contemplated suicide! Of course
+she was pitifully ignorant as yet, and she had not even learned to
+talk as he talked, but there were books. She would study. Oh, the
+fury with which she would apply herself after this! She would beat
+the contents of those books into her head with her fists, if
+necessary; she would show him how fast she could learn; she would
+astonish him. Her heart sang at the thought that she was rich
+--richer than he. That would count, too, for men liked money.
+
+"Where is Ma?" Gray inquired, when the last gown had been paraded
+and when Allie appeared in her riding suit.
+
+"Out with the fairies, I suppose. She won't tell Pa or me where
+she goes or what she does--says it's all foolishness."
+
+"Perhaps she will tell me, for I believe in fairies," Gray said,
+seriously.
+
+Allie smiled at him. "I reckon she will. Folks tell you 'most
+anything you want them to, I reckon."
+
+This was the busiest hour of the afternoon. Gray had purposely
+ordered the horses sent around at a time when he knew that the
+veranda, the walks, and the tennis courts would be filled, for
+ever since his interview with the hotel manager a plan had been
+shaping in his mind and already he had dropped a few words, a hint
+or two here and there, that were calculated to stimulate interest
+in Allie Briskow.
+
+It gratified his craving for the theatric now to lead the girl out
+before so many curious eyes. For himself, he knew that he
+commanded attention, and as he noted the lines of this young Juno
+he could find nothing in her that needed betterment. Allie's suit
+was the latest, smartest thing in riding habits, and it set off
+her magnificent figure as nothing else could. Systematic exercise
+and hard work, like the final touch of a skilled sculptor, had
+given it beauty and refinement; harmony and proportion had
+destroyed the impression of unusual size. How deep was her bosom,
+how smooth and flowing were her curves, how superbly tall she was!
+As a thing of flesh and blood, she made these other women look
+like females of an insignificant race.
+
+It thrilled him pleasantly to observe the confidence with which
+she swung herself into the saddle and the instant mastery she
+exercised over her restless mount. No timidity there, no need of
+assistance; no absurd, hampering skirts and artificial posture,
+either, but a seat astride as befits anyone who chooses to honor
+the king of four-footed creatures.
+
+Under cover, Gray noted Allie's effect upon her attentive
+audience, and he smiled. If only he could spend a few days here he
+would make her a woman to be sought after by some of the best
+people. She refused to meet them, eh? Well, that would be as it
+was to be.
+
+"We've been having supper in our rooms lately," she told him, when
+they returned at dark. "You're going to eat with us, ain--aren't
+you?"
+
+"I am, to be sure. But not in your rooms," he declared.
+
+"I'd rather--"
+
+"You'd rather do exactly what would please me, now wouldn't you?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Then run along and put on that dinner dress that I liked best.
+And tell Ma to look her prettiest, too. We'll not spoil this day."
+
+It was seven-thirty when Gray, in evening clothes, appeared at the
+Briskow suite. Allie told herself there had never been a man so
+handsome, so distinguished, so Godlike as he. God, she now felt
+sure, must wear full dress.
+
+Gus Briskow beamed as the visitor smiled approvingly at his
+daughter. "She is purty, ain't she? Don't look much like the girl
+I sent to Dallas for fixin's."
+
+"Allie is more then pretty, she's regal. 'Such another peerless
+queen only could her mirror show.' But--her head is turned
+already, Gus. Don't spoil her." The speaker stood with arms folded
+and head lowered while he studied the girl impersonally. Allie
+wore an expensive black lace dress, sleeveless and sufficiently
+low of neck to display her charms. "Plain! A little too somber,"
+Gray declared. "She can afford colors, ornaments. Jove! I'd like
+some time to see her in something Oriental, something barbaric.
+The next time I'm in New York I'll select a gown--"
+
+Ma Briskow entered at the moment, greatly flustered and extremely
+self-conscious, and here, certainly, was no lack of ornamentation
+or of color. Ma wore all her jewelry, and her dress was an
+elaborate creation of brilliant jade green, from one shoulder of
+which depended a filmy streamer of green chiffon. In her desire to
+gild the lily she had knotted a Roman scarf about her waist--a
+scarf of many colors, of red, of yellow, of purple, of blue, of
+orange--a very spectrum of vivid stripes, and it utterly ruined
+her. It lent her an air of extreme superfluity; it was as if she
+had put on everything except the bedspread.
+
+"You said to look my nicest," she bubbled, "so I done the best I
+could."
+
+"You _are_ lovely, both of you, but--this is my party, isn't it? I
+can do anything I please?" Gray looked from one to the other in
+eager inquiry. "Then let me fix you my way. Ma Briskow, your face
+is too sweet, too gentle, to be spoiled. Your charm is in your
+simplicity. Here, I have it!"
+
+With swift impetuosity he untied the scarf and whipped it from
+Ma's waist. "Watch me now and you'll see I'm right." With his
+penknife he cut the threads that held the chiffon streamer in
+place and removed it. "_Voila_! Even so little, and we see an
+adorable motherly person, richly but unostentatiously gowned.
+Don't you agree with me?"
+
+Without pausing for an answer, he wheeled upon the daughter and
+drew her into the range of a pier glass. "Now close your eyes and
+keep them closed." Around Allie's hips he flung the scarf, drew it
+snug and smooth, then knotted it. Next he snatched the length of
+chiffon and bound it about her head. His touch was deft and
+certain; a moment and it had been fashioned to suit him. Then he
+stood back and eyed the _tout ensemble._
+
+"Gorgeous!" he cried, genuinely enthusiastic. "That was the touch.
+I defy any costumer to better it. Open your eyes, oh, gypsy
+princess! And what do you see?"
+
+"It--it sort of makes a difference, doesn't it?" Allie said. "'A
+_difference'!_" Gray flung aloft his hands in exaggerated despair.
+"Heaven help me! I am inspired; I have a flash of genius, a divine
+impulse, and with a magic pass I work a miracle. I transform you
+from something somber, dark, morose, into a creature of life, of
+passion, of allurement." He groaned. "And you stand there like a
+stalagmite. Why, girl, _look_ at yourself!"
+
+"Darned if she don't look like a pitcher I seen som'er's--on an
+almanac," Gus declared.
+
+"Aha! A man with a soul! A human being who sees beauty where I see
+it. An artist with my fire!" Gray burst into infectious laughter,
+and the others joined him.
+
+This proved to be an evening when people really did turn their
+heads as the Briskows were shown to their table, but for once
+Allie suffered no embarrassment, for she felt sure they were
+looking at Calvin Gray, and in the shining glory of his presence
+she knew that she and her parents were invisible.
+
+It was the sort of situation in which Gray appeared to best
+advantage, so he talked incessantly during the meal, and in a key
+that kept his companions unconscious of their surroundings. On
+their way out they passed the entrance to the ballroom and paused
+to look in. The beat of the music swayed Allie unconsciously;
+then, before she knew it, Gray's arm was around her waist and he
+was guiding her out upon the floor.
+
+"Oh, n-no!" she gasped. She stumbled, but he drew her closer,
+saying:
+
+"I'm proud of you, and I want you to show these people that you
+dance even better than you ride."
+
+Allie rose to the challenge.
+
+About midnight Calvin Gray strolled outdoors for a breath of fresh
+air before retiring. He glowed with the consciousness of a worthy
+deed well done. He had come to the Notch expecting to spend one
+night, but events of the last few hours had induced him to change
+his plans, and he now made up his mind to stay several days. He
+was burning to be back in the oil fields, to be sure; every hour
+away from them was an hour wasted, and although he told himself it
+was his feud that drew him, he knew better. As a matter of fact,
+when he thought of Texas it was of Wichita Falls, and when he
+visualized the latter place it was to picture a cottage with the
+paint off or a small office with the sign, "Tom and Bob Parker,
+Real Estate and Insurance."
+
+He had been eagerly, selfishly, counting the hours until his
+return, but here, it seemed, was work to be done, a task that he
+alone could accomplish, and his decision to remain had been made
+final when Allie Briskow told him with tremulous earnestness that
+he had saved her life--when she confessed that she had intended to
+kill herself, and why.
+
+Naturally Gray had put no faith in that wild declaration,
+nevertheless it was plain that the girl--that all three Briskows
+--needed a friend to guide them. He sighed with resignation, but
+reflected that, inasmuch as he had put his hand to the plow, he
+must turn the furrow. After all, he could well afford to spare a
+week to put that girl on the road to happiness.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+From the day of their first meeting, Henry Nelson and Calvin Gray
+had clashed. No two people could be more different in disposition
+and temper, hence it was only natural that every characteristic,
+every action of the one should have aroused the other's
+antagonism. Nelson was a cool, selfish, calculating plodder with
+little imagination and less originality; he thought in grooves.
+His was a splendid type of mind for a banker. He had but one weak
+point--_viz_., a villainous temper, a capacity for blind,
+vindictive rage--a weakness, truly, for a man who dealt in money
+--but a weakness that lent him a certain humanity and without which
+he would have been altogether too mechanical, too colorless, too
+efficient. Nature seldom errs by making supermen. A drab man, in
+many ways, Nelson was extraordinary mainly in this, that his mind
+followed straight, obvious channels, and that never, except under
+the urge of extreme passion, did he depart from the strictly
+logical line of action. In this, of course, he was superior to the
+average person, who too frequently undertakes the unusual. Calvin
+Gray's ebullience, his dash, his magnificence of demeanor, could
+be nothing less than an affront to such a man; Nelson could see in
+him only a pompous braggart, an empty, arrogant strutter.
+
+Age and easy success had not improved the banker's apoplectic turn
+of mind, hence Gray's defiant declaration of war, his impudent
+assurance that the recent misfortunes to the house of Nelson were
+the direct results of his own deliberate efforts, had proven
+almost unendurable. In the first place, Nelson could not imagine a
+man making such a declaration; it was new to his entire experience and
+contrary to his code. It was unconservative, therefore it
+staggered him. It was, in fact, a phenomenon so unique as to leave
+him numb. He told himself that it must have been the act of a
+madman or a fool. Under no circumstances could he conceive of
+himself warning an enemy of his intentions; on the contrary, when
+he undertook to crush a rival he went about it slyly, secretly, in
+the only regular and proper way. As a matter of fact, it had come
+as a disagreeable surprise to learn that his former comrade at
+arms cherished any resentment whatever toward him, for he had
+thought his tracks were well covered.
+
+What left the banker actually gasping, however, that which he came
+back to with unfailing astonishment, was Gray's effrontery in
+coming to Wichita Falls to boast of his accomplishments. That
+bespoke such contempt, such supreme self-confidence in his ability
+to wreak further damage, that Nelson wanted to shout aloud his
+rage and his defiance.
+
+Following the departure of his two callers on that day of the
+meeting in the bank, Nelson closed his desk and went home. He
+could work no more. For several days thereafter he was an
+unpleasant person to do business with.
+
+On mature consideration, what amazed him as much as anything else
+was the fact that Gray had made good in so short a time and in
+such a big way. Evidently, however, it was only another story of a
+lucky break and an overnight fortune--a common occurrence these
+days. But it was doubly unfortunate under the circumstances, for
+already Nelson was carrying a load equal to his strength, and he
+told himself that he could not afford to be distracted, even
+temporarily, by the irresponsible actions of a maniac. One never
+could tell what a madman would do. And Gray had confessed himself
+a madman--a fanatic of the most dangerous type. There was but one
+course of action open--viz., to eliminate him, destroy him without
+delay. That was no easy task, even in these lawless times, but the
+stakes were too high to permit of half measures. There must be a way.
+
+One would have to be careful, of course, not to put oneself too
+much in the power of unscrupulous people, and, alas! the world was
+full of unscrupulous people. It was a pity that people could be so
+unscrupulous as to take advantage of a bargain made in good faith.
+That was blackmail. However, the prestige of the Nelson name was
+great, the power of its money was potent, and Henry believed that
+he could protect himself from eventualities. After cautious
+deliberation he sent word to one of his men in the Ranger field
+that he wished to see him.
+
+The man came promptly, and when he left Henry Nelson's house after
+a conference he carried with him a perfectly clear idea why he had
+been sent for. This despite the fact that he had not been told in
+so many words. He knew, for instance, that a certain Calvin Gray
+had become a menace to his employers, so dangerous that it was
+worth to them a substantial fortune to be rid of him, and that
+while Henry Nelson could under no circumstances countenance
+anything illegal, anything savoring of violence, nevertheless if
+some accident should befall Gray, if some act of God should put an
+end to him, there would be no disposition on Henry's part to
+question the divine origin of that calamity. Furthermore, the
+speaker had made it plain that if Providence did take a hand in
+some such mysterious manner, he would then be in a position amply
+to reward his employee for many acts of loyalty that had
+apparently passed unrecognized. For instance, profitable deals
+were forever coming up, new acreage was constantly being acquired,
+and it would be easy to carry a third party for an interest which
+was bound to make that third party rich.
+
+All this was expressed with admirable vagueness, but the man
+understood.
+
+So much accomplished, Nelson went to Dallas and there undertook to
+learn something about the size of Calvin Gray's profits, who was
+behind him and the extent of their backing, and what his
+prospects were. He followed every avenue of information; he even
+went so far as to hire an investigator and send him north to look
+up Gray's record and to follow his tracks as far back as possible.
+Nelson was reconnoitering behind the enemy's lines and testing the
+strength of his position.
+
+When he returned home Gray was gone, whither he could not learn.
+As the days passed without further developments, Nelson began to
+believe that he had had a bad dream and that Gray had merely been
+talking to hear his own voice. He devoutly hoped that such would
+prove to be the case.
+
+A time came, however, when his apprehensions were roused afresh,
+and it was Barbara Parker who rekindled them. She had come to the
+bank with an excellent proposition and was doing her best to sell
+it; in the course of her conversation she referred to Gray in a
+manner that gave Nelson cause for thought.
+
+"I've looked this lease over," "Bob" was saying, "and I've seen
+the books. It has been producing a hundred and fifty barrels a day
+steadily. Production like that is cheap at a thousand dollars a
+barrel. It is worth a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Henry."
+
+"Why is it offered for seventy-five?"
+
+"Bob" shrugged. "How did a 'boll weevil' like this Jackson ever
+make even a hundred-and-fifty-barrel well, in the first place?
+Where did he get the money to drill? He is sick of the game, I
+suppose, and would be satisfied to get his money back with a
+reasonable profit. It is a find, really."
+
+"Looks so, for a fact. How did you get on to it, 'Bob'?"
+
+"Purely by chance. Through a man named Mallow, a 'scientist' of
+some sort with a magic tester." The girl laughed.
+
+"Don't know him."
+
+"Mallow is as queer as the rest of his kind, and I put no faith in
+his story until I investigated. But the well is there and doing a
+hundred and fifty barrels as regular as clockwork."
+
+"You'll have no trouble in selling it."
+
+"Then you're not interested?"
+
+"Interested? Yes, indeed." Nelson nodded. "I'm quite excited, as a
+matter of fact, but--I can't handle it at this particular time."
+
+"Frankly, I'm glad you can't," Barbara told him, "for now I can
+sell it to Mr. Gray."
+
+"Gray?" Henry looked up quickly. "If you wanted it for him, why
+did you bring it to me?"
+
+"Because Mr. Mallow insisted. He felt sure you'd jump at it.
+Besides, Mr. Gray is away and prompt action is necessary. I'll
+wire him at once and ask him to accept my judgment."
+
+"Will he do so?"
+
+The girl colored faintly at the tone of this inquiry. "Perhaps. I
+think he believes in me, and--that's more than you do. It's mighty
+flattering to a girl to have a man like Mr. Gray believe in her.
+Why, I am practically his agent! He buys and sells through me
+whenever he can."
+
+"He's buying and selling, is he? He said something about entering
+this field in a big way--"
+
+"He's in." "Bob's" eyes were sparkling. "Oh, things are looking up
+for dad and me. Mr. Gray is a real miracle man, isn't he?" When
+this question evoked no response, the girl inquired, curiously,
+"Tell me, are you and he such good friends as he says you are?"
+
+"Does he say we are good friends?"
+
+"Um-m--well, he speaks admiringly of you, and if people admire me
+I _love_ them. He thinks you are a remarkably capable person. 'A
+determined fighter,' I think he called you. That should be high
+praise, coming from a fellow officer. He probably outlined his
+plans to you."
+
+"He did." Nelson spoke dryly.
+
+"I assumed that he was relying on your judgment and taking your
+tips." "Why? How so?"
+
+"Because he has bought so much land alongside of yours."
+
+"Where?"
+
+Barbara was surprised. "I--why, I supposed you knew!" After a
+moment of hesitation she said: "I think I'd better keep my mouth
+closed. Just the same, he couldn't have done better than to follow
+your lead. That is the first compliment I ever paid you, Henry."
+
+"I've paid you enough. And I do believe in you, 'Bob,' but I'm not
+the flattering kind. He's a great ladies' man. I wonder if he is
+going to make me jealous."
+
+"You? Jealous? Coming from Wichita's most emotionless banker, from
+the cold county Croesus, that speech is almost a--a declaration."
+Miss Parker laughed frankly. "Why, Henry! My haughty little nose
+is turning up--I can feel it. But, alas! it proves your
+insincerity. If you had faith in my judgment you'd pick up this
+snap."
+
+With some hesitation the man said: "We're in deep, 'Bob.' Awfully
+deep! And things haven't gone as well as they should, lately. It's
+temporary, of course, but it would require an extraordinary effort
+at this time to take on anything new. That's the worst of this oil
+game, it takes so much money to protect your holdings. It doesn't
+pay to prospect land for the benefit of your neighbor; the risks
+are too great. Gray has been pretty attentive to you, hasn't he?"
+
+"That's a part of the man; he is attentive to everybody. I have
+received more candy and flowers and delightful little surprises
+than in all my short, neglected life."
+
+"I didn't know you liked candy."
+
+"I don't. But I adore getting it. The thought counts. I don't care
+much for canaries, either--I have such bad luck with them--but he
+sent me the dearest thing from New York. A tiny mechanical bird
+with actual feathers. And it sings! It is a really, truly yellow
+canary in a beautiful gold cage, and when you press a spring it
+perks its head, opens its beak, flirts its tail, and utters the most
+angelic song. It must have cost a fortune. Couldn't you _love_ a
+man who would think of a present like that?"
+
+"Hm-m! Could _you_?"
+
+"Oh, I'm joking, of course," "Bob" said, seriously. "We are merely
+business associates, Mr. Gray and I, but he has the faculty of
+taking his personality into his business, and that's why I know he
+is bound to make a great success."
+
+"Some day," Nelson said, with an effort at lightness, "when we
+have finished with this infernal oil excitement and the fever has
+subsided, perhaps I'll have a chance to--well, to play ladies'
+man. It won't last long--"
+
+"I'm sure it won't," laughed the girl. "You'd never make a go of
+it, Henry."
+
+"I mean this boom won't last. These fools think it will, but it
+won't. While it does last, we busy men have no time for anything
+else, no chance to think of anything, no room in our minds--" The
+speaker stared gloomily into space. He shook his head. "When a
+fellow is worried about important matters, he neglects the little;
+things."
+
+"To me that is the tragedy of this oil excitement. It devours
+everything fine in us. I wonder if the 'little things' of life
+aren't, after all, the most important. Mind you, I'm not hinting
+--I don't want your attentions--I wouldn't have time for them,
+anyhow, for I'm just as feverish as anybody else. But in the midst
+of all these new concerns, these sudden millions, this overnight
+success, our ambitious schemes, we are forgetting the things that
+really count. Gentleness, courtesy, love, home, children: they're
+pretty big, Henry. Candy and roses and yellow canaries, too. But
+"--the speaker rose, briskly--"I didn't come here to talk about
+them; I came here to sell you an oil well. Sorry you can't take
+it."
+
+When she had gone Nelson sat in a frowning study for some time.
+So, it was not all a bad dream. What could be Gray's object in
+buying acreage adjoining his? Was it faith in his, Nelson's,
+judgment, a desire to ride to success on the tail of his enemy's
+kite, or did it mean a war of offsets, drilling operations the
+instant a well came in? More likely the latter, if the maniac
+really meant what he had said. That promised to be an expensive
+and a hazardous undertaking on Gray's part; that was playing the
+game on a scale too big for the fellow's limited resources, and
+yet--it might be well to study the maps. Yes, and it was like
+Gray's effrontery to pay deliberate court to "Bob" Parker, knowing
+his rival's feelings toward the girl. Another insult! The upstart
+certainly possessed an uncanny dexterity in pricking armor joints.
+But what if Gray were in earnest? "Bob" had become a wonderfully
+desirable creature, she was the most attractive girl in Wichita
+Falls--
+
+It was a thought that had not previously presented itself to Henry
+Wilson, and it disturbed him now. He was glad, indeed, that he had
+sent to Ranger for that field man.
+
+In and around the office of McWade & Stoner these were busy days,
+what with a couple of new wildcat promotions and a well going down
+on semiproven ground--that lease which cornered into the Nelson
+holdings, and to which Stoner had called attention. It had been
+easy to sell stock in the latter enterprise, and now the deeper
+went the hole, the higher rose the hopes of the promoters. Stoner
+himself was directing operations, and he had named the well
+"Avenger Number One."
+
+To-day he and his partner had been listening to Mallow, who
+concluded an earnest discourse with these words:
+
+"Nelson and her are pardners in one deal and he's stuck on her. If
+anybody can put it over, she's the one."
+
+"If he buys that well it'll be the biggest laugh this town ever
+had," McWade declared.
+
+"Buy it? A hundred and fifty barrels in the heart of settled
+production for seventy-five thousand? I bet he'll buy it."
+
+"Think the boss will stand for that kind of a deal?"
+
+"Why not? They can't hang it on him, and Heaven knows I'm honest."
+
+"He said 'nothing crooked'--"
+
+Mallow snorted. "Say, I bet you believe in Santa Claus! Gray's a
+great man, and what makes him great is that he does his own
+crooked work."
+
+Stoner was inclined to agree with Mallow's measure of their
+associate. "That's how I got him figgered. His honesty talk didn't
+go far with me, and I don't believe he'll kick at anything. He's
+willing to pay any price to break this banker, but you can't
+bankrupt a feller unless you rip his coin loose; you can't _ask_
+him to please loosen. If we make a well of the Avenger we'll force
+him to shoot maybe a hundred thousand right away, and that may
+cramp him for a while; but suppose he makes the turn and hits it
+like we do? We've made him that much stronger, haven't we? Gray
+plans to keep him spending faster than he can get it in, and
+that's all right--if it works, but if Mallow can bilk him for
+seventy-five thousand at one fell swipe--Well, I'll bet my best
+gold tooth that the boss will stand the shock like a man."
+
+"I think you've both got Gray all wrong," said McWade. "He's too
+smart to be crooked."
+
+This was a statement so absurd that Mallow proceeded to riddle it.
+It was, upon its face, a contradiction, for none but smart men
+could be crooked, and the laws of logic proved the converse to be
+equally true.
+
+Stoner sat in frowning silence while the argument raged, but he
+broke in finally: "I've always wanted to pull a real salting job,
+just to show how easy it is to gyp the cagy ones--not an oil-can
+job like this, but something big. This looks like the piscological
+moment."
+
+"Lay off, I tell you!" McWade cried. "We're a legitimate firm,'
+solid as Gibraltar and safe as a church.' That's our motto, and
+we've got to live up to it. I came into Wichita on the roof of a
+Pullman; I'm going out in a drawing-room. Me and sin are
+strangers." "Nothing sinful about my idea, Mac. One fall or two
+won't break Nelson; we've got to spill him hard. If we can pick up
+a few pennies ourselves in the process, why, that's legitimate.
+The dealer is entitled to his percentage, ain't he? Now listen.
+Everybody's getting set for a big play over in Arkansas, as you
+know--salting away cheap acreage and waiting for some of the
+wildcats to come in. Well, last year I had a tool dresser from up
+there; nice boy, but he got pneumonia and it turned into the
+'con,' so I took him home. He's back on his farm now, coughing his
+life away and doing a little bootleggin' to keep body and cough
+together. He's got a big place, but it's all run down and so poor
+you couldn't raise a dust on it with a bellows. It would be a
+Christian act to help him sell that goat pasture for enough to go
+to some nice warm country where he'd get well and they couldn't
+extradite him."
+
+"Of course, if you've got a scheme that is perfectly safe," McWade
+ventured, charitably, "and our bit was worth it--"
+
+"I been thinking we might help the boy sell that farm to Nelson."
+
+"How?"
+
+Mallow, too, was curious. "Nelson's lungs are healthy; he wouldn't
+cough a nickel unless the place had oil on it."
+
+"I meant to tell you it's got oil on it. Best indications I ever
+saw. There's a drinking well, only the water ain't fit to drink
+till you skim off the 'rainbow.' Then there's a wonderful seepage
+into the creek. You can see the oil oozing out from under the
+bank, in one place. Certainly is pretty."
+
+Stoner's hearers were intent; they exchanged puzzled glances.
+
+Mallow was the first to speak. "Come on. What's the joker? I ain't
+saying you'd murder the guy for that farm, but if it's as good as
+that he'd of died of the plague or something, and left it to you
+long before this."
+
+"In a way, I'm getting ahead of my story," Stoner continued,
+imperturbably. "The oil ain't actually visible, but it will be if,
+when, and as, Henry Nelson gets ready to buy it."
+
+"Easy enough to pour oil into a water well, I suppose, but that
+wouldn't fool a child. As for salting _running_ water, a creek
+--show me."
+
+"There's a lot for you to learn in this business, Mallow. The
+point is, can we lay Nelson against a bunch of acreage like that?"
+
+"You could lay _me_ against it if it looks like you say it does,"
+McWade declared.
+
+"This bootlegger, being half dead and non compost mentis, would
+help put it over with a man like Nelson; he'd set him in a draught
+while he was signing the option. I'll guarantee the seepage to
+last for a month, even if he has the well bailed out every day,
+and the creek will carry oil for half a mile."
+
+"Would your one-lunged friend know how to play in?"
+
+"_Would_ he? It was his idea, and all that kept us off of it last
+year was the fact that the oil would have to be hauled about
+thirty miles, and we didn't have the price between us to hire a
+truck."
+
+For some time the trio discussed the various angles of Stoner's
+proposition, endeavoring if possible to devise some natural way of
+intriguing the interest of Henry Nelson. On this score McWade had
+fewer apprehensions than did his companions, his contention being
+that it mattered not how the matter was brought to the banker's
+attention so long as the property would stand investigation.
+Nelson was bound to be suspicious, anyhow, and a sale depended
+entirely upon the character of the oil showing. McWade's coolness
+toward the enterprise, it transpired, was occasioned not by a
+loftier sense of rectitude than his associates displayed, but by
+lingering doubts as to the profits involved.
+
+Not until Brick declared that his tubercular friend would accede
+to any arrangement he saw fit to make did the junior partner fall
+in with the proposal. "If it's a fair, square deal all around, I'm for it,"
+the latter finally agreed. "But we can't afford to have any guy squawking
+that we did him up--especially if he's only got one lung to holler with.
+We're a legitimate firm, and we've got to treat our clients right. I
+think a fifty-fifty split would be reasonable."
+
+Stoner, too, thought that would be about right, and so it was
+left.
+
+Mallow was highly enthusiastic. "This will be a great surprise to
+Gray," he said, with animation. "It's mighty lucky he's got a gang
+like us to help him."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+To learn that her mountain retreat had been invaded and that she
+had been spied upon filled Ma Briskow with dismay, but when Allie
+found fault with her behavior the elder woman burned with
+resentment.
+
+"We're queer enough," the girl said, "without you cutting up crazy
+and making folks talk. If you want to dance, for goodness' sake
+hire somebody to lear--to teach you, same as I did."
+
+Mrs. Briskow had silently endured her daughter's criticism up to
+this point, but now her lips tightened and there was a defiant
+tilt to her head.
+
+"Who says I want to dance?" she demanded. "I can dance good
+enough."
+
+"What was you up to the other day? That Delamater man said you was
+acting plumb nutty."
+
+"I wasn't doin' anything."
+
+"Where do you go every day, Ma? You stay around nice and quiet
+till Miz' Ring or I look the other way, then--you're gone."
+
+"I kinda--visit around."
+
+"Who d'you visit with? You don't know anybody. Nobody ever speaks
+to us. You ain't in earnest about those fairies and things, are
+you?"
+
+"It ain't anybody's business where I go or what I do," Ma
+declared, in sullen exasperation. "I ain't bothering anybody, am
+I?"
+
+"Don't say 'ain't,' say 'isn't.'"
+
+For once in her patient life the mother flamed into open
+rebellion. "Don't 'don't' me!" she cried. "You're gettin' the
+'don't' habit off Miz' Ring an' nothin' I say or do is right any
+more. You mind your own 'isn'ts' an' I'll handle my 'ain'ts.' I got
+places where I go an' things I do an' I don't bother nobody. I guess
+we got enough money so I can do things I want to, as long as I don't
+bother nobody."
+
+"Why don't you take Pa along? He'd go, then people--"
+
+"Mind your own business!" the old woman snapped. She flounced out
+of the room, leaving Allie amazed and indignant at this burst of
+temper.
+
+That day Ma Briskow abandoned her mountain fastness. She took her
+faithful retainers with her and led them farther up the ravine to
+a retreat that was truly inaccessible. She moved them, bag and
+baggage. Of course, there was a scene; the children cried, the
+women wailed, the men wept. But she told them that traitors had
+betrayed their hiding place to the dastardly Duke of Dallas, and
+any moment might bring his cutthroat crew upon them. Some of the
+younger bloods were for remaining and selling their lives dearly,
+but Ma would not hear to it.
+
+It was quite an undertaking to move a whole nomad tribe, for there
+were all the household belongings, the rattle, the sheep, the
+goats, the milk-white Arabian steeds, the butter and eggs and
+homemade preserves, and all the paraphernalia of a warlike people.
+It is surprising how stuff accumulates in a mountain fastness. But
+she managed the retreat with conspicuous ability. Ma led the long
+caravan into the bed of a running stream, so that there would
+remain not a single footprint to guide pursuers, then she sat in
+her saddle and gazed back at the silent camping place.
+
+Trap her, eh? Come upon her unprepared, would they? Ha! ha! She
+laughed scornfully and tossed her head of midnight hair as she
+pictured the duke's rage at finding he had been foiled again, and
+by a mere slip of a girl!
+
+This was a good game and exciting, too. Fetch Pa Briskow along,
+indeed! Why, these wild mountain folk would kill him; in their
+present mood they would rend a stranger hip from thigh. If they dreamed,
+for instance, that she, their queen, was married--
+
+Here was a new thought, and Ma's imagination leaped at it. If
+these passionate people suspected that she had contracted a secret
+marriage with the--the Earl of Briskow, their jealousy would know
+no bounds. They would probably slay Pa. Ma shuddered at the horrid
+vision of what would happen to Pa. This was truly thrilling.
+
+Later on in the morning Mrs. Briskow discovered that she possessed
+another amazing accomplishment--_viz_., the ability to walk on a
+ceiling, upside down, like a fly. It was extremely amusing, for it
+enabled a person to see right into everything. Pa and Allie looked
+very funny from above.
+
+The next day, when she stealthily slipped out of her French
+window, she found Calvin Gray idly rocking on the veranda. He
+welcomed her appearance and pretended not to see her embarrassment
+at the meeting; he was glad of this chance for a visit with her
+alone. Perhaps she was going for a walk and would take him along?
+
+Ma was annoyed and suspicious. She liked Gray, but--she was as
+wary as a trout and she refused to be baited. She would allow him
+to walk with her--but lead him to the retreat? Well, hardly.
+
+The man was piqued, for suspicion irked him. It was a tribute to
+his patience and to his knack of inspiring confidence that Ma
+finally told him about Allie's criticism and her resentment
+thereat.
+
+"I got my own way of enjoyin' myself, an' I don't care what people
+think," she declared, with some heat.
+
+"Quite right. It's none of their darned business, Ma."
+
+"She thinks I'm kind of crazy an'--I guess I am. But it comes from
+livin' so long in the heat an' the drought an' allus wantin'
+things I couldn't have--allus bein' sort of thirsty in the head.
+When you want things all your life an' never have 'em, you get so
+you _play_ you've got 'em."
+
+The man nodded. "You had a hard time. Your life was starved. I'm
+so glad the money came in time." "You see, I never had time to
+play, or a good place to play in, even when I was a little girl.
+But this is like--like books I've read."
+
+"Are these mountains what you thought they would be?"
+
+"Oh, they're better!" Ma breathed. "It's too bad Allie's got to
+spoil ever'thing."
+
+"I shall speak to her. We won't let her spoil anything. Now tell
+me how you play."
+
+But Ma flushed faintly, and for some time longer she refused her
+confidence. It didn't matter; it was all an old woman's
+foolishness; nobody would understand. Gray was not insistent;
+nevertheless, before long they were on their way toward the glen.
+
+It was a glorious morning, the forest was beautiful, and as the
+two strolled through it Ma's companion told her many things about
+trees and flowers and birds and bees that she had never dreamed
+of. Now Gray's natural history was shockingly inaccurate,
+nevertheless it was interesting, and it was told in a manner both
+whimsical and sprightly. He made up outrageous stories, and he
+took no shame in seriously recounting experiences of his own that
+Ma knew were wholly imaginary. She told him, finally:
+
+"Sakes alive! You're as crazy as I am."
+
+This he denied with spirit. Forests were enchanted places, and
+trolls dwelt in the mountains. There was no question about that;
+most people never took time to see them, that was all. Now as for
+him, he had actually beheld naiads and dryads, nixies and pixies,
+at play--at least he had practically been upon the point of seeing
+them. Ma, herself, must have come across places they had just
+left, but probably she had lacked the patience to await their
+return or the faith to woo them into being. There were little
+woods people, too, no bigger than your thumb, whose drinking
+goblets were acorn cups, and whose plates were shiny leaves. He
+showed her how to set a fairy tablecloth with her handkerchief and
+with toadstools for seats.
+
+In a reckless burst of confidence Ma told him how it felt to
+walk upside down, like a fly, and to go bounding through the woods
+like a thistledown. Gray had never tried it, but he was
+interested.
+
+Then, finally, alas! the inconsistency of woman! she told him all
+about her hidden band of mountaineers.
+
+Now this was something he _could_ understand. This was more his
+speed. He insisted upon making the personal acquaintance of those
+bold followers of hers and upon hearing the whole sad story of the
+Princess Pensacola. The history of her struggle against the wicked
+Duke of Dallas moved him; he wove new details of his own into it,
+and before Ma knew it he was actually playing the part of the
+duke.
+
+The duke, it appeared, was a hard and haughty man, but at heart he
+was not all bad; when he had listened to the story of his victim's
+wrongs and more fully appreciated the courage, the devotion of her
+doughty followers, he was touched. For her sake, and theirs, he
+proposed a truce to this ruinous struggle. What kind of a truce?
+Well, he refused entirely to renounce his claim to the throne,
+but--they might share it. He was a handsome man and no wickeder
+than the general run of dukes; he would make a becoming husband to
+the beauteous princess, and if she set her mind to it she could
+probably make a better person of him. Thus would the warring
+factions be united, thus would the blessings of peace descend--
+
+But the princess raised her slim, jeweled hand, and spoke thus:
+"Too late, Your Honor! I been married to His Royal Highness the
+Earl of Briskow, and it serves you right the way you done both of
+us."
+
+The duke fell into a great rage at this. He refused to believe it,
+and threatened to annul the marriage.
+
+"Oh, you can't do that," tittered the princess. "We was married by
+the Royal Justice of the Peace and--we got two children."
+
+Here _was_ a blow! The duke was crushed, until a happy thought
+came to him. If cruel fate prevented him from claiming the
+Princess Pensacola for a bride he would take her for a mother. He
+had always wanted a mother, anyhow; lack of maternal care it was
+that accounted for his wildness--it was enough to ruin any duke
+--and mothers were much nicer than wives. They were much harder to
+get, also.
+
+"Lord! I wish you meant it!" Ma exclaimed, in a matter-of-fact
+tone. "I wish Allie was a real princess. Mebbe--"
+
+Gray broke in with a laugh. "There! You've spoiled the play. The
+duke has fled."
+
+Mrs. Briskow's wrinkled face beamed. "Think of a gre't big man
+like you playin' 'pretend' with a foolish old woman like me! I
+thought you had more sense."
+
+"I live in my own land of 'pretend,' just as you do. Why, I have a
+real princess of my own."
+
+"Honest?"
+
+Gray nodded. "The Princess of Wichita Falls. Would you like to
+hear about her? Well, she's small and dainty, as princesses should
+be, and her eyes are like bluebells, Ma. They are brave, honest
+eyes that can laugh or cry--the sort of eyes that make a man's
+head swim when he looks into them too long. She carries herself
+like a great lady, and she's very cool and business--I mean
+princess-like, to men. But in reality she's just an adorable
+feminine creature who wants to be loved. When she laughs two deep
+dimples come into her cheeks--marks of royal favor. Some people
+may consider her too stern, too matter-of-fact, but she isn't; in
+her boudoir there is scent and sachet and frilly, ribbony things
+that nobody ever sees. And flowers from me. She loves roses best
+of all and she says she buries her face in them. I send her roses,
+mostly, so they can kiss her cheeks for me. A tiny yellow love
+bird in a tiny yellow cage sings her awake every morning. I taught
+it the song it warbles, but--she'll never understand what the
+little bird is trying to say."
+
+Ma Briskow had listened with rapt attention. Now, she inquired,
+"Does she love you?"
+
+"Didn't I tell you this was my game of pretense?" Gray said,
+gayly. "Do you really think that an adorable creature whose head
+is full of girlish notions and youthful ideals could care for the
+worldly, wicked old Duke of Dallas? I am old, Ma, and I've gone
+the gait."
+
+"Pshaw! You ain't any such thing."
+
+"Well, perhaps I'm a better lover than I believe. Who knows?
+Fortunately, however, it is all just an amusing game." The speaker
+rose and looked at his watch. "It is lunch time, Mother Briskow,
+and I'm famished."
+
+As the two entered the hotel grounds, Gus and Allie hurried to
+meet them, and the latter exclaimed, irritably: "It's about time
+you showed up. We've been looking everywhere for you."
+
+At sight of her husband's face Ma inquired, in sudden anxiety,
+"What's wrong, Gus?"
+
+"It's Buddy," Allie declared.
+
+"'Tain't serious," Briskow said. "And it is, too. He's left
+school--run away! Here, Mr. Gray, see what you make out of it."
+
+Gray read aloud the letter that was handed to him, a letter from the
+principal of the institution that he himself had recommended, stating
+that Ozark had disappeared without doing the college authorities the
+courtesy of leaving an address. Inasmuch as he had never expressed the
+slightest dissatisfaction with his surroundings, the writer was at a
+loss to explain the reason for this disappearance. As to Ozark's
+safety, there was no immediate cause for apprehension, for he had
+taken with him three trunks of clothing, a high-powered touring car,
+and a Belgian police dog; but certain of the young man's exploits that
+had come to light since his departure aroused grave doubts in the
+principal's mind of his moral well-being.
+
+"What's it mean?" the mother inquired.
+
+"It means that Buddy has taken a vacation. How much money has he?"
+
+"He's got plenty," Gus declared. "More 'n is good for him if--"
+
+"If what?" Ma queried.
+
+Gus halted; it was Allie who answered: "If he's done what we think
+he's done--gone away after some woman."
+
+"Some _woman_?" Ma stared blankly from one face to another. "Buddy
+in love? Why, he never wrote me nothing about bein' in love."
+Reading a further message in her husband's expression, she cried,
+fiercely: "He's a good boy. He wouldn't take up with--with nobody
+that wasn't nice. What makes you think it's a girl?"
+
+"I didn't say 'girl,' Ma, I said '_woman_.' Buddy's been writin'
+to me and--"
+
+
+"What's the difference? Mebbe he's in love with some nice young
+woman an' they've run away to git married. Buddy's han'some, and
+they got nice women everywhere--"
+
+"_Love_? With all his money? And him only up to fractions?"
+Allegheny laughed scornfully.
+
+Gus Briskow wiped his face with a nervous hand. "I'm 'most sick
+over it," he confessed. "The perfessor has written me a coupla
+times about him. Buddy's gone kinda wild, I guess, drinkin' an'--"
+
+"Drinking?" Gray interrupted, sharply. "Why didn't you tell me?
+So, you gave him unlimited money, in spite of my warning?"
+
+"He wanted his own bank account; his share of the royalties. Made
+him feel more like a man, he said. I--I never learned how to say
+'no' to him or Allie. Ma an' I allus said 'no' to each other, but
+it was allus 'yes' to them. We never had much to give 'em, noway."
+
+"Drinking, eh?" Gray was frowning. "The woman part I don't care so
+much about--he'll probably get over that if it isn't too serious.
+But whisky! That's different. I'm responsible for that boy; in a
+manner of speaking, I adopted him because--well, because he
+flattered me by pretending to admire me. It was a unique
+experience. I took Buddy for my own. Will you let me handle this
+matter?" The speaker looked from one parent to the other, and they
+saw that his face was grimly set. "Give me my way and I'll bring
+that young rascal to time or--" He shrugged, he smiled faintly.
+"Give me permission to treat him as if he really were my own, will
+you?"
+
+"You got my leave," said the father; but Ma Briskow bristled.
+
+"Don't you dast to hurt him," she cried.
+
+Again Gray shrugged, this time with resignation. "As you will. I
+was wild, myself; I think I know what he needs."
+
+"You can't beat anything into Buddy's head." It was Allie
+speaking. "After all, he's grown up, and what right has anybody
+got to interfere with him? S'pose it _is_ a woman? S'pose she _is_
+after his money? It's his. Men can get what they want by payin'
+for it. An hour, a day, a week of happiness! Ain't that worth all
+Buddy 'll have to pay? I'd pay. I'd go through torture the rest of
+my life--"
+
+"_Allegheny Briskow!_" the mother exclaimed.
+
+"Well, I would." The girl's voice broke, a sudden agitation seized
+her; in passionate defiance she went on: "What's the use of
+wanting something all your life and never getting it? What's money
+for if you can't buy the one thing you want worst of all? That's
+where men have got the best of it; they can buy love. I wish I was
+a man; I wish I was Buddy! I'd have my day, my week--and as much
+more as I could pay for. I'd have happiness that long if it broke
+my heart. But I'm a _girl_!"
+
+It was with a sudden interest that Gray studied the speaker. Here
+was a side to the Briskow character that he had not suspected, and
+it gave him a new light upon Buddy, for brother and sister were
+much alike; it showed him more clearly the size of the task he had
+volunteered to undertake. He heard the father speaking, and
+reluctantly withdrew his eyes from Allie's flaming face.
+
+"He likes you, Mr. Gray, an' mebbe you could keep him from
+spoilin' his hull life. That's what he's liable to do an'--I'm
+skeered. He wouldn't listen to me. Boys don't listen to their
+fathers."
+
+"I'll find him, Gus, and I'll make him listen to me. If it is drink,
+I'll break him of it. If it is a woman--I'll break him of that, too,
+for it can't be more than a passing fancy." Noting the tragic concern
+that wrinkled Ma Briskow's. face, he put an arm about her, saying more
+gently: "Now, now! I won't deny you the luxury of worrying, Ma
+dear. That is a mother's divine prerogative, but rest assured Buddy
+sha'n't do himself any great harm. Now then, let's get to a
+long-distance phone."
+
+It was perhaps two hours before Gray reported to Gus Briskow:
+"They don't know much more at the school than was written in that
+letter. He has been going a rather lively pace lately, it seems."
+
+"Did you find out anything about the--the woman?"
+
+"Nothing definite. I have put detectives on the case, and they
+will report to me at Wichita Falls. As soon as they uncover his
+trail, I'll go to Buddy at once."
+
+"You goin' to leave us?"
+
+"I must. I've just received a telegram from my--my agent. About
+the purchase of a well. It is a matter that can't wait."
+
+"I can't thank you for all you done for us. We was in bad shape
+till you come. Now--"
+
+"Now everything is straight again. That's my job, Gus--to do
+little odd favors for those I love. You must stay here, for Ma is
+happy, and this place is making a girl of her. Allie is doing
+wonders with herself, too. By the way, she needn't be lonely any
+more; I've talked to some of the guests, and they want to make
+friends with her. She'll find them nice people, and you must make
+her meet them halfway. Perhaps she'll become interested in some
+decent young fellow. I'd like that, wouldn't you?"
+
+"Would ye?"
+
+The tone of this inquiry caused Gray to glance more keenly at the
+speaker, but Briskow's bright eyes told him nothing.
+
+"Why, naturally. Allie is becoming more attractive every day, and
+she is going to make something of herself. She is going to 'do us
+all proud.'"
+
+As soon as he was alone Gray eagerly reread his telegram from
+Wichita Falls. It was from Barbara Parker--the first, by the way,
+that he had ever received--and he smiled at the girl's effort to
+be thoroughly businesslike, and at the same time to convey the
+full urgency of her message. Why had she economized on words when
+every one was precious to him? Buy that well? Of course he would,
+if she so earnestly desired it. But what was better by far than
+the prospect of a profitable purchase was the fact of her personal
+interest in him. When it came to the last line of her message,
+"Bob" had plunged into a ten-word riot of extravagance.
+
+"The bird is darling. I have named him after you."
+
+Gray wondered if these words really meant what they seemed to
+imply, or if it was merely her bubbling, enthusiasm that spoke.
+Well, he would soon find out. Already he had wasted too much time
+on the Briskows--a man's duty ever lies in the way of his desire
+--but once he had rounded up Buddy perhaps the family would be able
+to take care of itself. He hoped so, for it was assuming the
+character of a liability.
+
+It was late that night. The southbound flyer had gone through. The
+Briskows were sitting in the pleasant parlor of their handsome
+suite, but they were like three mourners. Ma and Pa were soberly
+discussing the news about Buddy, Allegheny was staring in somber
+meditation at nothing. The girl was bitter, rebellious, for never
+had she felt so utterly alone as at this moment. To that question
+which monotonously repeated itself, she could form no answer. Did
+he care, or was it all pity--just his way?
+
+She heard his name and her own mentioned, and she became
+attentive. "What's that? He wants me to meet these people
+halfway?" she inquired. "What for? I don't like 'em."
+
+"He says you'll git to like 'em, an' they'll git to like you. He
+says you're goin' ahead tremendous, and we'll all be proud of you.
+Mebbe you'll meet some nice young feller--"
+
+"He said that, did he?" Allie's voice was sharp.
+
+"N-not exactly, but--"
+
+"He asked 'em to be nice to me--he fixed it all up. Is that it? I
+got lots of money; some man 'll make love to me and I'll--I'll
+fall in love with him. Is that what he said?"
+
+"He didn't put it that way. What he said was more--"
+
+Allegheny rose with an exclamation of anger. "Well, I won't meet
+'em. He'd better mind his own business."
+
+"Why, _Allie_!" the mother exclaimed, in mild reproach.
+
+"I won't! I hate 'em. I hate everybody. Him, with his high an'
+fancy ways--" the girl choked. "He looks down on us the same as
+other folks does, an' I don't blame him. He acts like we was
+cattle, an' we are." Her own scorn appeared to whip the speaker
+into a higher frenzy. "Now he's gone off to spoil Buddy's doin's.
+Buttin' in, that's what it is. If I knew where Buddy is, I'd warn
+him. I'd tell him to look out. I'd tell him to grab his chance
+when it comes along, if it takes all the Briskow money, all the
+Briskow wells. He's lucky, Buddy is. It don't make any difference
+_who_ he took up with, if he loves her."
+
+Never but once before had the Briskows seen their daughter in a
+mood like this, and that was on the occasion of their first visit
+to Dallas. Now they sat numb and speechless as she raved on:
+
+"Playin' with us to amuse himself! It's a game with him. He 'ain't
+got anything better to do. Why, he even shows us how to dress!
+'With a touch,' he says, 'I work miracles. I transfer--transform
+you from something dark an'--an' common into a thing of passion.'
+_Passion!_ What the hell does he know about passion? He's a
+doctor, he is, cuttin' up a live dog to see what ails it. A live
+dog that's tied down! Cuttin' it up--Oh, my God, I wish I was
+Buddy!" It was several moments after the door of Allie's room had
+slammed behind her before Gus Briskow spoke, and then it was with
+a deep sigh.
+
+"I been afraid of something like this, Ma. I reckon we're goin' to
+pay dear for our money before we get through."
+
+"An' him with a princess in Wichita Falls!" the mother quavered.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+There are many arguments against industry; much is to be said
+against its wholesale practice. For one thing, habitual diligence,
+of whatever sort, begets other habits hard to break, habits that
+persist in plaguing a man during his periods of indolence and
+perhaps during his whole life. Early rising is one of the most
+annoying of these habits. While it cannot be said that Tom Parker
+had ever labored arduously at anything, nevertheless he had
+followed his calling faithfully, and the peculiar exigencies of
+that calling had made of him a light and fitful sleeper. He had so
+often used the earth as a mattress and his saddle as a pillow,
+that sunup invariably roused him, and as a consequence he liked to
+tell people that he could do with less sleep than any man in
+Texas. That was, in fact, one of his pet complaints.
+
+It was true that Old Tom never slept long, but it was also true
+that he slept oftener than any man in Texas. He was up and dressed
+by daylight, and until breakfast time he engaged himself in
+purposeless and noisy pursuits. This futile energy, however,
+diminished steadily until about nine-thirty, after which his day
+was punctuated by a series of cat naps, as a broken sentence is
+punctuated by dots and dashes.
+
+That small room at the rear of his office Barbara had cleared of
+its dusty accumulations--of its saddles and saddle-bags, its rusty
+Winchesters, its old newspapers and disorderly files--and had
+transformed into a retreat for him. She had overcome his inherent
+prejudice against innovations of any sort by arguing gravely that
+the head of every firm should, nay must, have a private sanctum.
+
+Tom approved of the change after he became accustomed to it, for
+he was subjected to fewer irritating distractions there than
+elsewhere. Before long, in fact, he acquired the ability to doze
+placidly through almost any sort of business conference in the
+outer office. It was his practice to sleep from nine-thirty until
+eleven, when "Bob" fetched him a glass of orange juice with a
+"spike" in it. This refreshing beverage filled him with new energy
+to tackle the issues of the day, and thereupon began a routine as
+fixed as some religious ritual. First, he smacked his lips, then
+he cleared his throat loudly several times, after which his chair
+creaked as he massaged his rheumatic leg. Promptly upon the count
+of twenty he emerged from the inner office, slamming the door
+energetically behind him.
+
+Whether "Bob" was alone or engaged with clients, Old Tom's air was
+always the same; it was that of a busy man weighted with grave
+responsibilities. He frowned; he muttered, hurriedly:
+
+"Got to see a man; back in an hour. Anybody calls, tell 'em to
+wait."
+
+This took him to the front door, which he also slammed behind him
+--there being a certain force and determination to the sound of a
+slamming door. Then he limped down the street to Judge Halloran's
+office. The judge usually had the checkerboard out and set when
+Tom arrived.
+
+Afternoons passed in much the same manner, and night found Tom, if
+not actually exhausted from the unceasing grind, at least
+pleasurably fatigued thereby and ready for an after-dinner doze.
+He considered himself seriously overworked.
+
+This morning "Bob" was alone at her desk when he came out, and
+something about her appearance caused the old warrior to look
+twice. He was exactly on time, but the judge could wait. He was a
+cranky old scoundrel anyhow, was Judge Halloran, and it would do
+him good to cool his heels for a few minutes. Tom paused with his
+hand upon the door knob.
+
+"My goodness! son, you're all dressed up!" he said, as he noted
+"Bob's" crisp white dress, the rose upon her bosom, the floppy hat
+that framed her face. "Church sociable som'er's?"
+
+"No, dad."
+
+"What's going on?"
+
+"Nothing in particular."
+
+"You certainly are sweet." Tom's bleak, gray face softened, then
+some vague regret peered forth from his eyes. "Certainly are
+sweet, but--"
+
+"But what?" The girl smiled up at him.
+
+"Oh, I don't know--seems like you ain't quite the same boy you
+was. You're changing lately, somehow. Getting more like your
+mother every week. I like that, of course," he said, quickly,
+"but--I'd like awful well to see you in your ranch clothes again.
+I bet you've clean forgot how to ride and rope and--"
+
+"You know very well I haven't. I'm a little bit rusty, perhaps,
+but remember I'm a pretty busy girl these days."
+
+"I know." Tom sighed. "I'm wore out, too. What d'you say we close
+up the ol' factory and take a rest? Let's get us a couple of
+broncs and go up to the Territory for a spell. Used to be a lot of
+wild turkeys in a place I know. It'd do us a lot of good."
+
+"Why, dad, we can't do that! And, besides, those turkeys were
+killed out years ago."
+
+"Um-m! I s'pose so. Ain't much left to shoot at but tin cans, come
+to think of it." There was a pause. "I don't reckon you could
+han'le a six gun like you used to, 'Bob.'"
+
+"You think not? Try me sometime and see," said the girl.
+Apparently Tom believed there was no time like the present, for he
+slid his right hand under the left lapel of his coat, and when he
+brought it away there was a large single-action Colt's revolver in
+it--a massive weapon upon the mother-of-pearl handle plates of
+which were carved two steers' heads. Those steers' heads Tom had
+removed from a gun belonging to a famous bad man, suddenly
+deceased, and there was a story that went with them.
+
+"Now see here," "Bob" protested, "one of these new policemen will
+pick you up some day."
+
+"Pshaw! Nobody wouldn't pick me up, just for totin' a gun," the
+old man declared. With practiced fingers he extracted the shells,
+one by one. "I feel right naked without a six-shooter. I feel like
+I'd cast a shoe, or something."
+
+"I wish you'd give up carrying it."
+
+"Lessee you do a few tricks,'Bob'. Do the roll. Remember she don't
+stand cocked."
+
+Miss Parker rose to her feet and took the weapon. She balanced it
+in her hand, then she spun it, rolled it, fanned it, went through
+a routine of lightninglike sleight-of-hand that Tom had taught her
+long before.
+
+"Lessee you do a few shots," her father urged, when she handed it
+back to him.
+
+"In _here_?"
+
+"Sure! It's our shanty. Drive a few nails or--I'll tell you; kill
+that bear and save that tenderfoot's life." Tom pointed to a
+Winchester calendar on the rear wall, which bore the lithographic
+likeness of an enraged grizzly upon the point of helping himself
+to a hunter.
+
+"Why, we'd have the whole town running in."
+
+"Go on, son. Make it speak. Bears is easy killed."
+
+"Nonsense."
+
+Reluctantly Tom reloaded his weapon and thrust it back into its
+shoulder holster; regretfully he murmured: "Doggone! We never have
+any more fun." He turned toward the door.
+
+"Where are you going, dad?"
+
+"I got to see a man; back in an hour. Anybody calls--"
+
+"You know you won't be back in an hour. Where are you going?"
+
+"I got to see--What is it?"
+
+"Bob" hesitated. "I wish you'd stay here. I think Mr. Gray
+arrived this morning, and I expect him in."
+
+Tom decided that he had made Judge Halloran wait long enough. He
+should have been in the old rascal's king row by this time. So he
+said, briskly, "Wish I could, son, but I got to see a man."
+
+"Mr. Gray was here several times before he went away, but you were
+always out." When her father showed no inclination to tarry,
+Barbara spoke with more impatience than she had ever used toward
+him. "I want him to meet you, dad, for he has come back on purpose
+to take up that Jackson well. If I devote all my time to business,
+it seems to me you could afford to sacrifice an hour to it, just
+this once. That checker game can wait."
+
+Tom Parker stiffened. Sacrifice an hour to business, just once!
+That _was_ a blow. As if his nose was not at the grindstone day in
+and day out! As if he were not practically chained to this office!
+As if unremitting application to business had not wrecked him
+--worn him to the bone--made an insomniac of him! That was the worst
+about children, boys especially; they twitted their elders; they
+thought they were the whole works; they assumed undue importance.
+Tom was offended, and, being a stubborn man, he bowed his back.
+
+"Tell him to wait," he said, curtly. "I'll get around to it soon
+as I can."
+
+"Why, _dad_! He isn't a man who can wait. This deal won't wait,
+either."
+
+"I been talking over that Jackson well with--with a man, and I got
+him--"
+
+"I asked you not to mention it--not to a soul. It is a very
+important matter and--"
+
+Now Tom had not discussed the Jackson well, except casually with
+Judge Halloran, but every word that "Bob" spoke rankled, so he
+interrupted with a resentful query:
+
+"Ain't I equal to han'le an important deal?"
+
+"Bob" acknowledged quickly that he was. She had not meant to
+criticize his ability to conduct negotiations of the very highest
+importance, but she was surprised, in view of her earnest request,
+that he had even mentioned this particular matter to anybody. She
+reminded him that insurance was his forte, and that their
+understanding had been that she was to take exclusive charge of
+their oil business. While she was talking, Tom realized with a
+disagreeable shock that of late there had been no insurance
+written, none whatever. He had given the matter no thought, but
+such was undoubtedly the case, and in his daughter's words he felt
+a rebuke. Now he could not abide rebukes; he had never permitted
+anybody to criticize him. For once that unconscious irritation
+that had been slowly accumulating within him flamed up. It was an
+irritation too vague, too formless to put into words, especially
+inasmuch as words did not come easily to Tom Parker when he was
+mad.
+
+Without further comment the old man pulled his gray wide-awake lower
+over his eyes and limped out of the room. But he did not go to Judge
+Halloran's office; he was too sore to risk further offense at the
+hands of one who took malicious delight in antagonizing him, so he
+walked the streets. The more he pondered "Bob's" accusation--and
+accusation it surely was--the angrier he became; not at her, of
+course, for she was blood of his blood, his other and better self; but
+angry at himself for allowing the reins to slip out of his fingers. He
+was the head of the firm. It was due to his ripe judgment and keen
+common sense that the business ran on; his name and standing it was
+that gave it stability.  Perhaps he had permitted the girl to do more
+than her share of the work, and hence her inclination to take all the
+credit for their joint success was only natural, but it was time to
+change all that; time to turn a big deal without her assistance. That
+was the thing to do, handle the Jackson lease in his own way and turn
+it over for a price far in excess of seventy-five thousand dollars.
+Anybody could sell things for less than they were worth, but it took
+real ability to realize their full value. Here was a snap, a chance to
+clean up big money--"Bob" said so--why not, then, take over the lease
+for himself and her, pay something down, hold it for a few weeks, and
+then resell it at a staggering profit?  Such things were being
+done--Tom did not know just how, but he could easily find out--and
+there were several thousand dollars in the bank to the firm's
+account. If that was not enough to meet the first payment he could
+probably get Bell Nelson to give him another mortgage on something. Or
+was it he that would have to give the mortgage to Bell? It didn't
+matter. The thing to do was to jump out to the Extension, buy the
+well, and show "Bob" that he was as good a business man as she
+--better, in fact.
+
+A bus was about to leave, so Tom clambered in.
+
+Barbara Parker had to acknowledge that she was more than a little
+bit thrilled at the prospect of seeing Calvin Gray again. She had
+assured her father glibly enough that there was nothing "going on"
+that day, but--there was. It was something to realize that a mere
+telegram from her had brought a man of Mr. Gray's importance clear
+across the country, and that he was coming straight to her. What
+mysterious magic lay in the telegraph!
+
+Ever since their first meeting he had awakened in her a sort of
+breathless excitement, the precise significance of which she could
+not fathom, and that excitement now was growing hourly. It could
+not mean love--"Bob" flushed at the thought, for she had no
+intention of falling in love with anybody. She was too young; the
+world was too new and too exciting for that, and, besides, her
+life was too full, her obligations were too many to permit of
+distractions, agreeable or disagreeable. Nor, for that matter, was
+Gray the sort of man to become seriously interested in a simple
+person like her; he was complex, many-sided, cosmopolitan. His
+extravagant attentions were meaningless--And yet, one could never
+tell; men were queer creatures; perhaps--
+
+Little prickles ran over "Bob"; she felt her whole body galvanize
+when she saw Gray coming.
+
+He entered, as she knew he would enter, with the suggestion of
+having been blown thither upon the breast of a gale. He was
+electric; he throbbed with energy; he was bursting with
+enthusiasm, and his delight at seeing her was boyish.
+
+"Bob" colored rosily at his instant and extravagant appreciation
+of her effort to look more pleasing than usual, but embarrassment
+followed her first thrill. She could not believe his compliments
+were entirely genuine, therefore she took refuge behind her
+coolest, her most businesslike demeanor. For a while they talked
+about nothing, although to each the other was eloquent, then "Bob"
+came as quickly as might be to the matter she had wired him about.
+
+He listened with smiling lips and shining eyes, but he heard only
+the bare essentials of her story, for his thoughts were galloping,
+his mind was busy with new impressions of her, other voices than
+hers were in his ears. That was his rose at her breast. She had
+been pleased at his coming, otherwise she would not have paid him
+the girlish compliment of wearing her best. Evidently she cared
+for him--or was she merely impressed, flattered? Women had called
+him romantic, whereas he knew himself to be theatric; he wondered
+if she--
+
+"I told Jackson you'd be out to look at the well and the books to-
+day," "Bob" was saying. "He won't wait an hour longer."
+
+"Splendid! I came the instant you telegraphed--dropped everything, in
+fact. Some of my men are waiting to see me, but I haven't even
+notified them of my arrival. Important business, too; nevertheless, I
+hurried right here. They can wait." Gray laughed gladly. "Jove! How
+becoming that hat is. I hired the best-looking car I could find, and
+it will be here in a minute. I told myself I had earned a day with
+you, and I wouldn't spoil it by permitting you to drive. I've so much
+to talk to you about--business of all sorts--that I scarcely know
+where to begin."
+
+Now "Bob" had expected to drive to the Northwest Ex tension with
+Gray; nothing else had been in her mind; her field clothing was
+even laid out ready for a quick change, but a sudden contrariness
+took hold of her; she experienced a shy perversity that she could
+not explain.
+
+"Oh, I'm sorry! I--can't go. I simply can't," she declared.
+
+He was so obviously disappointed that her determination gained
+strength; she was surprised at her own mendacity when she explained
+the utter impossibility of leaving the office, and told a
+circumstantial fib about a title that had to be closed with people
+from out of town. The more she talked the more panicky she became at
+thought of being for hours alone with this forceful, this magnetic,
+this overwhelming person. Strange, in view of the fact that she had
+been looking forward to it for days!
+
+In order finally to get him away before she could change her mind,
+she promised to hurry through her affairs and then drive out and
+bring him home. There was no time to lose; Jackson was growing
+impatient; it was a wonderful deal; there were other days coming--
+
+When Gray had gone and "Bob" was alone, she drew a deep breath.
+Her pulse was rapid, she was tingling as if from some stimulating
+current. What a man! What an effect he had upon people! What a
+fool she had been not to go!
+
+The road to Burkburnett is well surfaced for some distance outside
+of Wichita Falls, therefore Gray leaned back with eyes closed as
+the car sped over it, picturing again his meeting with Barbara,
+recalling her words of greeting, puzzling over the subtle change
+in her demeanor at the last. Perhaps he had frightened her. He was
+given to overenthusiasm; this would be a lesson.
+
+Queer how women interfere with business. Here he was going at
+things backward, whirling out to the oil fields when he should be
+with McWade and Stoner. They would probably be distracted at his
+nonarrival, but--this was business, too. And she would drive out
+to get him. There would be the long ride back. Far away across the
+undulating prairie fields the horizon was broken by a low, dark
+barricade, the massed derricks of the town-site pool. So thickly
+were they grouped that they resembled a dense forest of high,
+black pines, and not until Gray drew closer could he note that
+this strange forest was leafless.
+
+By now the roads were quagmires, and the unceasing current of
+traffic had thickened and slowed down until Gray's car rocked and
+plunged through a hub-deep channel of slime. There was but one
+route to the Extension, and it led through the very heart of
+Burkburnett; there were no detours around the town, no way of
+beating the traffic, therefore vehicles, no matter how urgent
+their business, were forced to fall in line and allow themselves
+to be carried along like chips in a stream of tar.
+
+"Burk" was a one-story town, or at least most of its buildings
+projected only one story above the mud, and that mud was mixed
+with oil. Leakage from wells, pipe lines, storagetanks, had made
+the mass underfoot doubly foul and sticky, and where it was liquid
+it shone with iridescent colors. Mud was everywhere; on the
+sidewalks, inside the stores, on walls and signboards, on the
+skins and clothing of the people.
+
+Through the main street the procession of cars plowed, then out
+across the railroad tracks and toward the open country beyond.
+When it came to a halt, as it frequently did, above the hum of
+idle motors could be heard the clank of pumps, the fitful coughing
+of gasengines, the hiss of steam. This, of course, was soon
+drowned in a terrific din of impatient horns, a blaring, brazen
+snarl at the delay. The whole line roared metallic curses at the
+cause of its stoppage.
+
+Even the railroad right of way had been drilled. Switch engines
+shunted rows of flats almost between the straddling derrick legs.
+
+Gray's driver had been dumb thus far, now he broke out abruptly:
+"Speaking about mud; I was crossing this street on a plank the
+other day when I saw a bran'-new derby lying in the mud and picked
+it up. Underneath it was a guy's head.
+
+"'Hullo!' I said. 'You're in pretty deep, ain't you?'
+
+"The feller looked up at me and said: 'This ain't bad. You'd ought
+to see my brother. I'm standing on his shoulders!'"
+
+The chauffeur laughed loudly at his own humor. "_Some_ country, I
+call it! But the sun's out, so it will be blowing sand to-morrow."
+
+When Burkburnett had been left behind, another and a vaster island
+of derricks came into view. It marked the Burk-Waggoner pool, part
+of the Northwest Extension, so called.
+
+The car was waiting its turn to cross a tiny toll bridge spanning
+a sluggish creek, the bed of which ran seepage oil from the wells
+beyond, when the driver grumbled aloud:
+
+"Four bits to cross a forty-foot bridge. There's a graft for you!
+One old nester above here tore a hole in his fence opposite a wet
+place in the road and charged us half a dollar to drive through
+his pasture. But it was cheaper than getting stuck. He had to
+carry his coin home in an oat sack. After a few weeks somebody got
+to wondering why that spot never dried out, and, come to
+investigate, wha' d'you think?"
+
+"I seldom think when I am being entertained," his passenger
+declared.
+
+"Well, that poor stupid had dammed the creek, and every night he
+shut the gate and flooded his road."
+
+If the clustered derricks of the town-site pool were impressive,
+there was something positively dramatic about the Extension.
+Burkburnett had been laid out in lots and blocks, and the drilling
+had followed some sort of orderly system; but here were no
+streets, no visible plan. This had been a wheat field, and as well
+after well had come in, derricks, drilling rigs, buildings, tanks,
+piles of timber, and casing had been laid down with complete
+disregard of all save the owner's convenience. Overnight new pipe
+lines were being laid, for hours counted here and the crude had to
+find outlet--fuel had to be brought in. These pipe lines were
+never buried, and in consequence the ceaseless flow of traffic was
+forever forced to seek new channels. The place became a
+bewildering maze through which teams floundered and motor vehicles
+plunged at random.
+
+Towns had sprung up, for this army of workers was isolated in a
+sea of mud, but whereas "Burk" was more or less permanent,
+Newtown, Bradley's Corners, Bridgetown, were cities of canvas,
+boards, and corrugated iron. By day they were mean, filthy,
+grotesque; by night they became incandescent, for every derrick
+was strung with lights, and the surplus supply of gas was burned
+in torches to prevent it from accumulating in ravines or hollows
+in explosive quantities. They were Mardi Gras cities.
+
+Day by day this field spread onward toward the Red River; the
+whole region smelled of oil.
+
+Fire, of course, was an ever-present menace. Newtown, for
+instance, had been wiped out several times, for it lay on a slope
+down which a broken pipe line could belch a resistless wave of
+flame, and even yet the place was a litter of charred timber,
+twisted pipe, and crumpled sheets of galvanized iron. Owing to
+this menace the residents had taken the only possible precaution.
+They had dug in. Behind each place of business was a cyclone
+cellar--a bomb-proof shelter--into which human bodies and stocks
+of merchandise could be crowded.
+
+Gray drove directly to the lease he had come to examine, and was
+disappointed to learn that the owner had just left. This was
+annoying; "Bob" had assured him that he was expected. Inquiry
+elicited from the surly individual in charge no more than the
+reluctant admission that Jackson had been called to the nearest
+telephone, but would be back sometime.
+
+There was nothing to do but wait. Gray let his car go, then made a
+cursory examination of the property. He could see little and learn
+less. The caretaker agreed that the well was pumping one hundred
+and fifty barrels a day.
+
+Some evasiveness in this fellow's demeanor awoke Gray's suspicion.
+A sudden telephone call. The owner's absence when he expected a
+purchaser. Probably somebody else was after the property. It was
+decidedly worth while to wait.
+
+Gray was unaccustomed to inattention, incivility, and had anybody
+except "Bob" Parker put him in this position he would have
+resented it. Under the circumstances, however, he could do nothing
+except cool his heels. As time passed he began to feel foolish; by
+late lunch time he was irritable; and as the afternoon wore on he
+grew angry. Why didn't "Bob" come, as she had promised? He had
+lost a day, and days were precious.
+
+Evening found him wandering about aimlessly, in a villainous mood,
+but stubbornly determined to see this thing through at whatever
+cost. He had no wish to spend a night amid these surroundings, for
+respectable people shunned these oil-field camps after dark, and
+he knew himself to be conspicuous. It would add a ridiculous
+climax to a trying day to be "high-jacked"--to be frisked of his
+jewelry.
+
+During the early dusk he returned to the lease, only to find even
+the greasy caretaker gone. By this time Gray was decidedly
+uncomfortable, and, to add to his discomfort, he conceived the
+notion that he was being followed. On second thought he dismissed
+this idea, nevertheless he took a roundabout course back toward
+the main street.
+
+It seemed odd to be floundering through inky shadows, feeling a
+way through this miry chaos, when aloft, as far as the eye could
+see, the sky was lit. This phantom city of twinkling beacons gave
+one a sense of acute unreality, for it was an empty city, a city
+the work of which went on almost without the aid of human hands.
+The very soul of it was mechanical. Only here and there, where a
+drill crew was at work, did an occasional human figure move back
+and forth in the glare of low-hung incandescents, nevertheless the
+whole place breathed and throbbed; it was instinct with a
+tremendous vigor. From all sides came the ceaseless rhythmic clank
+of pumps, the hiss of gas and steam, the gurgling flow of liquid--
+they were the pulse beats, the respirations, the blood flow of
+this live thing. And its body odor stung the nostrils. All night
+long it panted with its heavy labors--as if the jinns that lifted
+those giant pump beams were vying with one another in a desperate
+endeavor. They were, for a fact. Haste, avarice, an arduous
+diligence, was in the very air.
+
+Gray stared and marveled, for imagination was not lacking in him.
+Those derricks with their fires were high altars upon which were
+heaped ten thousand hopes and prayers. Altars of Avarice! Towers
+of Greed! That is what they were.
+
+He marvelled, too, at the extremes these last few days had brought
+him; at the long cry from the luxurious Burlington Notch to this
+primitive land of fire worshipers. Here, only a few hours by motor
+from paved streets and comfortable homes, was a section of the
+real frontier, as crude and as lawless as any he had ever seen.
+Yonder, for instance, was the Red Lion, a regular Klondike dance
+hall.
+
+He looked in for a moment, but the sight of hard-faced houris
+revolving cheek to cheek with men in overalls and boots was
+nothing new. It did remind him of the march of progress, however,
+to notice that the bartenders served coca-cola instead of
+"hootch." Hygienic, but vain, he reflected. Not at all like the
+brave old days.
+
+Farther up the street was a flaming theater decorated with gaudy
+lithographs of women in tights. That awoke a familiar echo. The
+grimy figures headed thither might well be miners just in from
+Eldorado or Anvil Creek.
+
+Gambling was practically wide open, too, and before long Gray
+found himself in a superheated, overcrowded back room with a stack
+of silver dollars which he scattered carelessly upon the numbers
+of a roulette table. Roulette was much like the oil game. This was
+a good way in which to kill an hour.
+
+Absorbed in his own thoughts, Gray paid little heed to those about
+him, until a large hand picked up one of his bets. Then he raised
+his eyes. The hand was attached to a muscular arm, which in turn
+was attached to a burly stranger of unpleasant mien. Gray voiced a
+good-natured protest, but the fellow scowled and refused to
+acknowledge his mistake. Noting that the man was flushed, Gray
+shrugged and allowed the incident to pass. This bootleg whisky
+from across Red River was of a quality to scatter a person's
+eyesight.
+
+For some time the game continued before Gray won again, and the
+dealer deposited thirty-five silver dollars beside his bet. Again
+that sun-browned hand reached forth, but this time Gray seized it
+by the wrist. He and the stranger eyed each other for a silent
+moment, during which the other players looked on.
+
+Gray was the first to speak. "If you're not as drunk as you seem,"
+he said, easily, "you'll excuse yourself. If you are, you need
+sobering."
+
+With a wrench the man undertook to free his hand; he uttered a
+threatening oath. The next instant he was treated to a surprise,
+for Gray jerked him forward and simultaneously his empty palm
+struck the fellow a blinding, a resounding smack. Twice he smote
+that reddened cheek with the sound of an explosion, then, as the
+victim flung his body backward, Gray kicked his feet from under
+him. Again he cuffed the fellow's face, this time from the other
+side. When he finally desisted the stranger rocked in his tracks;
+he shook his head; he blinked and he cursed; it was a moment
+before he could focus his whirling sight upon his assailant. When
+he succeeded it was to behold the latter staring at him with a
+mocking, threatening smile.
+
+The drunken man hesitated, he cast a slow glance around the room,
+then muttering, hoarsely, he turned and made for the door. He was
+followed by a burst of derisive laughter that grew louder as he
+went.
+
+Gray was in a better mood now than for several hours; he had
+vented his irritation; the air had cleared. After a while he
+discovered that he was hungry; no longer was he too resentful to
+heed the healthy warning of his stomach, so he left the place.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+Newton's eating places were not appetizing at best, but a meal
+could be endured with less discomfort by night than by day, for at
+such times most of the flies were on the ceilings. The restaurant
+Gray entered was about what he had expected; along one side ran a
+quick-order counter at which were seated several customers; across
+from it was an oilcloth-covered table, perfectly bare except for a
+revolving centerpiece--one of those silver-plated whirligigs
+fitted with a glass salt-and-pepper shaker, a toothpick holder, an
+unpleasant oil bottle, and a cruet intended for vinegar, but now
+filled with some mysterious embalming fluid acting as a
+preservative of numerous lifelike insect remains. Here, facing an
+elderly man in a wide gray-felt hat, Gray seated himself.
+
+Gray's neighbor was in no pleasant mood, for he whacked
+impatiently at such buzzing pests as were still on the wing, and
+when a perspiring Greek set a plate of soup before him he took
+umbrage at the presence of the fellow's thumb in the liquid. The
+argument that followed angered the old man still further, for it
+arrived nowhere except to prove that the offending thumb was the
+property of the proprietor of the restaurant, and by inference,
+therefore, a privileged digit.
+
+When a departing customer left the door open, the elderly diner
+grumbled bitterly at the draught and draped his overcoat over his
+bent shoulders.
+
+"Dam' Eskimos!" he muttered. "----raised in a chicken coop--Windy
+as a derrick!"
+
+Gray liked old people, and he was tolerant of their crotchets.
+Irascibility indicates force of character, at least so he
+believed, and old folks are apt to accept too meekly the
+approach of decay. Here was a spirit that time had not dulled--it
+was like wine soured in an old cask. At any rate, wine it had
+been, not water, and that was something.
+
+Most of the counter customers had drifted out when, without
+warning, the screen door banged loudly open and Gray looked up
+from his plate to see his recent acquaintance of the gambling
+table approaching. This time purpose was stamped upon the man's
+face, but whether it was deliberate or merely the result of more
+drinking there was no telling. He lurched directly up to the table
+and stared across at Gray.
+
+"Slapped my face, didn't you?" he cried, after a menacing moment.
+
+"I did, indeed," the speaker nodded, pleasantly.
+
+"You ain't going to slap it again. You ain't going to slap
+anybody's--"
+
+"What makes you think I won't?" Gray became aware as he spoke that
+his elderly neighbor had raised to the intruder a countenance
+stamped with a peculiar expression of incredulity, almost of
+anger, at the interruption, and that the two remaining counter
+customers had turned startled faces over their shoulders, while
+the proprietor, his arms full of dishes, had paused beside the
+swinging door to the kitchen.
+
+That which occurred next came unexpectedly. The stranger whipped
+out from under his coat a revolver, at the same time voicing a
+profane answer to the challenge. The proprietor uttered a bleat of
+terror; he dropped his dishes and dived out of the room; the men
+on the stools scrambled down and plunged after him.
+
+As Calvin Gray rose to his feet it was with a flash of mingled
+anger and impatience. This quarrel was so utterly senseless, it
+served so little purpose.
+
+"My friend," he cried, sharply, "if you don't put up that gun, one
+of us will go to a hospital."
+
+In spite of the intruder's haste in drawing his weapon, he
+appeared now to lack the will promptly to use it--his laggard spirit
+required a further scourge, so it seemed; something more to goad it
+into final fury. It was a phenomenon by no means uncommon, for it is
+not easy to shoot down an unarmed victim.
+
+By way of rousing his savagery, the fellow uttered a bellow, then,
+like a warrior smiting his shield with his spear before the
+charge, he swung his heavy weapon, smashing at one blow that
+silver-plated merry-go-round with its cluster of bottles.
+
+A shower of toothpicks, fragments of glass, a spatter of oil and
+vinegar covered the old man in the end chair, and he rose with a
+cry that drew a swift glance from the desperado.
+
+Gray was upon the point of launching himself over the table when
+he witnessed a peculiar transformation in his assailant. The man's
+expression altered with almost comic suddenness, he lowered his
+weapon and took a backward step. Gray, too, had cause for
+astonishment, for the elderly man was moving slowly toward the
+disturber, his overcoat, meanwhile, hanging loosely from his left
+shoulder, like a mantle. His gray face had grown white, malignant,
+threatening; he advanced with a queer, sidling gait, edging
+forward behind the shelter of his garment as if behind a
+barricade. But what challenged Gray's instant attention was the
+certainty of purpose, the cold, confident menace behind the old
+fellow's demeanor. There was something appalling about him; he had
+suddenly become huge and dominant.
+
+That he had been recognized was plain, for the armed man cried,
+agitatedly: "Look out, Tom! I don't want any truck with _you_."
+
+The deliberate advance continued; in a harsh voice Tom answered:
+"I don't allow anybody to interfere with me when I'm eating!" For
+every step he shuffled forward the man before him fell back a
+corresponding distance.
+
+Again the newcomer rasped out his warning, and Gray, too, added
+his voice, saying: "Leave him to me, old man. This is my quarrel."
+As he spoke he moved around the end of the table, but the mantled
+figure halted him with an imperious jerk of the head. Without in the
+slightest diverting his steady gaze, Tom snapped:
+
+"Hands off, stranger! I won't have you buttin' in, either. I don't
+allow anybody to interfere with me when I'm eating."
+
+Gray was checked less by the exasperation, by the authority in the
+speaker's tone, than by the fact that the entire complexion of the
+affair had changed. The ruffian, who had entered so confidently, was
+no longer the aggressor; a mere look, a word, a gesture from this
+aged, unknown person had put him upon the defensive. More
+extraordinary still was the fact that his power of initiative was for
+the moment completely paralyzed, and that he was tortured by a
+deplorable indecision. He was furious, that was plain, nevertheless
+his anger had been halted in mid-flight, as it were; desperation
+battled with an inexplicable dread. He raised his hands now, but more
+in a gesture of surrender than of threat.
+
+"Don't come any closer," he cried, hoarsely. "Don't do it, I tell
+you! _Don't--do it!_'" There was no longer any thickness to his
+tongue; he spoke as one quite sober.
+
+When for the third time that malevolent voice repeated, "I don't
+allow anybody to interfere with me when I'm eating," the solitary
+onlooker felt an absurd desire to laugh. During intensely dramatic
+moments nervous laughter is near the surface, and there was
+something rigidly dramatic about the methodical, sidling advance
+of that man half crouched behind his overcoat. Tom, as he had been
+called, gave Gray the impression of Death itself marching slowly
+forward to drape that black shroud upon his cowering victim.
+
+Brief as had been the whole episode, already passers-by had
+halted, staring faces were glued to the front windows of the cafe.
+Well they might stare at those two tense figures, one advancing,
+the other retreating, as if to the measures of some slow dance.
+
+[Illustration: "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER. DON'T DO IT, I TELL
+YOU!"]
+
+But the tempo changed abruptly. The desperado's
+back brought up against the swinging kitchen door; it gave
+to his weight and decision was born of that instant. With a cry he
+flung himself backward, the spring door snapped to and swallowed
+him up with the speed of a camera shutter; then followed the sound
+of his heavy rushing footsteps.
+
+"Hell!" exclaimed the old man. "I had his buttons counted!" With
+the words he let fall his overcoat, and there, beneath it, Gray
+beheld what he had more than half suspected, what indeed was ample
+cause for the quarrelsome stranger's apprehension. Held close to
+the owner's body was what in the inelegant jargon of the West is
+known as a "dog leg." The weapon, a frontier Colt's of heavy
+caliber, was full cocked under the old man's thumb; the hand
+holding it was as steady as the blazing eyes above.
+
+With a smile Gray said, "Allow me to congratulate you, sir, upon a
+most impressive demonstration of the power of mind over matter."
+
+"A little killin' helps those scoun'rels," breathed the white-
+haired warrior. "Surgin' around, wreakin' vengeance on vinegar
+bottles! And me with a bad indigestion!"
+
+"I don't often permit others to do my fighting. But you wouldn't
+let--"
+
+"I don't allow anybody--" doggedly began the former speaker, but
+the street door burst open, a noisy crowd poured into the room, a
+volley of excited questions was raised. Amid the confusion Gray
+heard his own name shouted, and found himself set upon by two
+agitated friends, Mallow and Stoner. They had been combing Newtown
+for him, so they declared, and were near by when attracted by the
+excitement on the sidewalk. What was the trouble? Was Gray hurt?
+
+He assured them that he was not, and explained in a few words the
+origin of the encounter. But other concerns, it seemed, occupied
+the minds of the pair, and before he had finished Mallow was
+dragging him towards the door, crying, breathlessly: "Gee,
+Governor! You gave us a run. We've been coming since noon."
+
+"It was only by the grace of God," Stoner declared, "that we heard
+you were out here and why you'd come. We managed to get a phone
+call through to Jackson, but it was--"
+
+"Jackson? I've been looking for him all the afternoon."
+
+"Sure! Mallow swore he was all right, but Mac and I don't know
+him, and we figured he might turn a trick. Anyhow, Mallow and I
+jumped the Lizzie and looped it. Boy! I tramped on her some, until
+we hit bottom the other side of Burk. Mallow went clean through
+the top. I guess I smashed the whole rear end, but we couldn't
+wait to see. They'll have her stripped naked, tires, cushions, and
+all, before we get back. Motor, too, probably. We've been hitting
+it afoot, on wagons and pipe trucks--managed to get a service car
+finally, but it fell open like a book. Just one of those dam'
+unlucky trips."
+
+"Jackson didn't get to you, did he?" Mallow inquired, anxiously.
+
+"Get to me? No. Nor I to him." Gray spoke impatiently. "What is
+this all about?"
+
+"Simply this, Governor: Jackson's well is a 'set-up'! For Nelson!
+We nearly dropped dead when we found out that Parker kid had laid
+_you_ against it. Why didn't you _tell us_--?"
+
+"What are you saying? I don't--"
+
+"The well's phony. Dry as a pretzel."
+
+"In what way? I saw the oil--"
+
+"Never mind. Lay off!"
+
+"I think I'm entitled to an explanation."
+
+"Well, then, it's salted!"
+
+"Impossible! I saw it pumping."
+
+"I'll say you did." Mallow chuckled. "Live oil, too; right out of
+old Mamma Earth. Cheap lease at seventy-five thousand, eh? It's
+like this: the pipe line of the Atlantic runs across Jackson's lease,
+and one dark and stormy night he tapped it. It wasn't a hard thing to do;
+just took a little care and some digging. Now he runs the oil in, pumps
+it out and sells it back to them. He's a regular subsidiary of the great
+and only Atlantic Petroleum Company. It can't last long, of
+course, but--oh, what a well to hand Nelson! What a laugh it would
+have been!"
+
+"Outrageous!" Gray exclaimed. "I can't believe you are in
+earnest."
+
+"It _is_ shocking, isn't it? Such dishonesty is incredible. And
+what an unhappy surprise for the company when they finally locate
+the leak!"
+
+Gray clamped a heavy hand upon the speaker's shoulder; harshly he
+inquired, "Do you mean to say that Miss Parker deliberately--"
+
+"She don't know anything about it."
+
+"You said she 'laid me' against it."
+
+"No, no! I merely tipped her to it because she's one of Nelson's
+brokers."
+
+"She's his sweetie," Stoner added. "He's going to marry her, so
+Mallow thought he'd surely fall for it, coming from her."
+
+"You--you're not fit to mention that girl's name, either of you."
+Gray's tone was one of quivering anger. "If you involve her in
+your crooked dealings, even indirectly, I'll--God! What a dirty
+trick." He flung Mallow aside in disgust. "You ought to be shot."
+
+"Why, Governor! We wouldn't hurt that kid. She's aces."
+
+"I told you my fight with Nelson was to be fair and square."
+
+There followed a moment of silence. Mallow and Stoner exchanged
+glances. "What percentage of that goes?" the former finally
+inquired.
+
+"One hundred."
+
+"So? Then it's lucky Nelson didn't fall. But there's no harm done
+--nobody's hurt."
+
+"It is lucky, indeed-for me. I'd have felt bound to make good
+his loss, if you had hooked him. I presume I ought to expose this
+swindle."
+
+"Expose Jackson?" Stoner inquired, quickly. When Gray nodded,
+there was another brief silence before the speaker ventured to
+say: "I know this bird Nelson, and, take it from me, you're giving
+him the best of it. If I hadn't known him as well as I do, I
+wouldn't of put in with you to break him. It's all right to trim a
+sucker once; it's like letting the blood of a sick man--he's
+better for it. But to ride a square guy to death, to keep his
+veins open--well, I ain't in that kind of business. Now about this
+Jackson; you can land him, I s'pose, if you try, but it would be
+lower than a frog's foot, after him playing square with you."
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"He could have stung you, easy, couldn't he? You surged out here
+on purpose to buy the lease, but he hid out all afternoon to avoid
+you."
+
+"He is a thief. He is stealing hundreds of dollars a day."
+
+"Sure! From the Atlantic, that has stolen hundreds of thousands
+from the likes of him--yes, millions. It was the Atlantic that
+broke the market to sixty-five cents, filled their storage tanks
+and contracted a million barrels more than they had tankage for,
+then gypped the price to three dollars. I can't shed any tears
+over that outfit."
+
+"Let's not argue the ethics of big business. The law of supply and
+demand--"
+
+"Supply and demand, eh? Ever strike you as queer that crude never
+breaks as long as the big companies have got their tanks full? The
+price always toboggans when they're empty, and comes back when
+they're filled up. That's supply and demand with the reverse
+English, ain't it? Say, the Atlantic and those others play with us
+outsiders like we was mice. When their bellies get empty they eat
+as many of us as they want, then they let the rest of us scurry
+around and hunt up new fields. We run all the risks; we spend our
+coin, and when we strike a new pool they burgle us over again."
+Stoner was speaking with a good deal of heat. "Big business, eh?
+Well, here's some little business--dam' little. The Atlantic
+leased a lot of scattered acreage I know about and drilled it.
+Pulled off their crews at the top of the sand and drilled in with
+men they could trust. It turned out good, but they capped their
+wells, wrecked their rigs, and, of course, that condemned the
+whole territory. Then they set about buying it all in, cheap--
+through dummies. Double-crossed the farmers, see? Friend of mine
+took a chance; put down a well on his own. The usual thing
+happened; they broke him. It took a lot of doing, but they broke
+him. One little trick they did was to cock a bit and drop it in
+the hole. That prank cost him sixteen thousand dollars before he
+could 'side track' the tool. He quit, finally, less 'n a hundred
+feet from big pay. Then, having bought up solid for near nothing
+they came back and started business, laughing merrily. That's the
+Atlantic."
+
+"A splendid lecture on commercial honesty. I am inspired by it,
+and I reverence your scruples, but--I grope for the moral of the
+story."
+
+"The moral is, mind your own business and--and give a guy a
+chance."
+
+"Um-m! Suppose we leave it at that for the present."
+
+Mallow, who had remained silent during his friend's argument,
+greeted this suggestion with relief. He was glad to change the
+subject. "Good!" he cried, heartily. "I'd about as soon face Old
+Tom Parker, like that fellow in the restaurant did, as to face
+Jackson. He'd sink a stillson in my head, sure, if--"
+
+"Parker? Was that old man Miss Parker's father?"
+
+"Certainly! What d'you think ailed that gunman? D'you think he got
+the flu or something, all of a sudden? There ain't anybody left
+tough enough to hanker for Tom's scalp. He's pinned a rose on all
+of those old-timers, and he's deadly poison to the new crop."
+
+For the first time Calvin Gray understood clearly the reason for
+the unexpected outcome of that encounter in the cafe. No wonder
+the stranger's trigger finger had been paralyzed. Barbara's
+father, indeed! How stupid of him not to guess. On the heels of
+his first surprise came another thought; suppose that old Paladin
+should consider that he, Gray, had shown weakness in allowing
+another to assume the burden of his quarrel? And suppose he should
+tell his daughter about it! That would be a situation, indeed.
+
+"I must find him, quickly," Gray declared. "Perhaps he'll ride
+back to town with us."
+
+It was not a difficult task to locate the veteran officer, and Tom was
+delighted at the chance to ride home with his new acquaintance.
+
+That journey back to civilization was doubly pleasant, for Mr.
+Parker cherished no such feelings as Gray had feared, and,
+moreover, he responded quickly to the younger man's efforts to
+engage his liking. They got along famously from the start, and Tom
+positively blossomed under the attentions he received. It had been
+a trying day for him, but his ill humor quickly disappeared in the
+warmth of a new-found friendship, and he talked more than was his
+custom. He was even led to speak of old days, old combats, of
+which the bloodless encounter that evening was but a tame
+reminder. The pictures he conjured up were colorful.
+
+A unique and an engaging person he proved to be; an odd compound of
+gentleness and acerbity, of kindliness and rancor; a quiet, guileless,
+stubborn, violent old man-at-arms, who would not be interrupted while
+he was eating. He was both scornful and contemptuous of evildoers. All
+needed killing.
+
+"Hard luck, I call it, for a budding desperado to wreck a career
+of promise the way that wretched fellow did," Gray told him with a
+laugh. "Out of all the men in Texas, to pick you--"
+
+"Oh, he ain't a bud! He's quite a killer."
+
+"Indeed?"
+
+"He kills Mexicans and niggers and folks without guns, mostly.
+Low-down stuff! He's got three or four, I believe. I never could
+see why the Nelsons kep' him."
+
+There was a brief silence. "I beg pardon?" said Gray.
+
+"He's been on the Nelson pay roll for years--doing odd jobs that
+wasn't fit to be done. But I guess they got tired of him, anyhow
+he's been hanging around Wichita for the last two or three weeks.
+He's been in an out of our office quite a bit."
+
+"Your office? What for?"
+
+"I dunno, unless he took a shine to 'Bob.'"
+
+"Not--really?"
+
+Mr. Parker uttered an unpleasant sound. "She never said anything
+about it, but I suspicioned she had to order him out, finally. I'd
+of split his third shirt button if he'd stood his ground. He knew
+I had something on him, but he couldn't figure just what it was."
+Old Tom's teeth shone through the gloom. "A man will 'most always
+act like that when he don't know just where he's at. I knew where
+_I_ was at, all the time, only I wanted to see that button plain.
+I allus know where _I'm_ at."
+
+Later, when the journey was over and Tom Parker had been dropped
+at his gate, Gray spoke to his two companions.
+
+"Did you hear what he said?"
+
+"We did."
+
+"Do you believe I was framed?"
+
+Both Mallow and Stoner nodded. "Don't you?" the former inquired.
+When no answer was forthcoming, he said: "Better give us the flag,
+Governor. We're rar'ing to go."
+
+"You mean--?"
+
+"You know what I mean. Nelson's so crooked his bedclothes fall
+off. We pulled a boner this time, but Brick has got another window
+dressed for him."
+
+"I'll think it over," said Gray.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+Ozark Briskow, like his sister Allegheny, was studying hard and
+learning rapidly, but he had adopted an educational plan, a
+curriculum, so to speak, far different from hers. Whereas she
+lived between book covers and the thousand and one details of her
+daily existence were governed by a bewildering army of "don'ts,"
+Buddy had devised his own peculiar system of acquiring wisdom, and
+from it the word "don't" had been deliberately dropped. His
+excursion into the halls of learning, brief as it had been, had
+convinced him that books could teach him only words, whereas he
+craved experiences, ideas, adventures. Adventure comes at night;
+pleasure walks by gaslight. Young Briskow told himself that he had
+missed a lot of late hours and would have to work diligently to
+catch up, but he undertook the effort with commendable courage.
+
+It is said that all wish to possess knowledge, but few are willing
+to pay the price. Buddy was one of the minority. Early he adopted
+the motto, "Money no object," and it provoked him not at all to
+learn that there is a scale of night prices considerably higher
+than the scale of day prices; to find, for instance, that a
+nocturnal highball costs twice as much as one purchased during
+daylight hours. That phenomenon, by the way, had nothing to do
+with the provisions of the Eighteenth Amendment, it merely
+explained why farmers went to bed early--they couldn't afford to
+sit up, so Buddy decided.
+
+He had learned a lot since leaving school, not only about
+prohibition, but also about speed laws, men's fashions, facial
+massage, the fox trot and the shimmy, caviar, silk pajamas, bromo-
+seltzer, the language of flowers, and many of the pleasures and
+displeasures of the higher intellectual life, such as love and insomnia.
+
+His education was progressing apace, for love is the greatest of
+educators, and Buddy was in love--madly, extravagantly in love.
+Love it was that accounted for his presence in Dallas, and his
+occupancy of the Governor's suite at the Ajax. A fellow in love
+with the most wonderful woman in the world couldn't afford to look
+cheap in his home town, could he?
+
+Of course Dallas was not Buddy's home town, but it had been his
+point of departure into the world, and it was the home of his bank
+account, hence some pride of proprietorship was pardonable. It
+gave him such a pleasing sense of importance to adopt the city as
+his own that he adopted everything and everybody in it.
+
+In spite of the fact that the train from Wichita Falls was behind
+time, one morning shortly after Buddy's arrival, he was still abed
+when Calvin Gray arrived at the hotel. Instead of disturbing the
+slumbers of youth, Gray went directly to the detective who had
+telegraphed him, and for half an hour or more the two talked.
+
+Later, during the course of a leisurely bath and shave, the new
+arrival pondered the information he had received. Here was a
+problem. Having dressed himself, he strolled around to Coverly's
+place of business and interviewed the jeweler.
+
+"Sure! He has bought quite a bit of stuff in the last few days,"
+Coverly told him. "He was in only yesterday and ordered a fine
+piece made up. He wanted a ruby heart pierced with a diamond
+arrow, but I got him off that and onto a blue Brazilian solitaire.
+We're mounting it in a platinum lady's ring."
+
+"What is the price?"
+
+"Forty-five hundred, and the value is there."
+
+"Have you seen the woman?"
+
+Coverly nodded. "The boy is a good picker. I don't blame her much,
+either, for I've seen a lot of worse-looking fellows than Buddy."
+
+"Hold the ring. He may change his mind."
+
+"I say!" Coverly was in dismay. "Are you going to spoil the best
+sale I've made in two weeks?"
+
+"Oh, I'll take it off your hands if he doesn't. Make some excuse
+not to deliver it until I say the word. You don't know the woman,
+eh?"
+
+"Never saw her before."
+
+Gray knocked several times at the Governor's suite before a sleepy
+response, a succession of yawns and mutterings, told him that he
+had been heard. The door opened finally and the pride of the
+Briskow family, his eyes all but swelled shut, his muscular figure
+splendidly arrayed in futuristic silken pajamas, mumbled:
+
+"What's eatin' you, any--?" The eyes opened wider, Buddy's face
+broke into a slow smile. "Why, Mr. Gray!" He extended a palm, a
+bit dry and feverish, and drew his caller inside. "Dawg_-gone!_
+I'm glad to see you."
+
+Gray entered with a buoyant laugh and a hearty greeting; he
+clapped the young giant heavily upon the back. At the blow Buddy
+voiced a sharp cry and seized his head.
+
+"Easy over the bumps! I'm carryin' a cargo of nitroglycerine, and
+I'll let go if you jar me," he explained.
+
+"Sorry! I know how it feels. But, man alive, it's afternoon! I
+began to think you were dead."
+
+Buddy led the way into his bedroom, piled his pillows together and
+gingerly lowered himself upon them. He showed his strong white
+teeth in a wide grin and winked meaningly. "I'll be all right
+directly. It's this here sim--sympathetic booze they talk about.
+Have a drink, Mr. Gray? There's a coupla bottles of real liquor in
+the closet--not this tiger's milk you get--"
+
+The caller declined the invitation. "Where the devil have you
+been, Buddy? We were getting worried."
+
+"Who, me? Oh, I been--lookin' around."
+
+"Your mother is nearly frantic."
+
+Buddy stirred uneasily. "Pshaw! I'm fine. I can take keer of
+myself. Nobody don't need to worry about me."
+
+"Good! Now then, you young scoundrel, I'm going to order you the sort
+of breakfast that goes with what ails you, and while it is coming up,
+you are going to jump under the shower."
+
+"Where d'you get that 'jump' stuff?" the youth inquired, faintly.
+"Besides, I'm clean."
+
+But Gray had seized the phone, and as soon as he had given his
+order he strode into the bathroom and turned on the water. He was
+out again in a moment, then laughingly he dragged the aching Texan
+from his couch. "Under you go," he insisted, "or I'll wet down
+your whole Japanese flower garden."
+
+"Some pajamas, ain't they? I got a dozen pairs," Buddy said,
+proudly.
+
+"Quick! If you think I'll consent to hang around a lonesome hotel
+while you sleep, you're mistaken. I can't tell you how glad I am
+to run into you, Buddy. I'm dying to have a riotous time."
+
+"Eh?" Briskow turned an inquiring face to the speaker.
+
+"I've been hibernating in the wilderness, sucking my paw and
+living off my fat, like a bear. I want you to shown me this town."
+
+A bath, a brisk rubdown, and breakfast put Buddy in fairly good
+fettle once more; so marked was his improvement, in fact, that
+Gray envied him his glorious gift of youth.
+
+"Flying pretty high, aren't you?" the elder man inquired, with a
+wave of the hand that took in the expensive suite.
+
+"Well, I ain't exactly broke."
+
+"True. But I know what these rooms cost. That's going strong for a
+lad like you."
+
+"You took 'em, didn't you, when you had less 'n I got?"
+
+"Ahem! It is embarrassing to be held up as an example. I've done a
+good many things, Buddy, that I wouldn't like to see you do."
+
+"If they wouldn't hurt me any more 'n they've hurt you I'd like
+to try'em."
+
+"Another proof that you are still in short pants. I'm a bad person
+to copy. By the way, why did you quit school?"
+
+Buddy considered his reply, then: "I reckon it was because of them
+short pants you speak about. I can't stand bein' laughed at, Mr.
+Gray. It comes hard to stand up in a class along with a bunch of
+children and make mistakes and have a little boy in a lace collar
+and spring heels snap his fingers and sing out in a sweet soprano,
+'Oh, tee-_cher!_' Then have him show you up. They put me in with a
+lot of nursin' babes. What the hell? I weigh a hundred and ninety
+and I got a beard!"
+
+"Didn't you learn anything?"
+
+Buddy closed a meaning eye, and his pleasant features wrinkled
+into that infectious smile. "I'll tell the world I did! After the
+whistlin' squabs was asleep in their nests I went out among the
+whippoorwills an' the bats. Ain't it funny how quick folks can
+learn to put up with bad grammar when you got a jingle in your
+jeans? I guess I've got enough education to do me; anyhow, I can
+write Ozark Briskow in the lower right-hand corner and that seems
+to get me by."
+
+"You wouldn't consent to go back or--have a tutor, like Allie?"
+
+"Who, _me?_" Briskow laughed scornfully.
+
+"Um-m! Merely a suggestion. You are the architect of your own
+career."
+
+"I'm fed up on that kind of schoolin', Mr. Gray. I--" Buddy's face
+reddened, he dropped his eyes. "I don't mind tellin' _you_--I--
+It's like this--I kinda got a girl!"
+
+"_No!_" The speaker was surprised, incredulous.
+
+"Sure have. She's--wonderful. She's right here in this hotel!"
+
+"Buddy, you're developing!" Gray exclaimed, with apparent
+admiration.
+
+"I been showin" her the sights--that's what ails me this morning.  She
+lets me take her around to places--trusts me, you understand? She
+thinks I'm aces."
+
+"Splendid! I wish you'd ask her to dig up a friend."
+
+"How d'you mean?"
+
+"Why, ask her to find another good-looking girl for me--I assume
+she _is_ good looking--then we can make it a foursome. I'm a great
+entertainer, and, while I don't drink, I haven't the slightest
+objection to ladies who do. Dallas, I believe, is a pretty lively--"
+
+"She's a stranger here," Buddy broke in, stiffly. His enthusiasm had
+cooled; he regarded Gray with veiled displeasure. "An" besides, she
+ain't that kind of a girl."
+
+"Oh! Sorry! I thought from what you said--that headache--bottles
+in your closet, too! My mistake, Buddy."
+
+"She'll take a drink, with me," the youth confessed. "Anyhow,
+she's gettin' so she will. I don't see anything wrong in a woman
+takin' a drink now an' then with a man she--with a man that's
+honorable." The last words were voiced defiantly.
+
+Hastily Buddy's caller averred: "Nor do I. We sha'n't come to
+blows over an abstract moral issue like that. This is an age of
+tolerance, an age of equality. I flatter myself that I'm quite as
+lawless and broad minded as the average bachelor of our very
+smartest set."
+
+"I'm--" the speaker gulped. "I'm goin' to marry her."
+
+"Oh, fine!" Gray's enthusiasm was positively electric. He seized
+Buddy's hand and crushed it. "Education, indeed! No use for that
+now, is there?"
+
+"I mean I'm goin' to, if I can; if she'll let me."
+
+"Let you? With your money? Why, she'll jump at the chance. No
+doubt you have already asked her--or she suspects--"
+
+The lad shook his head. "She don't have to marry nobody. She's got
+money--an _es_-tate. You think it's all right for me to do it?"
+
+"Simpler men than you have asked that question, and wiser men than
+I have refused to answer. As for me, I've never had the courage to take
+the plunge. However, the worst you can get is a heartbreak and a lifetime
+of regrets. But, of course, the woman takes some chances, too. Tell me
+about her."
+
+"Well--" Buddy beamed fatuously. "I dunno hardly where to begin."
+Into his voice, as he spoke, there crept a breathless excitement,
+into his eyes a dumb adoration. "She's--wonderful! She's too good
+for me."
+
+"Once and a while they are."
+
+"She's educated, too--more in your class, Mr. Gray. I dunno how
+she stands for me. She's the smartest, purtiest girl--"
+
+"She's young, eh?"
+
+"She's--older 'n I am. I reckon she's mebbe twenty-five. I never
+ast her."
+
+"Naturally. How did you meet her? When? Where? I'm a terribly
+romantic old fool." Gray hitched his chair closer and leaned
+forward, his face keen with interest.
+
+"Well, sir, it's a regular story, like in a book. I was in a
+restaurant with a coupla fellers an' a feller she was with struck
+her--"
+
+"Struck her?"
+
+"Yep. He was her brother, so she told me. Anyhow, I bounced him. I
+sure spoiled him up a lot. She was cryin' an' she ast me to take
+her home. That's how I got to know her. I s'pose she cottoned to
+me for takin' her part that-a-way. She didn't know the sort of
+place it was her brother had took her. Pore kid! She's had a hard
+time, an' every man she ever knew, but me, done her dirt. Even her
+husband." Buddy scowled.
+
+After a moment Gray said, quietly, "So, she's married?"
+
+"She was. He's dead, or something. I was bashful about callin'
+around to see her, not havin' anything to talk about but school
+an' oil wells, but she took an interest right away, 'specially in
+the wells. You'd ought to hear the story of her life, Mr. Gray.
+It's as sad as any novel. You see, her folks had lots of money,
+but her ma died an' her pa was too busy to be bothered, so he sent
+her off to a convent. Them nuns at the convent was so cruel to her
+that she run away--"
+
+"And went on the stage."
+
+"How'd you know?"
+
+"I didn't. But--the stage is the usual refuge for convent-bred
+girls who are abused. I've met several. Did she--Was the old home
+in Virginia?"
+
+"Sure! Mebbe you know her!" Buddy cried.
+
+"Perhaps. I seem to remember the story. What is her name?"
+
+"Arline Montague."
+
+The elder man shook his head. "You said something about a
+marriage. I dare say she married some rich John whose family
+disapproved of the match--so many show girls have been deceived
+like that. You can't imagine the prejudice of those Fifth Avenue
+parents--"
+
+"That's what she done. An' he went off an' joined the French
+Legion of Honor an' was killed."
+
+"Foreign Legion, no doubt."
+
+"Anyhow, he never made no pervision for her. But she wouldn't of
+touched a penny of his money if he'd left it to her, she's that
+honorable." Now that the lover had fairly launched himself upon
+the engrossing life story of his sweetheart he was in deep
+earnest, and his listener's quick understanding, his sympathy, his
+grasp of the situation, was a spur to further confidences. It was
+a blessing to have a friend so old, so wise, and so worldly.
+
+"What is the estate you mentioned?"
+
+"Oh, that's her own! It's all she had to fall back on. It's bein'
+settled up now an' she'll have her money before long."
+
+"The old Virginia homestead and the slaves--?"
+
+"Good thing she met me when she did, for them lawyers had it all
+tied up in court and wouldn't let go till she paid their fees."
+
+"A providential meeting, truly. You fixed that up, of course, and
+got rid of the wretched bloodsuckers. I've done much the same
+thing, more than once. Now, one other question--how does she
+happen to be in Dallas? I infer from your account that she is a
+model of virtue, and that she accepted your aid only upon the
+condition that your attentions to her should be characterized by
+the deepest respect. So? Well then, 'how come'?"
+
+"That was just a lucky chance. She's got some interests here;
+stocks an' things, belongin' to the _es_-tate. She dunno, herself,
+how valuable they are, but me comin' right from Texas an' bein' in
+oil an' all, she ast me to he'p her out. So I got her to come. All
+that had kep' her back was the expense. Mind you"--Buddy's tone
+became one of deeper admiration--"she ain't blue, or anything. No
+sir-ee! Her life's been sad, but you'd never know it. She's full
+of pep; allus out for fun, an'--that's what I like about her. Gee!
+You gotta meet her, Mr. Gray."
+
+"Well, rather! But meanwhile, we must telegraph your parents not
+only that you have been found, but also the further good news."
+
+"I--We better not say anything about my gettin' married."
+
+"Why not? They'd like to know."
+
+"I'd oughta wired 'em long ago, but--you understand! Miss Montague
+ain't exactly Ma an' Allie's kind."
+
+"You're not ashamed of her?"
+
+"Hunh!" The tone of this exclamation was an eloquent denial.
+
+"Then let's have them come on and get acquainted. They'll probably
+take right to her." But when this suggestion met with disapproval,
+Gray inquired: "Is it because you are ashamed of _them_--of your
+mother and sister?"
+
+Buddy stirred uneasily. "Pshaw, no!" A sudden thought came to him.
+"Why, it's this way: I haven't ast her yet. Mebbe she won't have
+me. If she says yes--I'll let 'em know."
+
+"Good! We'll make it, for the time being, a mere message of
+reassurance. To-night you and Miss Montague shall dine with me and
+we'll go to a theater." This arrangement met with young Briskow's
+enthusiastic approval, and so it was left.
+
+It was with something more than mere impatience that Calvin Gray
+awaited the dinner hour; he was angry, restless; his mind was back
+in Wichita Falls, whence the message from his detective had
+abruptly summoned him. Matters of moment were at issue there, and
+with a love affair of his own upon his mind he could think of no
+undertaking less to his taste than this: of saving a young fool
+from his folly. He could expect no thanks, if he succeeded, and if
+he failed he would in all probability incur Buddy's enmity, if not
+that of the whole Briskow family. Families are like that. It would
+all take time, and meanwhile his business was bound to suffer.
+However, he was not one to turn back, and he remembered with a
+pang the last look he had seen in Ma Briskow's eyes.
+
+Gray was prepared to find his young friend's light o' love
+superficially attractive, and she was all of that. He was not
+prepared, however, to find her quite as good an actress as she
+appeared to be. In spite of the fact that she probably took less
+pleasure in the meeting than did he, she admirably covered her
+feelings. She was delighted, flattered--Buddy had so often spoken
+of him that she almost felt acquainted--She was quite excited at
+knowing the famous Colonel Gray--She would have recognized him
+anywhere from Buddy's glowing description.
+
+Gray's heart sank as he studied Miss Montague. She was blond--to
+his suspicious eye a trifle too blond--and she wore her hair
+bobbed. She was petite and, both in appearance and in mannerism,
+she was girlish; nevertheless, she was self-reliant, and there was
+a certain maturity to her well-rounded figure, a suggestion of
+weariness about her eyes, that told a story.
+
+Following his first critical appraisal, Gray was vaguely conscious
+of something familiar about her; somewhere within him the chords
+of remembrance were lightly brushed; but try as he would he could
+not make himself believe that he had ever seen her. Probably it
+was the type that was familiar. He undertook to make sure by
+talking "show business" at the first opportunity; she responded
+with enough spontaneity to give an impression of candor, but her
+theatrical experience was limited and that line of exploration led
+nowhere.
+
+Whatever the pose she had adopted for Buddy's benefit, it was
+evident now that she credited his friend with intelligence equal
+to her own, and recognized the futility of deceit, therefore she
+made no attempt to pass as anything except an experienced young
+woman of the world, and Gray admired her for it. She smoked a good
+many cigarettes; her taste in amusements was broad; she had
+sparkle and enthusiasm. She was, in fact, a vibrant young person,
+and referred gayly to a road house whither Buddy had taken her on
+the night before and where they had danced until all hours. She
+loved to dance.
+
+The elder man played host in his best and easiest style, both at
+dinner and at the theater; then he passed the burden of
+entertainment over to Buddy, first cheerfully declaring that he
+would not be sidetracked and that he intended to impose his
+company upon the young couple whether they wanted him or not. This
+was precisely to young Briskow's liking, and soon they were
+speeding out to that road house mentioned earlier in the evening.
+
+Buddy drove, with Miss Montague by his side, the while Gray sat
+alone in the back seat of the car quietly objurgating the follies
+of youth and mournfully estimating his chances of surviving the
+night. Frankly, those chances appeared pretty slim, for Buddy
+drove with a death-defying carelessness. By the time they had
+arrived at their destination, Gray's respect for the girl had
+increased; she had nerves of steel.
+
+The resort was run on rather liberal principles; a number of
+flushed and noisy couples were dancing to the music of a colored
+orchestra. It was a "hip-pocket" crowd, and while there was no
+public drinking, the high-pitched volubility of the merrymakers
+was plainly of alcoholic origin. Gray realized that he was in
+for an ordeal, for he had become too well known to escape notice.
+Consternation filled him, therefore, at thought of the effect his
+presence here might have. But the music went straight to Buddy's
+feet; syncopation intoxicated him much as the throbbing of
+midnight drums and the pounding of tom-toms mesmerizes a voodoo
+worshiper, and he whirled Miss Montague away in his arms without
+so much as an apology to his other guest.
+
+There was nothing conservative about Buddy's dancing. He
+embellished his steps with capricious figures, and when he led his
+partner back to the table where he had left Gray, like a sailor
+marooned upon a thirsty atoll, he was red faced and perspiring;
+his enthusiasm was boiling over. "Dawg-_gone!_" he cried. "Now,
+if we had something wet, eh? These pants is cut purpose for a
+brace of form-fittin' flasks, but I left 'em in the room on
+account of you not drinkin', Mr. Gray."
+
+"Miss Montague," the elder man exclaimed, "I am not a kill-joy and
+I hastily resent Buddy's accusation. I have pursued folly as far
+as any man of my years."
+
+"I bet him that you were a good fellow," the girl said, with a
+smile.
+
+"Exactly! Abstinence comes as much from old age as from principle,
+and I am in my very prime. With all vigor I defend myself against
+the odious charge of virtuousness. Dyspepsia alone accounts for
+it."
+
+"You don't object to drinking?"
+
+"A wiser man that I has said, 'There are many things which we can
+afford to forget which it is yet well to learn.' I have had my
+day. May I claim the next dance?"
+
+In spite of the fact that Ozark Briskow was compelled to sit out
+every alternate dance in a distressing condition of sobriety, he
+enjoyed himself, for he was playing host to the one woman and the
+one man for whom he cared most. He had dreaded meeting Gray,
+fearing the effect of an open confession, expecting opposition,
+but Gray was broad minded, he was a regular guy. In the relief of this
+hour, Buddy could have worshiped him except for the fact that he
+was too darned nice to Arline--nobody had the right to show her
+attentions as marked as his own--Gray was a man no woman could
+help loving--
+
+Before long Buddy experienced a new sensation--jealousy. It was
+mild, to be sure, but it hurt a little.
+
+Once Miss Montague's suspicions had been allayed, she, too,
+devoted herself to having a good time. She rather enjoyed Gray and
+her sense of victory over him. She retired to the ladies' room,
+finally, to powder her nose, and when she reappeared it was with
+added animation and with a new sparkle to her eyes. When next it
+came the elder man's turn to dance with her, he caught upon her
+breath a faint familiar odor, only half disguised by the
+peppermint lozenge that was dissolving upon her tongue, and he
+smiled. Evidently this charmer maintained herself in a state of
+constant preparedness, and her vanity bag hid secrets even from
+Buddy.
+
+Where had he seen her? For the hundredth time he asked himself
+that question, for amid these hectic surroundings that first
+haunting suggestion of familiarity had become more pronounced. But
+patient delving into the dark corners of his memory was
+unavailing, and her conversation afforded him no clue.
+
+As time passed the young woman made other trips to the dressing
+room, returning always with an access of brightness and a stronger
+breath; she assumed with Gray a coquetry which Buddy did not like.
+Buddy, indeed, strongly disapproved of it, but that only drove her
+to more daring lengths. She ventured, at last, to discuss the
+young millionaire with his friend.
+
+"He's a dear boy, isn't he? And so innocent."
+
+"He's learning."
+
+"I'll say he is. He has learned a lot from me."
+
+"'Delightful task, to rear the tender thought.' But aren't you
+afraid he'll learn, for instance, why you are eating peppermints?"
+
+"Oho!" Gray's petite partner lifted her head and eyed him
+curiously. "Do you know why?"
+
+"I have a suspicion," he said, with a smile, "that when a girl
+deliberately perfumes her breath it is in preparation for the
+struggle in the cab."
+
+Miss Montague laughed unaffectedly. "Say! I could like you, Mr.
+Wisenblum, in spite of the fact that I ought to hate you."
+
+"Hate me? But why?"
+
+"Why shouldn't I?"
+
+"Because--I'm rather nice; I dance well."
+
+"You are, and you do. You'd be a perfect dear if you'd only mind
+your own business. Buddy is of age, and you and I will get along
+like ham and eggs if you'll remember that."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+"Why the SOS?" Mallow voiced this question as he entered Gray's
+hotel room early the following evening.
+
+"I'm in a predicament and I hope you can help me," the latter
+explained. "I'm trying to remember something and I can't. I have a
+cold spot in my head."
+
+Mallow deposited his bag with a sigh of relief. "Glad it's no
+worse. Anybody can cure a cold in the head."
+
+"Sit down and light up while I tell you about it." In a few sentences
+Gray made known the story of Ozark Briskow's infatuation, and the
+reason for his own interest therein. "The woman is of the common
+'get-rich-quick' variety," he concluded, "and she won't do."
+
+"She didn't pull the family estate and her father's slaves and the
+orange grove on you, did she?"
+
+"Oh no. She used that on Buddy and he believes it implicitly--so
+implicitly that she warned me to keep off the track. She showed
+her teeth, in a nice way. I've seen her somewhere; in some place
+where I should not have been. But where? It must have been in this
+country, too--not abroad--or I'd remember her."
+
+"Maybe I haven't been as wild as you, Governor. This is a big
+country and I've missed a lot of disreputable joints."
+
+The former speaker smiled. "You have trained yourself to remember
+faces, Mallow. Your researches--scientific researches, my dear
+Professor--have led you into quarters which I have never explored.
+I must identify this venturesome little gold digger without delay,
+for Buddy yearns to make her all his; matrimony is becoming the
+one object of his life."
+
+"Why not let the poor carp have her? It's tough enough for a
+dame to get by since prohibition. I don't see how they make it,
+with everybody sober. Chances are she'd get the worst of the swap,
+at that."
+
+"Not unlikely, but that is neither here nor there. Understand me,
+I'm no seraph; I pose as no model of rectitude, and, unfortunately
+for my peace of mind, Miss Montague is a really likable young
+person. But Buddy has a mother and a sister, and they hold me
+responsible for him. We three are dining downstairs in an hour;
+perhaps you could look in on us?"
+
+"Sure. I'll give her the once over," Mallow agreed. "If she's
+anybody in our set, I'll know her."
+
+The dinner had scarcely started when Gray heard his name paged and
+left the table. In the lobby Mallow was waiting with a grin upon
+his face.
+
+"Is that her?" he inquired.
+
+"That is the girl."
+
+"_Girl?_ 'Arline Montague,' eh? Her name is Margie Fulton and she
+had her hair up when they built the Union Pacific."
+
+"Nonsense! You're mistaken. She can't be more than twenty-five
+--thirty at most."
+
+"A woman can be as young as she wants to be if she'll pay the
+price. Margie had her face tucked up two years ago. Cost her five
+thousand bucks."
+
+"I--can't believe it."
+
+"You see it every day. Look at the accordion-pleated beauts in the
+movies. Why, some of those dolls nursed in the Civil War! Those
+face surgeons have ironed the wrinkles out of many a withered
+peach, and you're dining with Margie Fulton, the Suicide Blonde. I
+know her kid."
+
+"Her _what?_" Mallow's hearer gasped.
+
+"Sure. She was married to Bennie Fulton, the jockey, and they had
+a boy. Bennie was ruled off in New Orleans and started a gambling
+house."
+
+"New Orleans! Wait--I'm beginning to remember."
+
+Into Gray's mind came an indistinct memory; the blurred picture
+of a race track with its shouting thousands, a crowded betting
+ring; then, more clearly, a garish, over-furnished room in a
+Southern mansion; clouds of tobacco smoke rising in the cones of
+bright light above roulette and poker tables; negro servants in
+white, with trays; mint juleps in tall, frosted glasses; a pretty
+girl with straw-colored hair--"You're right!" he agreed, finally.
+"She was a 'come-on.'"
+
+"That's her. She worked the betting ring daytimes and boosted in
+Bennie's place at night. Whenever she was caught she suicided.
+That's how she got her name."
+
+"Just what do you mean by that?"
+
+"Why, the usual stuff. A bottle of water with a poison label. If a
+mullet threatened to call the police, she'd cry, 'You have ruined
+my life!' Then with shaking hand she'd pull the old skull bottle
+and drink herself to death. Of course, the poor leaping tuna
+usually got the acid out of her hand in time to save her. She saw
+to that."
+
+Gray was laughing silently. "My dear Professor," he confessed,
+"wisdom, of a sort, is mine; sometimes I grow weary with the
+weight of my experiences and wonder why the world so seldom shows
+me something new. But beside you I am as a babe. Tell me, what has
+become of the ex-jockey husband?"
+
+"She divorced him. Mind you, Margie was square, like most of those
+'come-ons.' She'd 'how dare' a guy that so much as looked at her.
+You know the kind I mean."
+
+"And the child? Where do you suppose she keeps it?"
+
+Mallow reflected. "The last time I saw the little cherub he was
+singing bass in a bellboys' quartette at Hot Springs. He hops
+bells at the Arlington summers and butchers peanuts at the track
+during the season--you know, hollers 'Here they come!' before they
+start, then when the women jump up he pinches the betting tickets
+out of their laps and cashes them with the bookies."
+
+"Could you get hold of this--this boy basso and bring him here
+without letting him or his mother know?" "I can if he's still at
+Hot Springs, and I saw him there the last time I was up. The
+little darling got me into a crap game and ran in some shaped
+dice. Of course, it would cost something to get him."
+
+"How much?"
+
+Mallow "shot" his cuff and upon it gravely figured up the probable
+expense. "Well, there would be the fares and the eats and his bit
+--he wouldn't come for nothing. He'd gyp me for ten dollars, but
+he'd probably come for five. I'd offer him three--"
+
+"There is a thousand dollars in it if you can produce him within
+the next forty-eight hours. I doubt my ability to sit on the
+safety valve much longer than that, for Buddy Briskow is rapidly
+breaking out with matrimonial measles. If I throw cold water on
+him it will only aggravate the disease."
+
+"A thousand dollars!" Mallow cried. "Why, for a thousand berries
+I'll bring you his head on a platter. I'll car the little devil
+down and lock him in a suitcase." The speaker hesitated a moment
+before concluding. "It's a dirty trick on Margie, though."
+
+"I know. But I'm thinking of Buddy. Now, in Heaven's name, hurry!
+My constitution may survive a few more road houses, but my
+reputation will not."
+
+That night was a repetition of the one before, but with variations
+and with trimmings, for Buddy wore his "two-pint trousers" again,
+and this time they were loaded, hence Gray had a chance to observe
+him at his best--or worst. A little liquor went a long way with
+the boy; he derived much effect, many by-products, so to speak,
+from even a few drinks, and the elder man was forcibly reminded of
+Gus Briskow's statement that his son had a streak of the Old Nick
+in him. It was true; Buddy was indeed like a wild horse.
+Artificially stimulated, he became a creature of pure impulse, and
+those impulses ran the entire gamut of hilarity: he played the
+drum; he wrestled with a burly doorman; he yelled, whenever he
+found what he called a good "yelling place"; he demonstrated his
+ability to sing "Silver Threads Among the Gold" to the accompaniment of
+a four-piece orchestra energetically engaged in playing something
+quite modern and altogether different. These, and many other
+accomplishments equally unsuspected, he displayed. On the way from
+one lively resort to a livelier he conceived the unique idea that
+he could "swap ends" with his touring car in much the same manner
+that he could turn a nimble cow pony, and he tried it. Happily,
+the asphalt was wet, and in consequence the maneuver was not a
+total failure, although it did result in a crumpled mud guard and
+a runaway. Milk-wagon horses in Dallas, it appeared, were not
+schooled to the sight of spinning motor cars, and the phenomenon
+filled at least one with abysmal horror.
+
+Gray felt sure that he had visibly aged as a result of that ride,
+and he began to understand why a new crop of wrinkles was
+appearing about the corners of Margie Fulton's eyes. No wonder she
+was beginning to look a trifle weary.
+
+Fearing that Buddy was likely to turn sentimental without warning,
+the elder man monopolized as much of "Miss Montague's" time and
+attention as possible; he danced with her frequently, and he
+assiduously devoted himself to winning her favor. The result was a
+tribute to his acting and to his magnetism. In a moment of abandon
+she confided to him that she wished he had Buddy's money or--that
+he was a marrying man. Both of Buddy's flasks had been emptied by
+this time, however, so Gray was not unduly beguiled by this
+flattery.
+
+On the whole, it was a horrible night.
+
+As Gray languidly crept into bed about daylight he had the
+satisfaction of knowing that he had at least excited his young
+friend's open jealousy. That might act as a stay. On the other
+hand, of course, it might have directly the opposite effect--one
+could never tell--and it might be the part of wisdom, therefore,
+to gain possession of that diamond ring.
+
+Buddy sought him out in the lobby, early the next afternoon, and
+after a colorless greeting, said, queerly, "Would you mind comin'
+up to my room for a minute?"
+
+"Certainly not. I'd have looked in on you before this if I'd
+thought you were up." As the two mounted the wide marble stairs
+Gray went on, cheerfully: "Not looking your best this morn
+--afternoon, my lad. As for me, I am, in a manner of speaking,
+reborn. I have taken a new start. Careful reflection upon the
+providential outcome of that amazing skid has convinced me that
+whatever joys or sorrows assail me hereafter, however much or
+little of life is spared me, it will be all 'velvet.' A touch of
+mascaro about my temples and I shall look as young as I did
+yesterday. What are we going to do to-night?"
+
+"I dunno."
+
+Once inside his spacious suite, Buddy flung himself into a chair
+and with trembling fingers lit a cigarette. It was evident that he
+had something to say, but either dreaded saying it or knew not
+where to begin. His companion, meanwhile, pretended to look out
+upon the street below. In reality, he was observing the young
+giant. Poor Buddy! He was suffering.
+
+The latter cleared his throat several times before he managed to
+say, "You don't want me to marry Arline, do you, Mr. Gray?"
+
+"Frankly, my boy, I do not."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"There are many reasons."
+
+"What's one?"
+
+"I don't think you love her."
+
+Briskow stirred. "Is that why you--went an' got that di'mon' ring
+I had made?" When this query met with a nod the young Texan's face
+flamed and his eyes glowed. "What in hell--" He swallowed his
+anger, rose to his feet and made a nervous circuit of the room
+before coming to a pause at Gray's side. His lips were working;
+there was a tragic, a piteous appeal in his eyes; his voice shook
+as he stammered: "I didn't mean to break out at you, Mr. Gray. I
+like you. Gee! I--You're kinda like God to me. I'd ruther be like
+you than--well, there ain't nobody I like like I like you--You
+could get her away from me if you wanted to, but--you wouldn't do
+a trick like that, would you? I was mighty happy till you came
+--You--got that ring with you?"
+
+"I have it in my pocket."
+
+"I want it." Buddy extended a quivering hand.
+
+"Why?"
+
+"I'm goin' to ask her to marry me, to-day. If she won't I'm goin'
+to--"
+
+"She will."
+
+Buddy gasped. "You _sure?_"
+
+"I'm quite sure she would if you asked her. But I don't want you
+to ask her." When an expression of pained reproach leaped into the
+lad's face, the speaker explained, quickly: "Don't think for a
+moment that I care for her, nor that she has the slightest
+interest in me. It is you that I care for. What you just said
+pleased me, touched me. I wish you could understand how much I
+really do care for you, Buddy. Won't you wait--a few days, before
+you--"
+
+"I _can't_ wait."
+
+"You must."
+
+The men eyed each other steadily for a moment, then Buddy
+demanded, querulously, "What have you got against her, anyhow?"
+
+"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
+
+"She told me everything there is to tell an' I told you. I don't
+care what she's done--if she ever done anything. She's had a hard
+time."
+
+"Will you wait forty-eight hours?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Twenty-four?"
+
+"Gimme that ring!" When Gray made no move the speaker ran on,
+excitedly: "I'm a man. I'm of age. It's none of your business what
+I do--nor Pa's or Ma's, either. It won't do no good for them to
+come."
+
+Gray went to the door, locked it and pocketed the key. "Buddy"
+--his voice was firm, his face was set--"you are a man, yes,
+although you were only a boy a few weeks ago. You are going to act
+like a man, now."
+
+"You goin' to try an' _hold_ me here?" The inquiry was one of
+mingled astonishment and anger, for young Briskow could scarcely
+believe his eyes. "Don't do that, Mr. Gray. I--Nobody can't _make_
+me do anything. Please don't! That's plumb foolish."
+
+"What if I told you that Miss Montague is--"
+
+Buddy interrupted with a harsh cry. "Damn it! I said I wouldn't
+listen to anything against her. I'm tellin' you, again, keep your
+mouth shut about her." The youth's face was purple; he was
+trembling; his fists were clenched, and with difficulty he
+restrained even a wilder outburst. "You can have the ring, but
+--you lemme out of here, quick." When this command went unheeded he
+strode toward the bedroom, intending to use the other exit, but
+his caller intercepted him. "Lemme out!" the young man shouted.
+
+"One of us is going to remain in this room, and I think it will be
+you." As Gray spoke he jerked off his coat and flung it aside.
+"Better strip, Buddy, if you mean to try it."
+
+Buddy recoiled a step. Incredulously he exclaimed: "You--you
+wouldn't try _that_! This is my room. You must be crazy."
+
+"I think I am, indeed, to endure what I have endured these last
+two days; to make myself ridiculous; to be humiliated; to risk my
+business ruin just to save a young fool from his folly."
+Impatience, resentment, anger were in the speaker's tone.
+
+"I never ast you. You butted in--tried to cut me out. That's
+dirty. You was lyin' when you said--"
+
+"Have it that way. I've run out of patience."
+
+Ozark Briskow, too, had reached the limit of his endurance; he
+exploded. Momentarily he lost his head and cursed Gray vilely. For
+answer the latter moved close and slapped him across the mouth,
+saying: "Fight, you idiot!"
+
+Buddy's low, gasping cry had the effect of a roar; it left the
+room echoing, then savagely he lunged at his assailant. He was
+blind, in him was a sudden maniacal impulse to destroy; he had no
+thought of consequences. Gray knocked him down.
+
+It was a blow that would have felled an ox. As the youth lay half
+dazed, he heard the other taunting him, mocking him. "Get up, you
+lummox, and defend yourself. You'll be a man when I get through
+with you."
+
+Codes of combat are peculiar to localities. In the north woods,
+for instance, lumberjacks fight with fist and heel; in the
+Southwest, when a man is mad enough to fight at all, he is usually
+mad enough to kill. As Buddy Briskow rose to his knees he groped
+for the nearest weapon, the nearest missile, something--anything
+with which to slay. His hand fell upon a heavy metal vase, and
+with this he struck wickedly as Gray closed with him. This time
+they went down together and rolled across the floor. The legs of a
+desk crashed and a litter of writing materials was spilled over
+them.
+
+Gray was the first to regain his feet, but his shirt had been torn
+half off and he tasted blood upon his lips. He had met strong men
+in his time, but never had he felt such a rocklike mass of bone
+and muscle as now. Buddy was like a kicking horse; his fists were
+as hard as hoofs, and that which they smote they crushed or
+bruised or lacerated. He possessed now the supreme strength of a
+madman, and he was quite insensible to pain. He was uttering
+strange animal sounds.
+
+"Shut up!" Gray panted. "Have the guts to--keep still. You'll
+--rouse the--"
+
+He dodged an awkward swinging blow from the giant and sent him
+reeling. Buddy fetched up against the solid wall with a crash, for
+Gray had centered every pound of his weight behind his punch, but
+the countryman rebounded like a thing of rubber and again they
+clinched.
+
+A room cluttered with heavy furniture is not like a boxing ring.
+In spite of Gray's skill and an agility uncommon in a man of his
+size, it was impossible to stop the other's rushes or to avoid
+them. Straining with each other they ricocheted against tables and
+chairs, and only the fact that much of the furniture was padded,
+and the floor thickly carpeted, prevented the sound of their
+struggle from alarming the occupants of the halls and the lobby.
+They fought furiously, moving the while like two wrestlers trying
+for flying holds; time and again they fell with first one on top
+and then the other; their flesh suffered and they grew bloody. The
+room soon became a litter, for its fittings were upset, flung
+about, splintered, as if the room itself had been picked up and
+shaken like a doll's house.
+
+Gray managed to floor his antagonist whenever he had time and
+space in which to set himself, but this was not often, for Buddy
+closed with him at every opportunity. At such times it was the
+elder man who suffered most.
+
+In a way it was an unequal struggle, for youth, ablaze with a holy
+fire, was matched against age, stiffened only by stubborn
+determination. Neither man longer had any compunctions; each
+fought with a ferocious singleness of purpose.
+
+Buddy's face had been hammered to a pulp, but Gray was groaning;
+he could breathe only from the top of his lungs, and the bones of
+his left hand had been telescoped. Agonizing pains ran clear to
+his shoulder, and the hand itself was well-nigh useless.
+
+It was an extraordinary combat; certainly the walls of this
+luxurious suite had never looked down upon a scene so strange as
+this fight between friends. How long it continued, neither man
+knew--not a great while, surely, measured by the clock; but an
+interminable time as they gauged it. Nor could Calvin Gray
+afterward recall just how it came to an end. He vaguely remembered
+Buddy Briskow weaving loosely, rocking forward upon uncertain
+legs, blindly groping for him--the memory was like that of a
+figure seen dimly through a mist of dreams--then he remembered
+calling up his last reserve of failing vigor. Even as he launched
+the blow he knew it was a knockout. The colossus fell, lay
+motionless.
+
+It was a moment or two before Gray could summon strength to lend
+succor, then he righted an armchair and dragged Buddy into it. He
+reeled as he made for the bathroom, for he was desperately sick;
+as he wet a towel, meanwhile clinging dizzily to the faucet, his
+reflection leered forth from the mirror--a battered, repulsive
+countenance, shockingly unlike his own.
+
+He was gently mopping young Briskow's face when the latter
+revived. Buddy's eyes were wild, he did not recognize this
+unpleasant stranger until a familiar voice issued from the
+shapeless lips.
+
+"You'll be all right in a few minutes, my lad."
+
+Briskow lifted his head; he tried to rise, but fell back limply,
+for as yet his body refused to obey his will.
+
+"You--licked me," he declared, faintly. "Licked me good, didn't
+you?"
+
+"_Buddy!_ Oh, Buddy--" It was a yearning cry; Gray's streaked,
+swollen features were grotesquely contorted. "You won't be mad
+with me, will you?"
+
+"Want to fight any more?"
+
+The victor groaned. "My God, _no!_ You nearly killed me."
+
+This time Buddy managed to gain his feet. "Then I reckon I'll--go
+to bed. I feel purty rotten."
+
+Gray laughed aloud, in his deep relief. "Righto! And after I've
+phoned for a doctor, if you don't mind, I'll crawl in with you."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+On the morning after the fight Mallow knocked at Gray's door, then
+in answer to an indistinct and irritable command to be gone, he
+made himself known.
+
+"It's me, Governor. And I've got Exhibit A."
+
+"Really?" came the startled query. There was a stir from within,
+the lock snapped and the door opened.
+
+"I've got a little friend here that I want you to--" Mallow paused
+inside the threshold, his mouth fell open, he stared in frank
+amazement. "Sweet spirits of niter!" he gasped. "What happened to
+_you?_"
+
+"I was playing tag in the hall with some other old men, and one of
+them struck me."
+
+"My God, you're a sight!" Mallow remained petrified. "I never saw
+a worse mess."
+
+"Come in and close the door. I am vain, therefore I have a certain
+shyness about exposing my beauty to the curious gaze. Pardon me if
+I seat myself first; I find it more comfortable to sit than to
+stand, to recline than to sit." Stiffly the speaker let himself
+into an upholstered divan and fitted the cushions to his aches and
+his pains, his bruises and his abrasions. He sighed miserably. His
+features were discolored, shapeless; his lips were cut; strips of
+adhesive tape held the edges of a wound together; his left hand
+was tightly bandaged and the room reeked with the odor of
+liniment.
+
+"You've been hit with a safe, or something," Mallow declared.
+"Evidences of some blunt instrument, as the newspapers say; maybe
+a pair of chain tongs."
+
+"Blunt and heavy, yes. Buddy Briskow and I had an argument--"
+
+"That big bum? Did he lay it on you like that? Say, he's got the
+makings of a champ!"
+
+"Pride impels me to state that he got the worst of it. He is
+scarcely presentable, while I--"
+
+"Your side won?"
+
+"It did. Now, where is the boy?"
+
+"He's outside." Without shifting his astonished gaze, Mallow
+raised his voice and cried, "Hey, Bennie!" The door opened, a
+trim, diminutive figure entered. "Bennie, mit my friend Colonel
+Gray."
+
+The youngster, a boy of indeterminate age, advanced and shook
+hands. There was no mistaking him; he was Margie Fulton's son in
+size, in coloring, in features. "I told Bennie you could use a
+bright kid about his age. And he's bright."
+
+It required no clever analysis of the lad to convince Gray that he
+was indeed bright, as bright--and as hard--as a silver dollar. He
+had a likable face, or it would have been likable had it been in
+repose. It was twitching now, and Gray said, with a smile, "Go
+ahead and laugh, son."
+
+The urchin's lips parted in a wide grin, and he spoke for the
+first time. "Did the Germans do that?" The effect of his voice was
+startling, for it was deep and husky; it was the older man's turn
+to be astonished.
+
+"He could pass for fifteen on the street," Mallow said; "but when
+he talks I chalk him down for thirty-five. How old are you, Ben?"
+
+"Seventeen. What's the big idea, anyhow?" The question was
+directed impudently at the occupant of the divan. "Did you send
+all the way to Hot Springs to get a guy you can lick?"
+
+"Your mother is here in Dallas, my boy."
+
+"Yeah?" There was a pause. "How's it breaking for her?"
+
+"Um-m, very well. I thought she'd like to see you."
+
+Bennie cocked his head, he eyed the speaker curiously,
+suspiciously. "Come clean," he rumbled. "Mallow said you could use
+me." "I can. I will." The boy shrugged. "All right, Sharkey. I
+s'pose it'll come out, in time. Only remember, I've got twenty
+coming, win or lose."
+
+"Of course" Gray waved toward the dresser, upon which was a
+handful of bills. "Help yourself. Better make it twenty-five. Then
+wait outside, please. We will join you in a few minutes."
+
+"And don't make it thirty," Bennie's traveling companion sharply
+cautioned.
+
+When the door had closed, Gray gave his friend certain
+instructions, after which he limped to the telephone and called
+Arline Montague. "May I ask you to step down to Buddy's room?" he
+inquired, after making himself known. "Oh, it will be quite all
+right--We three must have a little talk--But he _couldn't_ see you
+last night. He was quite ill, really; I sat up with him most of--"
+There was a longer hiatus then. "Hadn't we better argue that in
+Buddy's presence? Thank you. In five minutes, then."
+
+As he and Gray prepared to leave, Mallow said, sourly: "Margie is
+a good little dame, in her way, and I feel like a--like a
+damned'stool.'"
+
+"My dear fellow," the other told him, "I understand, and I'd
+gladly take another beating like this one to escape this wretched
+denouement."
+
+When Ozark Briskow answered Gray's request for admittance, he was
+deeply embarrassed to find Miss Montague also waiting; his
+stammered protest was interrupted by her sharp inquiry:
+
+"What is the meaning of all this mystery? He said you were too
+sick to see me."
+
+"Permit me to explain," Gray began, as he closed the door behind
+them. "Buddy and I came to blows over you; you were, in a manner
+of speaking, an apple of discord between us, and the melancholy
+results you behold. Jealousy of your charms was not my motive; I
+merely asked Buddy to defer a contemplated action. He refused; I
+insisted. Argument failed to budge either of us and--"
+
+The young woman's sympathetic regard of Gray's victim changed to
+a glare of hostility as she turned upon the speaker, crying: "You
+_brute!_ You ought to be arrested!"
+
+"He ast me to wait, Arline--"
+
+"To delay asking you a question which I felt should be more
+seriously considered. In the absence of his family I took it upon
+myself to--"
+
+"To butt in!" Miss Montague exclaimed, with curling lip.
+
+"Quite so. I merit your disapproval, but not your disdain."
+
+With some heat Buddy declared: "Pa an' Ma know that I got a mind
+of my own. It won't do 'em any good to come."
+
+"See here," the woman demanded. "What have you been telling Buddy
+about me? I told him all there was to tell."
+
+"Quite all? I fear you have not been as frank as you would have me
+believe. That, in fact, explains my connection with the affair.
+Believe me when I say that I am interested only in seeing justice
+done to both of you young people, and in making sure that you do
+not deceive each other. It is an impulse of artless youth to trick
+itself in glowing colors, but you should know the whole truth
+about Buddy and he about you. If, after you are thoroughly
+acquainted with each other, you still maintain a mutual regard I
+shall have nothing further to say--except to beg that I be allowed
+to show my true friendship for both of you."
+
+"Well, spring the bad news," said Miss Montague. Briskow now
+displayed the first open resentment he had shown since his defeat
+of the day before. "You licked me, Mr. Gray, an' I took my
+medicine," he growled. "You changed my looks, but you didn't
+change my mind. I'm waitin' for the folks to come, but I ain't
+goin' to listen to 'em."
+
+"Let him get this off his chest, Buddy. Go ahead with the scandal,
+Saint Anthony."
+
+Gray bowed. "Suppose we ignore the early convent training and
+the Old Kentucky Home and agree that they are pleasant fictions,
+like the estate which you are in such imminent danger of
+inheriting. Those, I'm sure you will admit, are entirely
+imaginary." Buddy Briskow's swollen eyelids opened wider, his
+tumid lips parted, and an expression of surprise spread over his
+dropsical countenance.
+
+"Step on it," sneered Miss Montague. "Dish the dirt!"
+
+"Buddy's belief, however, that your stage career was blasted and
+your young life laid waste by the scion of a rich New York house
+should, in the interests of truth, be corrected."
+
+"He knows I was married."
+
+"True. But not to Bennie Fulton, the jockey."
+
+"That is a--lie!"
+
+"Nor that the estimable Mr. Fulton, instead of perishing upon the
+field of glory, dodged the draft and is doing as well as could be
+expected of a jockey who has been ruled off every track in the
+country, and is now a common gambler against whom the finger of
+suspicion is leveled--"
+
+"It's a lie!" the woman stormed. Of Buddy she inquired: "You don't
+believe that, do you? You don't intend to listen to that sort of
+stuff?"
+
+The object of this appeal was torn by conflicting emotions. Doubt
+is a weed that sprouts fastest in dull minds; suspicion is the
+ready armor of ignorance; to young Briskow came the unwelcome
+vision of those oil wells. Was Gray telling the truth? Could it be
+that Arline had made a fool of him? But no, she was smaller,
+prettier, more adorable than ever, now that she was whipped by
+this gale of anger, and a girl like that could not be a deceiver.
+Buddy longed desperately to believe her refutation of the charge.
+He closed his eyes and made himself believe.
+
+"Even now," Gray was saying, "if you would tell the boy all he
+ought to know, I would take myself off and have nothing more to
+say."
+
+"You-you make me _sick!_" Miss Montague cried, vibrantly. "What
+right have _you_ to preach? What kind of a man are you? If he believed
+your lies for a minute I'd never want to see him again. He has been a
+true friend to me"--her voice quavered, caught in her throat--"the only
+true friend I ever had. _I_ don't care whether he's rich or poor, but men
+like you are all alike. What chance has a girl got against you? You want
+to use his money, so you p-poison his mind--break a woman's heart--just
+b-because you--hate me." The last words were sobbed forth. Miss
+Montague broke down.
+
+"Hell!" hoarsely exclaimed young Briskow. "You're makin' her cry!"
+
+Gray sighed; he stepped to the door, opened it and called, "Come
+in, both of you."
+
+Arline Montague's shoulders ceased to shake, she lifted her blond
+head alertly. Then she uttered a breathless exclamation.
+
+Buddy, meanwhile, had been staring at the door, and he was
+surprised when, instead of his family, he saw entering a strange
+man and a boy small of stature but old of face, a boy insouciant,
+impudent, swaggering. It was this boy who spoke first.
+
+"Hello, momma!" he cried.
+
+At sound of that voice Buddy recoiled, for it was deeper than his
+own. His expression of dismay was no doubt ludicrous, at any rate
+the urchin's lively eyes leaped to his face and remained there,
+while a grin spread over his features.
+
+"Hully Gee!" rumbled the lad. "Here's _another_ one that ought to
+be buried!"
+
+"Mrs. Fulton"--it was Gray speaking--"I took the liberty of asking
+your son--"
+
+Buddy Briskow heard no more, for his ears were roaring. Her son!
+That voice! Being little more than a boy himself, nothing could
+have hurt him more cruelly than this; his impulse was to flee the
+room, for his world had come down in crashing ruin. She _had_
+lied! She _had_ made a fool of him. Gray had been right.
+
+The others were still talking when Buddy broke in faintly. His
+battered visage was white, his lips were colorless.  "I reckon
+this--ends my part of the entertainment," said he.  Slowly he seated
+himself and bowed his head in his hands, for he had become quite ill.
+
+Arline Montague--Margie Fulton--once the blow had fallen, behaved
+rather well; she took Bennie in her arms and kissed him, then in
+answer to his quick look of dismay at her agitation, she patted
+him on the shoulder and said: "It's all right, son. You didn't
+know."
+
+"Didn't know what?" demanded the lad. "Say--" He stared angrily
+from one face to another. "Is it a plant?"
+
+"Hush! You wouldn't understand."
+
+Bennie's suspicions now were in full play, and his gaze came to
+rest upon Calvin Gray; his eyes began to blaze. "You--you big
+bum!" he cried. "I might have known you were a double-crosser."
+
+"Hush, Bennie, please!"
+
+"I'll get you for this." The midget was quivering with rage.
+"You'll look worse 'n that, you--you big bum!"
+
+"Take my key. Here!" The mother thrust her room key into the boy's
+hand. "Run along. I--I'll see you in a few minutes." To Mallow she
+said: "Take him out, please. You brought him."
+
+Mallow, flushing uncomfortably, took Bennie by the wrist and
+dragged him to the door.
+
+"Dirty work!" said the woman, when the two had gone. Her eyes were
+dark with anger as she stared at Gray.
+
+"It must look so to you," he agreed. "Frankly, I didn't enjoy it."
+
+"Bah!" Margie turned to Briskow, but in his attitude, his averted
+gaze, she read the doom of her hopes. One final chance remained,
+however, and desperately she snatched at it. "Buddy!" she cried.
+"_Buddy!_" Her voice was poignant as she pleaded. "I couldn't tell
+you the truth. I wanted to--I laid awake nights trying to get the
+courage, but I was afraid you wouldn't understand. I'd have told
+you the whole thing, if you'd ever given me the chance. You know I've
+been married; does it make so much difference that I have a son?" When
+the object of her appeal only stirred, she went on, reproachfully: "Are
+you going to allow this--this man to--come between us?"
+
+"I wouldn't believe you now, if--" Buddy choked. "I'm through!"
+
+"You mean that?" The young fellow nodded. "Very well!" Something
+in the tone of the last words, some accent of desperation, caused
+Buddy to raise his head. He was in time to see Margie fumble with
+her purse and extract something therefrom; to Buddy's eyes it
+resembled a bottle. "There is no use fighting any more. You have
+ruined my life."
+
+"My God!" young Briskow yelled, in dismay. "Don't do that! Stop
+her!" He leaped to his feet and lunged for the poison vial which
+was trembling upon Arline's lips. Gray, too, had been galvanized
+into action, but of an unexpected nature; he grappled with Buddy
+and held him. "Look out!" the latter gasped. "She's killin'
+herself." The Texan was weak with horror; he could only paw
+impotently at his captor and cry: "Arline! You wouldn't do _that?_
+For _me?_ Lemme go. Arline--"
+
+"This is the end," moaned the woman, still holding the bottle to
+her lips. Her despair was tragic; nevertheless, she did not
+instantly hurl herself into the hereafter. This hesitation at
+meeting death was only natural, perhaps, for none but the bravest
+can leap into the unknown without a moment of farewell.
+
+"Drink hearty!" Gray exclaimed, over his shoulder, meanwhile
+closing tighter his embrace of the terrified youth.
+
+Buddy's struggles suddenly ceased, for at last the bottle had been
+drained; the girl was groping blindly toward the nearest chair.
+
+"God'lmighty! You let her do it!" he cried, hoarsely. "You--you
+_murderer_! We--we gotta get a doctor, quick."
+
+"Nonsense! Water won't hurt her; and that's all it is. She's known
+as 'the Suicide Blonde.'"
+
+"Say! You're bursting with information,
+aren't you?" It was Miss Montague, tottering upon the brink of the
+grave, who voiced this explosive inquiry. Her drooping shoulders
+straightened, she raised her head and flung the empty bottle
+violently from her. Her face was deathly white, to be sure, but
+not with darting agonies. "You know _everything_, don't you? You
+make plain the past, the present, and the future. Well, Madame
+Thebes, you're under the wire with the horseshoe on your neck."
+With head erect and with firm tread she moved to the door; she
+turned there and blazed forth in bitter scorn, her bobbed curls
+shaking as she spoke: "Take that selling plater back to the car
+barn, where he belongs. I'm off boobs for life. I knew you had a
+jinx on me the minute I saw you, for I broke my mirror the day you
+breezed in. Seven years bad luck? My God, you're all of that and
+more! Why, you'd bring bad luck to a church! I'll beat it now
+while you give little Rollo his bottle and rock him to sleep. If
+he cries, tell me and--and I'll furnish the rock."
+
+The door slammed to behind the diminutive fury, and Gray sank
+feebly into a chair. He was laughing silently.
+
+"By Jove! She's splendid!" he chuckled. "Buddy, I--I like that
+woman."
+
+It was midforenoon of the next day. Mrs. Fulton, after a restless
+night, was packing her trunks; her room was in disarray, what with
+open suitcases and piles of dresses, lingerie, shoes and the like
+strewn carelessly about. She had halted her labors for a second
+time to scan a brief note that had arrived a few moments before
+and ran as follows:
+
+DEAR MRS. FULTON,--I am not really such a bad sort as you consider
+me, and I'm genuinely interested in that boy of yours. Let's cry
+quits and have a serious talk about him and--perhaps other things.
+
+Sincerely yours,
+
+CALVIN GRAY. She was thus engaged when there came a knock, and in
+answer to her voice the writer entered.
+
+"Thank you for letting me come up," he began. "I'm becoming
+accustomed to dodging chambermaids and scurrying up back stairs.
+But I'm looking better, don't you think?"
+
+"There's only one way you'd look better to me," the woman said,
+unsmilingly, "and that is laid out."
+
+"Please put me at my ease. I am physically sore and mentally
+distressed."
+
+"_You_ sore, distressed! Humph! I wouldn't have consented to see
+you except for what Mallow told me. After what he said I'd like to
+give you a piece of my mind. What right have _you_ doing a thing
+like this? Do you know what I think of you?"
+
+"I do. Also what Mallow thinks of me, for he told me. You see, he
+believes firmly that I am a--well, a person of much looser
+principles than I really am, and my protestations of honesty only
+excite his veiled derision."
+
+"He says he's sorry. Sorry! After spilling the beans."
+
+"Mrs. Fulton, I have learned that life is a mixed affair, and that
+most of our actions are the results of conflicting motives. Yes,
+and that we ourselves are products of conflicting forces, good and
+evil. Few of us are as good as we would like to have people
+believe nor as bad as we appear. I wonder if you will believe me
+when I say that I--like you."
+
+"Certainly not."
+
+"Nevertheless, I do. For one thing, you are a good fighter and a
+good loser. I try to be, but I fear I lack your spirit. I would
+not have hurt you willingly."
+
+The woman tossed her head and turned away; when she spoke, it was
+wearily: "I might have known I couldn't make the jump. I never did
+win a big race. A good loser, eh? Well, I've had enough practice
+at it. How is Buddy? Hurt, I suppose. His young life is blasted;
+he'll never trust another woman."
+
+"He is standing it pretty well, and is greatly cheered by the
+fact that he can see out of his left eye practically as well as
+ever. He is going back to the oil fields and learn the business. I
+am going to put him to work. What are you going to do with
+Bennie?"
+
+"Do with him? What can I do with him?"
+
+"He is a bright boy."
+
+"I'm bright, too, but I have all I can do to get by."
+
+"It is a shame to think he will grow up into what his father was."
+
+Margie Fulton wheeled and her blue eyes were dark. "I suppose you
+think I'm a bad mother. But what do you know about it? How do you
+know what I've gone through for him; the sacrifices I've made?
+I've made plenty and they came hard."
+
+"I'd like to help you make a man of him."
+
+"What? _You_? How?"
+
+"I'd like to put him in business and teach him that there is no
+profit in short-changing customers; that the real wise guy isn't
+the fellow who gets the best of every bag of peanuts, but the one
+who can go back to the same customer and sell him another bag. The
+abstract principle has been put much more succinctly, but I doubt
+if it would carry the same weight with him. I'd enjoy giving the
+boy a hand up, but--he is more than I'd care to tackle alone."
+
+"There's Mallow to help you. He'd be a refining influence." The
+mother's lip curled.
+
+"How about you?"
+
+"Me?"
+
+"Isn't the--sort of life you are living becoming a bit tiresome?
+Aren't you about fed up on uncertainties?" The object of these
+queries drew a deep breath; her eyelids flickered, but she
+continued to stare at the speaker. "Worry brings deeper wrinkles
+than old age. Wouldn't you like to tie to something solid and be
+able to show Bennie that you are, at heart, the sort of woman I
+consider you? He'll soon be getting old enough to wonder if you
+are what he thinks you are or if--" "I suppose you learned this
+--bayonet practice in the army," Mrs. Fulton said, hoarsely.
+
+"Anybody can make a good living in a country like this if he cares
+enough to try. I'll back you if you need money."
+
+"And--what's the price?"
+
+"My price? Oh, I'd feel well repaid if some day Bennie
+acknowledged that I was a 'regular guy,' and if you agreed."
+
+"Is that all?"
+
+"Quite all. Is there something you do--well?"
+
+"I can cook. I'm a good cook. Women like me usually have hobbies
+they never can follow--and I have two. I can make a fool of a
+stove, and I--I can design children's clothes, wonderful things,
+new things--"
+
+"Will you come to Wichita Falls and start a restaurant and make
+good things to eat, if I supply the money and the customers?"
+
+"_Will_ I?" The speaker's face had flushed, her eyes had begun to
+sparkle. "Then it's a bargain," Gray declared, gayly. "Why,
+you'll get rich, for it is the chance of a lifetime. I'll
+guarantee patronage; I'll drum up trade if I have to turn sandwich
+man and ring a bell. Leave the details to me."
+
+Margie Fulton sank slowly into the nearest chair, regardless of
+the fact that it was piled full of lacy, white, expensive things;
+her voice quavered, broke, as she said: "Gee, Mr. Gray! I figured
+there must be some decent men in the world, but--I never thought
+I'd meet one."
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+In a long, relentless struggle between two men psychology may play
+a part as important as in a campaign between two opposing armies,
+or so at least Calvin Gray believed. That, in fact, was one of his
+pet theories and from the first he had planned to test it. It was
+characteristic of Henry Nelson, on the other hand, that he put no
+faith whatever in "imponderables," hence Gray's reference to
+morale, on that day of their first meeting, had amused him.
+Morale, indeed! As if a man of his tough fiber could be affected
+by the mere chanting of a Hymn of Hate! He considered himself the
+captain of his soul, and the antics of a malicious enemy, the wild
+waving of false danger signals, instead of distracting a resolute
+mariner, would merely cause him to steer a truer course.
+
+But Nelson was a brooder. Time came when doubts distressed him,
+when he began to put faith in "malicious animal magnetism" and,
+despite his better sense, to wonder if some evil spell really had
+not been put upon him.
+
+In his arrogance it had seemed at first a simple matter to do away
+with Gray. That had been mistake number one. The miserable
+breakdown of that plan, the refusal of his hireling to go forward,
+and the impossibility of securing a trustworthy substitute
+convinced him finally that he had erred grievously in his method.
+Some men are invulnerable to open attack, and Gray, it seemed, had
+been wet in the waters of the Styx. No, that had been a bad
+beginning and Nelson regretted it, for he feared it had served as
+a warning.
+
+So, indeed, it appeared, for not long thereafter he actually felt,
+or thought he felt, the vengeful claws of his enemy. A new strike
+in one of the western counties had become public, and a brand-new
+oil excitement was born overnight. Trains were crowded, roads were
+jammed with racing automobiles; in the neighborhood of the new
+well ensued scenes to duplicate those of other pools. For the
+first week or two there was a frenzy of buying and selling, a
+speculation in oil acreage and town lots.
+
+The Nelsons, of course, were early on the ground, for in spite of
+the father's contention that they could ill afford, at the moment,
+to tie up more money in unproductive properties, the son had
+argued that they must have "protection," and his arguments had
+prevailed.
+
+Henry went in person, and he was disagreeably surprised to
+discover Gray on the ground ahead of him. The latter bore
+evidences of hard usage in the shape of a black eye and numerous
+bandages, reputed to be the result of an automobile collision.
+Henry regretted that his enemy's injuries were so trivial. It was
+indeed a pity that so few accidents are fatal.
+
+He bought rapidly, right and left, as much to forestall Gray as
+anything else, and he was back at the bank shortly with a number
+of leases. Not until some time later did he learn that he had paid
+a price for them twice as high as that charged for properties
+closer in.
+
+It was Bell who brought this unwelcome information home to him
+--brought it home in his characteristic manner.
+
+"What the hell ails you, anyhow?" the father inquired, in
+apoplectic wrath. "Have you gone clean crazy?"
+
+After some inquiry Henry realized what ailed him and who had
+caused him to throw away his money, but he did not apprise Bell.
+More than once they had been parties to "wash sales," and had
+helped to establish artificial values, but to be victimized in the
+same manner was like the taste of poison.
+
+Of course, it meant little in the big game. At most, the firm had
+been "gypped" only a comparatively few thousand dollars, and the
+loss could probably be recouped by a resale; nevertheless, the
+incident was significant, and, upon second thought, it appeared to shed
+light upon certain other expensive transactions in other fields.
+
+Now, oddly enough, this new oil discovery did not develop as had
+been expected--in fact, the excitement died out quickly--and when
+Henry Nelson undertook to dispose of his holdings he was faced by
+a heavy loss, for Gray was offering adjoining acreage at low
+prices.
+
+Following this unhappy experience, the scandal about the Jackson
+well became public--the Atlantic Company having at last located
+the leak in its pipe line--and the whole Red River district
+enjoyed a great laugh. Henry Nelson did not laugh. He turned green
+when he realized how close he had come to buying that lease. Of
+course, here was a swindle that Gray could have had nothing to do
+with, and yet--Nelson wondered why "Bob" Parker had failed to sell
+it to him. "Bob" had tied it upon an option, awaiting his return,
+and he had hurried back on purpose to examine it. Why hadn't he
+bought it? Henry asked that question of the girl, and, when she
+told him as much as she knew, he began to believe that the whole
+thing was, indeed, an incredibly bold attempt to swindle him, and
+him alone.
+
+Miss Parker, of course, was deeply chagrined at her connection
+with the fraud; nevertheless, the banker felt his flesh turn cold
+at the narrowness of his escape. He assured himself, upon calmer
+thought, that his imagination was running away with him; this was
+too devilishly ingenious, too crooked! And besides, Gray had
+promised to fight fair. All the same, the thing had a suspicious
+odor, and Nelson slept badly for a few nights. He decided to use
+extra caution thereafter and see that he neither paid more for
+leases than they were worth nor permitted anybody to "salt" him.
+Salting, after all, was rare; one read about it in books, but no
+experienced operator had ever been fooled in that way.
+
+About this time a big gasser blew in north of the Louisiana
+fields, and wise oil men began to talk about Arkansas and quietly
+to gather in acreage. Less than a week later one of Nelson's field
+men brought into the bank a youth who owned some property in the
+latter state. This yokel was a sick man; he was thin and white; he
+had a racking cough, and he knew nothing about oil except from
+hearsay. All he knew was that he would die if he didn't get to a
+warmer, drier climate; but the story he told caused Henry Nelson
+to stare queerly at his field man. That very night the latter left
+town.
+
+On the third night thereafter, in answer to a telegram, Nelson and
+the Arkansas farmer slipped unobtrusively out of Wichita Falls. It
+so happened that Brick Stoner, en route to Hot Springs for a
+little rest, was a passenger on the same train.
+
+Stoner returned in due time, much rested, and he brought with him
+a large check to the firm's account.
+
+"We timed it to the minute," he told McWade and Mallow. "That
+gasser couldn't have come in better if we'd ordered it. Nelson's
+dickering under cover for more acreage near what he's got, but I
+tipped off who he was."
+
+"He fell easy, eh?"
+
+Stoner grinned. "He was so pleased with himself at swindling an
+invalid, and so scared somebody would discover those seepages that
+he couldn't hardly wait to sign up. If it hadn't of been for the
+general excitement, he might of insisted on time to do some
+exploring, but he's pulled a rig off another job and he's sending
+it right up."
+
+"We've got some good news, too," McWade asserted. "Avenger Number
+One is trying hard to come in."
+
+"No?"
+
+"I tell you Gray's got a rabbit foot. If we continue to trail
+along with him, I'll be losing you as a partner, Brick."
+
+"How so?"
+
+"Why, I'll be turning honest. It seems to pay."
+
+"Um-m. Probably I'd better keep all this Nelson money and leave
+you--"
+
+"Oh, not at all," the junior partner said, quickly. "That isn't
+an oil deal, strictly speaking, for you say there ain't oil enough
+on the land to grease a jackknife. I look on it as a real-estate
+speculation."
+
+With a laugh Stoner accepted this explanation, and then announced
+that he was hungry for his breakfast.
+
+This time Mallow spoke up. "I'm bally-hooing for a new joint;
+Fulton's Fancy Waffle Foundry. Follow me and I'll try to wedge you
+in. But you'll have to eat fast and pick your teeth on the
+sidewalk, for we need the room." In answer to Stoner's stare, the
+speaker explained his interest in the welfare of Wichita Falls's
+newest eating place, and en route thereto he told how Margie
+Fulton came to be running it. "Gray did it. He got the Parker girl
+to help us, and we had the place all fixed up by the time Margie
+got here. She's tickled pink, and it'll coin money--if it isn't
+pinched."
+
+"Pinched?"
+
+"Sure! Bennie's the cashier, and he palms everything from dimes to
+dishtowels. Force of habit! Better count your change till I break
+him of short-changing the customers."
+
+"_You_--" Stoner stopped in his tracks.
+
+"Oh, I'm giving him lessons in elemental honesty."
+
+"My God! Are you turning honest, too?" the other man exclaimed.
+"Seems like that's all I hear lately."
+
+It was a blue day for Henry Nelson when Avenger Number One came
+in, for it made necessary immediate drilling operations on his
+part. And the worst of it was the well was not big enough to
+establish a high value for his holdings. It was just enough of a
+producer to force him to begin three offsets and that, for the
+moment, was an undertaking decidedly inconvenient.
+
+Bell Nelson was even more dismayed at the prospect than was his
+son, for upon him fell the necessity of raising the money. "Hell
+of a note," the old fellow grumbled, "when a wet well puts a crimp
+in us! A little more good luck like this and we'll go broke." "We
+can't afford to let go, or to sub-lease--"
+
+"Of course not, after the stand we've taken. There's talk on the
+street about the bank, now, and--I'd give a good deal to know
+where it comes from." The junior Nelson had heard similar echoes,
+but he held his tongue. "I never did like your way of doing
+business," the speaker resumed, fretfully. "We've overreached. You
+wanted it all and--this is the result."
+
+Now Henry Nelson was warranted in resenting this accusation, for
+it had ever been Bell's way to pursue a grasping policy, therefore
+he cried, angrily:
+
+"That's right; pass the buck. You know you wouldn't listen to
+anything else. If we're in deep, you're more to blame than I."
+
+"Nothing of the sort." Old Bell began a profane denial, but the
+younger man broke in, irritably:
+
+"I've never won an argument with you, so have it your own way. But
+while you're raising money for the Avenger offsets, you'd better
+raise plenty, for Gray is going to punch holes down as fast as
+ever he can."
+
+"Who is this Gray? What's he got against you?"
+
+Henry's eyes shifted. "Has he got anything against me? He bought a
+good lease and was wise enough to get somebody to make a well for
+him--"
+
+"Those crooks! Those wildcatters!"
+
+"Now, he proposes to develop his acreage as rapidly as possible.
+Nothing strange about that, is there?"
+
+"Is he sore at you?"
+
+"We didn't get along very well in France."
+
+"Humph! I suppose that means you fought like hell. And now he's
+getting even. By the way, where am I going to get this money?"
+
+"That is up to you," said Henry, with a disagreeable grin,
+whereupon his father stamped into his own office in a fine fury.
+
+Not long after this father and son quarreled again, for of a
+sudden a perfect avalanche of lawsuits was released, the
+mysterious origin and purpose of which completely mystified Old
+Bell. The Nelsons, like everybody else, had unsuccessfully dabbled
+in oil stocks and drilling companies for some time before the boom
+started, also during its early stages, and most of those failures
+had been forgotten. They were painfully brought to mind, however,
+when Henry was served with a dozen or more citations, and when
+inquiry elicited the reluctant admission from the bank's attorney
+that a genuine liability existed--a liability which included the
+entire debts of those defunct joint-stock associations in which he
+and his father had invested. This was enough to enrage a saint.
+
+Henry argued that he had invariably signed those articles of
+association with the words, in parentheses, "No personal
+liability," and he was genuinely amazed to learn that this
+precaution had been useless. He protested that scores--nay,
+hundreds--of other people were in the same fix as he, and that if
+this outrageous provision of the law were strictly enforced and
+judgments rendered widespread ruin would result. His lawyer agreed
+to this in all sympathy, but read aloud the provisions of the
+statute, and Nelson derived no comfort from the reading. The
+lawyer was curious to know, by the way, who had taken the trouble
+to acquire all of these claims--a task of heroic size--but about
+all the encouragement he could offer was the probability of a long
+and expensive series of legal battles, the outcome of which was
+problematical. That meant annoyance, at best, and a possible
+impairment of credit, and the Nelson credit right now was a
+precious thing, as Henry well knew. Eloquently he cursed the day
+he had met Calvin Gray. What next, he wondered.
+
+He discovered what next when the driller he had sent up to
+Arkansas in charge of his rig one day came into the office in
+great agitation. The man's story caused his employer's face to
+whiten.
+
+"_Salted!_ I--don't believe it." Nelson seized his head in his
+hands. "Oh, my God!" he gasped. Misfortunes were coming with a
+swiftness incredible. Salted! Victimized, like the greenest
+tenderfoot! A small fortune sunk while the whole country was still
+chuckling over the Jackson scandal! This _was_ a nightmare.
+
+Henry was glad that his father was in Tulsa in conference with
+some other bankers over that Avenger offset money, otherwise there
+was no telling to what extreme the old man's rage would have
+carried him at this final calamity. And that whining, coughing
+crook, that bogus farmer, was in Arizona--or elsewhere--out of
+reach of the law! The younger Nelson turned desperately sick. If
+this was not more of Gray's work, it was the direct result of the
+curse he had called down.
+
+"Does anybody know?" Henry inquired, after he had somewhat
+recovered his equilibrium.
+
+"Nobody but us fellows."
+
+"You--you mustn't shut down. You've got to keep up the bluff
+until--until I get time to turn."
+
+"You going to bump off that land to somebody else?"
+
+"What do you think I'm going to do?" Nelson was on his feet now
+and pacing his office with jerky strides. "Take a loss like that?"
+He paused and glared at the bearer of bad tidings, then growled:
+"What are you grinning about? Oh, you needn't say it. You want
+yours, eh? Is that it?"
+
+"Well--it's worth something to turn a trick like this."
+
+"How much?"
+
+"It's a big deal. It'll take something substantial--something
+substantial and paid in advance--to make our boys forget all the
+interesting sights they've seen. But I'd rather leave the amount
+to you, Henry. You know me; I wouldn't be a party to a crooked
+deal, not for anything, except to help you out--"
+
+"How much?" the banker repeated, hoarsely.
+
+But the field man merely smiled and shrugged, so, with a grunt of
+understanding, Henry seated himself and wrote out a check to
+bearer, the amount of which caused him to grind his teeth.
+
+Now it was impossible to dispose of a large holding like that
+Arkansas tract at a moment's notice. In order to evade suspicion,
+it was necessary to go about it slowly, tactfully, hence the
+financier moved with as much circumspection as possible. His
+careful plans exploded, however, when he met Calvin Gray a day or
+so later.
+
+Gray had made it an invariable practice to speak affably to his
+enemy in passing, mainly because it so angered the latter; this
+time he insisted upon stopping. He was debonair and smiling, as
+always, but there was more than a trace of mockery in his tone as
+he said:
+
+"So your luck has changed, hasn't it? That Avenger well of mine
+has put a good value on your property. I congratulate you,
+Colonel."
+
+"Humph! I don't believe in luck," Nelson mumbled. "And the Avenger
+isn't enough of a well to brag about."
+
+"So? You don't believe in luck? It seems to be our lot invariably
+to differ, doesn't it? Now, my dear Colonel, I'm not ashamed to
+confess that I am deeply superstitious, and that I believe
+implicitly in signs and prodigies. You see, I was born under a
+happy star; 'at my nativity the front of heaven was full of fiery
+shapes,' as it were. Comfortable feeling, I assure you. Take that
+incident at New-town, not long ago; doesn't that prove my
+contention?"
+
+"What incident?"
+
+Gray's brows lifted whimsically. "Of course. How should you know?
+There was a clumsy attempt to do me bodily harm, to--assassinate
+me. Funny, isn't it? So ill considered and so impracticable.--But
+about this Avenger matter, if you find it inconvenient to offset
+my wells as fast as I put them down, perhaps you'd consider
+selling--"
+
+"_Inconvenient?_" Nelson felt the blood rush to his face at this
+insufferable insult, but he calmed himself with the thought that
+his opponent was deliberately goading him. After all, it served
+him right for permitting the fellow to stop him. "Inconvenient!
+Ha!" He turned away carelessly.
+
+"No offense, my dear Colonel. I thought, after your Arkansas
+fiasco, you might wish--"
+
+"What Arkansas fiasco?" Nelson wheeled, and in spite of himself
+his voice cracked.
+
+"Ah! Another secret, eh?" Gray winked elaborately--nothing could
+have been more deliberately offensive than that counterfeit of a
+friendly understanding. "Very well, I sha'n't say a word."
+
+"You--" The banker was gasping. "You're doing your damnedest to
+--to start something, aren't you?"
+
+"Every day. Every hour. Every minute." The speaker bowed. "In
+defense of my promise to fight fair, let me assure you, however,
+that I did not start this. As a matter of fact, I knew nothing
+about it until you had been hooked. Apropos of that quixotic
+promise, please remember that your own actions have absolved me
+from it."
+
+The men stared at each other for a moment that seemed
+interminable. Gray was watchful, expectant; Nelson was plainly
+shaken by a desire so desperate that resistance left him weak. He
+was like an animal frozen in the very attitude of springing.
+
+"Foxy, aren't you?" he managed to say, at last. "Tempting me to
+--make the first move." With a mighty effort of will he forced his
+tense body to relax. "The act of a bully! Bah! Wouldn't I be a
+fool--"
+
+"A bully is usually a coward," Gray said, slowly. "Neither of us
+is a coward. I'm not ready to--join the issue that way, especially
+in a place like this. The game is too exciting to--"
+
+"You'll get all the excitement you're looking for," Nelson cried,
+wrathfully. "You've cost me a lot of money, but you could have
+cost me a lot more if you hadn't been fool enough to brag about it
+and give me warning. Now--I'll send you out of Texas afoot."
+
+"On my back, perhaps, but never on my feet."
+
+Without another word the banker passed on, but he went blindly,
+for his mind was in black chaos. No chance now for secrecy; he was
+in for a bit of hell. He managed to kill the story in the local
+papers, but it appeared in the Dallas journals, which was even
+worse, and for the first time in his life he found himself an
+object of ridicule. The Arkansas transaction was made to appear
+the most outrageous swindle of recent oil history, and, coming so
+quickly after the Jackson exposure, it excited double interest and
+amusement.
+
+In truth, the facts about the salting of that Arkansas tract did
+make a story, for the methods employed had been both new and
+ingenious. Nelson had been fooled by a showing of oil in an
+ordinary farm well, and by a generous seepage into a running
+stream some distance away. Not until a considerable sum had been
+spent in actual drilling operations, however, did those seepages
+diminish sufficiently to excite suspicion sufficiently, in fact,
+to induce the crew to pump the water well dry. This done, an
+amazing fraud had been discovered. It had been found that the
+vendor of the land had removed the rock curbing and behind it had
+packed a liberal quantity of petroleum-soaked cotton waste.
+Naturally, when the well had been walled up again and permitted to
+resume its natural level, the result was all that the unscrupulous
+owner could have expected.
+
+The creek seepage had turned out to be equally counterfeit, but
+even more ingeniously contrived. It had manifested itself where a
+stratum of clean white sand, underlaid with clay, outcropped at
+the foot of a high bank. In the undergrowth, quite a way back from
+the stream, tardy investigation disclosed that a hole had been dug
+down to that layer of sand and into the hole had been poured
+several barrels of "crude." The earth from the digging had been
+removed and the hole had been cunningly covered up. Naturally, the
+oil from this reservoir had followed the sand stratum and--the
+resultant phenomenon at the water's edge had been well calculated
+to excite even the coldest-blooded observer. It had excited Henry
+Nelson to such an extent that he had bought not only this farm,
+but a lot of other farms. And Nelson was shrewd. Oh, it was a great joke!
+The whole mid-continent field rocked with laughter at it.
+
+Nelson, senior, returned from Tulsa bull-mad, and he came without
+the money he had expected to get. What went on in his office that
+morning after he sent for his son none of the bank's employees
+ever knew, but they could guess, for the rumblings of the old
+man's rage penetrated even the mahogany-paneled walls.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+Gray had once told Barbara Parker that there was no one quite like
+him--a remark more egotistical in the sound than in the meaning.
+Unusual in many ways he probably was, but, like most men, the
+discovery that his proudest virtues were linked with vices of
+which he was ashamed struck him as extraordinary. As if nature
+were not forever aiming at a balance.
+
+In spite of the fact that he was impulsive, headstrong, swift in most
+things, this girl possessed the unique faculty of rendering him
+acutely self-conscious, and it annoyed him the more, therefore, to
+find how timorous he could be in putting her feelings to the
+test. That was the one thing he could never quite summon courage to
+do. She was so young, so cool, so disconcertingly straightforward
+that, in contrast, his own age appeared the greater, and his many
+counterfeit qualities were thrown into uglier relief.
+
+Then, too, her answer meant so much that fear of refusal became an
+actual torture, and the mere thought of it left his arrogant
+spirit strangely humble. To a man in his vengeful mood, to a men
+whipped by one savage purpose, love had come as a blessed relief;
+and, in consequence, anger at his indecision was the greater.
+Sometimes he told himself that he deserved to lose her.
+
+One such occasion was after he had taken her out to the Avenger
+lease.
+
+There was more than one well by this time; Avenger Number Two and
+Three and Four were going down, and offsetting the first Avenger
+were three of Nelson's rigs. "Bob" studied the situation briefly,
+then, with a dubious shake of her head, she announced: "You are
+taking a big risk, Mr. Gray."
+
+"You mean these new holes may come dry? Of course, but I believe
+in crowding my luck. I don't know any other way to work."
+
+"You _have_ been lucky, haven't you?" She stared at him with a
+detached, impersonal interest. "Everything is coming your way,
+even down in the Ranger district."
+
+"Oh, I have my share of troubles. I lost a crooked hole, recently
+--had to skid the derrick and start over. Then a pair of chaintongs
+was dropped into another hole--"
+
+"That makes an expensive fishing job."
+
+"The worst ever."
+
+"Somebody must have it in for you." When Gray nodded, "Bob's" face
+lit up with surprise. "Really. Do you suspect someone in
+particular?"
+
+"I know."
+
+"How interesting." After a moment had passed and he had explained
+no further, the girl went on: "Everybody is talking about you and
+your success. They say you have the golden touch."
+
+"That is a good reputation to enjoy; but this country is full of
+fellows who came here knowing as little about oil as I knew and
+who have accomplished more sensational results. I've come up like
+a rocket, to be sure; it remains to be seen whether I shall fall
+like a stick."
+
+"You won't fall."
+
+"Do you really believe that?" The inquiry was eagerly put. "I'd
+trust your intuition, Miss--"Bob." Sometimes I have moments of
+uneasiness, for, you see, I'm drilling more wells than I should.
+It is double or quits, you understand? If my luck breaks, so do
+I."
+
+"You have always impressed me as a--a man of destiny. I think fate
+has selected you as an instrument with which to do big things.
+That's why I'm always a bit overawed by you."
+
+"Overawed?" Gray laughed. "Why, I feel the same with you. If you
+knew how little I am, how little it all signifies, except as a
+means to an end. If you only knew what it is that I want so much
+more than oil, or money, or--"
+
+"I thought you were like all the others here--absorbed only in the
+game."
+
+"I was, at first. I had reason to be; a very great reason, I
+assure you. Then I saw something far more desirable than fortune,
+far more absorbing than--than the motive that brought me here.
+Some days, like today, I think I'm going to win it, then again I
+grow faint-hearted."
+
+"Faint-hearted? _You?_" There was an elaborate skepticism in
+"Bob's" tone, but as the meaning of Gray's ardent gaze struck home
+to her, she turned her head with a lightly affected laugh. She was
+coloring, but she knew that her companion's agitation was so much
+greater than hers that he did not notice it.
+
+"Fair lady," he said, a bit uncertainly, "you multiply my courage
+tenfold, and I shall retain the guerdon of your faith. But we
+swashbuckling fellows are proud; we must come as victors or not at
+all, and I am anything but victorious, yet. I've had many a fall,
+and my armor is dented in a dozen places. I have a record of
+failures that only a lasting success can wipe out. When, if ever,
+that record is wiped out, why--my tongue shall be my heart's
+ambassador." This was the boldest speech that Gray had ever
+permitted himself.
+
+Never had he felt "Bob" to be so close to him as on this day, and
+in consequence he made of it a festival. He played the lover with
+a respectful ardor, doubly thrilling by reason of its restraint,
+and that night it was not Henry Nelson's face that lingered last
+in his memory. He wondered, before he fell asleep, if he had acted
+wisely in letting slip his hour. Opportunity has a fickle way of
+jilting those who ignore her, and yet--how could he speak with
+honor to himself?
+
+It must not be inferred that Henry Nelson endured with patience
+the blows that were rained upon him. On the contrary, he fought back with
+every weapon he could lay hands upon, and there were many. In this he was
+aided by Old Bell, for father and son were much alike and their friction
+had been only such as results from the rubbing of two hard bodies of
+identical composition; now that they were put under heavy pressure,
+they adhered and functioned without heat.
+
+They were handicapped, however, in that they had the bank to think
+about, and, in times of frenzied finance such as this, a banking
+business is more of a liability than an asset. Under normal conditions
+no single individual of Gray's limited resources could have caused
+them more than temporary annoyance; but in the midst of a speculative
+frenzy, in a time of vast "paper profits" and overnight losses, at an
+hour when they themselves were overextended and the financial fabric
+of the whole oil industry was stretched to a point of inflation where
+a pin prick was apt to cause complete collapse, the feat of warding
+off a lance in the hands of a destructive enemy was one that kept them
+in a constant state of nervous panic.
+
+To make matters worse, the crest of the wave had passed, the boom
+was nearly over, and money was no longer easy. Outside investors
+were cooling; mysterious and powerful influences were at work, and
+there were rumors of a break in the price of crude. Meanwhile, so
+far as the Nelsons were concerned, it was necessary to pour a
+steady stream of dollars into the earth in order to save that
+which had been accomplished at immense cost, and such oil as their
+producing wells gave forth was swallowed up in other holes. It
+became, with them, a problem of how to hold on, how to finance
+from day to day until production returns overtook exploitation
+expense--a problem that put gray hairs in their heads and lines
+about their eyes. They were forced to many expedients.
+
+How they managed it at all baffled Gray, and worried him, too, for
+he knew that if ever they turned the corner they would be safe
+from him, and his vengeance would fall [Illustration: NEVER HAD HE
+FELT "BOB" TO BE SO CLOSE TO HIM AS ON THIS DAY] to the ground.
+One big well would set them up, and there was always that danger,
+for scarcely a week went by without news of some gigantic gusher.
+Knowing all there was to know about their field activities, he set
+himself to the task of learning more about the bank itself and
+about their method of operating it. This was a task, indeed, and
+he spent much time at it--time he could ill afford, by the way,
+for he, too, had about exhausted his last resource.
+
+He was surprised one day to receive from Roswell, the banker who
+had first backed him, an almost peremptory summons to Dallas. Gray
+had made much money for Roswell and his crowd; they were still
+heavily interested with him, and he was counting upon their
+further support. The tone of this letter, therefore, gave him a
+disagreeable shock. On the whole, however, he was glad of an
+excuse to go, for the Briskows had returned and had bought a home
+in Dallas, and he was eager for a sight of them.
+
+Mr. Roswell's greeting was quite as cool as his letter; but he
+betrayed a keen interest in the progress of their joint affairs
+and asked a good many searching questions. Gray answered frankly.
+
+"You surprise me," the banker announced, finally, "for you confirm
+something I did not wish to believe. I have just learned that you
+are using us to further a private grudge and to ruin a reputable
+man. I couldn't credit such a statement without--"
+
+"It is quite true, except that I haven't 'used' you. Not, at
+least, in the sense you imply."
+
+"You have used our money. It is the same thing."
+
+"Oh, not at all I have handled a number of speculations
+--investments is a better word--for you and your group and I've made
+a lot of money for you. That's the most you expected; that's all I
+promised. So long as I continue to do that, my motives, my
+personal likes and dislikes, concern you in no wise. Neither are
+you concerned in the use I make of my winnings." "Legitimate
+competition is one thing; malice, double-dealing, dishonesty is--"
+
+"Dishonesty?" Gray interrupted, sharply. "I am a quick-tempered
+man, Mr. Roswell. I'll ask you to choose your words more
+carefully."
+
+"Don't you call salting a well dishonest?"
+
+"I do. I didn't salt that Arkansas property--and I assume you
+refer to that. In fact, I knew nothing about it, and I so informed
+Nelson. Evidently he didn't believe me, and I don't expect you to
+do so. Nevertheless, it is true. I have never lied to you, and I
+never shall. Now, malice--Yes, I bear malice toward Henry Nelson
+and I shall continue to bear him malice long after I have put him
+in his grave." Roswell's startled eyes leaped to the speaker's
+face. "Exactly! I propose to put him in his grave, and he knows
+it."
+
+"Nonsense! That's wild talk and you'll regret it. What has he done
+to you?"
+
+The object of this inquiry shrugged. "A private matter, purely. As
+to double-dealing--is it double-dealing to go to an enemy and tell
+him frankly that you intend to down him and how you propose to do
+it?"
+
+"Did you do that?"
+
+"I did. What is more, I offered to fight fair and he agreed. But,
+of course, he broke that, as he feels free to break any agreement
+when it becomes onerous or unprofitable. He began by trying to
+assassinate me."
+
+"What are you saying?" Roswell cried. "This is incredible."
+
+Gray's cigar had gone out; he lighted it with steady and
+deliberate fingers before he said: "I am giving you facts. The
+fighting has not been all on my side. For instance, I haven't
+hired men to drop tools in his wells or run crooked holes, and
+that sort of thing, as he has. Not that I wouldn't follow his lead
+if he forced me to, but I haven't had to resort to petty
+annoyances. I haven't had to make any 'small change,' for I have
+originality, imagination--even a small amount of daring, while he--Well, he
+is obvious. He has nothing except physical courage. Thank God, he's not a
+coward! He'll die hard."
+
+"Amazing!" The banker was at a loss for words. After a moment, he
+inquired: "What about Bell Nelson?"
+
+"A harsh, headstrong, ruthless old man whose history will not bear
+careful reading. His sins shall be visited upon him through his
+offspring. He will have to go, too."
+
+Roswell stirred as if to shake off the effect of some oppressive,
+mesmeric influence; reluctantly he admitted, "All I can say is you
+have a colossal nerve--"
+
+"Precisely. And that is all I had when I came to Texas."
+
+"I was coming to that. You deceived me, Gray. You said you
+represented big capital; had friends and connections--"
+
+"A pardonable deceit, under the circumstances, was it not? As a
+matter of fact, I said nothing of the sort; I merely allowed you
+to infer--"
+
+"You're splitting hairs." The banker was impatient. "The fact
+remains that you led me to make a fool of myself. Why, man alive,
+I have your whole history here, and it's a record of one
+sensational failure after another. You had no backing whatever,
+no--"
+
+"Is that the result of your own investigation?"
+
+"Partly."
+
+"For the rest, you took Nelson's word, eh? Very well, I've beaten
+him out from cover sooner than I expected. Now as to my failures.
+Failure proves only this: that one's determination to succeed is
+not strong enough. Who fail, except those who try? You have not
+always succeeded; neither have I invariably failed. Your report is
+a bit unfair."
+
+"You will fail now. And you deserve to fail."
+
+"Indeed? Why?"
+
+"Because you're doing an outrageous thing; because--See here,
+Gray, I know why you hate Nelson." There ensued a moment of
+silence.
+
+"He told you that?" The younger man's face had slowly whitened; he
+spoke with difficulty.
+
+"He told me everything. He told me that you were dishonorably
+discharged from the army--cashiered, we used to call it--and that
+you blame him. I don't mind saying it was a shock--worst I've had
+in years. In time of war, too! The army doesn't do that unless
+--without ample--Well, Gray, it's damned nasty!"
+
+"Quite the nastiest thing that can happen to a man," the other
+agreed in a thin, flat voice.
+
+"I couldn't, wouldn't believe it."
+
+"Why not? You believed everything else he told you."
+
+"I wouldn't accept his word on a thing like _that_ without asking
+you." Another pause followed. "There's probably some explanation.
+I told him so--" Mr. Roswell showed his genuine distress by the
+frown upon his brow and by his averted eyes. He stirred
+uncomfortably, then he broke out, irritably: "Well, well? Why in
+hell don't you say something?"
+
+"There is nothing to say."
+
+"What? My God, man! You don't mean--See here, you're not a coward,
+or a thief, or an incompetent. What's your side of the story?
+What's the explanation?"
+
+"Explanations are hateful. The man who makes them deceives either
+himself or the other fellow--usually both. It is easy to be
+plausible. Would a mere statement from me, unsupported by proof,
+convince you where it failed to convince a court martial? Of
+course not. Then why make you uncomfortable by doubting my word?"
+Gray's smile was like the mirthless grin of a mummy. "I was found
+guilty, all in due military order, and--disgraced, branded! My
+uniform was taken from me, and I can't wear it again. I can never
+again serve my country. It was handled quietly, with admirable
+discretion, for those things are bad for the morale, you
+understand? Very few know about it. I'm a proud man, a vain man; I
+assure you the death penalty would have been much easier to bear."
+
+"What did Henry Nelson have to do with it?"
+
+"He alone can answer that."
+
+"An extraordinary situation! This is your revenge, eh?"
+
+"As a man of spirit, I had a choice of but two things, revenge or
+--suicide."
+
+"Hm-m! It is an embarrassing situation for me."
+
+"Indeed?"
+
+"Nelson has sold a large block of his bank stock to one of our
+directors."
+
+"Tell him to get out from under, quick," Gray said, sharply, "for
+I'll break Henry Nelson or--I'll kill him!"
+
+"Tut, tut! You're excited. You mustn't talk like that. I give you
+credit for an honest hatred, but--I can't sympathize with it.
+Neither can I believe so ill of Henry Nelson. Remember, I've known
+him and Bell for years." With a complete finality the banker
+concluded, "You'll have to give it up, Gray."
+
+"I beg pardon?"
+
+"I say we sha'n't permit you to go on with this murderous feud. We
+can't be parties to it. What you've told me warrants us in
+withdrawing our support instantly, but I--I--Damn it all, I can't
+help liking you and believing in you! Frankly, there's something
+sublime about a grudge like yours. However, we can't go on like
+this. We can't put up more money now that we know what you have in
+mind. Call this thing off and perhaps I can induce our crowd to
+leave their money in until it can be worked out. That's the most I
+can undertake."
+
+"I need your money and your support now more than ever," the other
+man gravely confessed. "I need it at once; to-day. Nevertheless, I
+sha'n't quit."
+
+"You _must!_" Roswell cried, impatiently. "You can't defy us."
+
+"The devil I can't!" It was Gray's turn to blaze. "That's exactly
+what I'm doing. I defy you to get your money out. I defy you to
+interfere with me in the slightest or to wring a particle of mercy
+out of me. I knew this would come, sooner or later, and I planned
+accordingly. What d'you think I am, eh? I tell you I've got him!
+Otherwise he'd never squeal about this--army matter. Now then,
+tell your crowd to try and pull out! That's not a threat, sir, for
+they have played fair with me, and I sha'n't sacrifice a penny
+of their money--unless they force me to do so. But--I'm in
+control. I'm sitting pretty. They can't unseat me, and I warn them
+not to try."
+
+"You are making a great mistake. We will find a way to--to _pull_
+you off."
+
+"Ever try to pull a bulldog out of a fight when he had the other
+dog down and his teeth in its throat? I have. There's something
+rather horrible about it--rather beastly and shocking. And there's
+always the danger of losing a hand." The speaker rose. He
+hesitated, before leaving, to say: "Your son served with honor,
+Mr. Roswell. I know how you must feel about this--other matter,
+therefore I shall spare you the embarrassment of declining my
+hand."
+
+The financier's face reddened; rather stiffly he said, "You know
+whether you have a right to offer it."
+
+Instantly the departing visitor extended his palm, and Roswell
+realized that he had seldom seen a man more deeply moved. "Thanks!
+I--It is a blow to lose your support, but--nothing can swerve me.
+Meanwhile, I'm glad that we do not part as enemies."
+
+When he had gone, when he had passed out with head up and
+shoulders square, the banker shivered slightly. Audibly he
+murmured: "God, what a man! What a hatred!"
+
+The Briskows had just moved into their new home, and the place was
+still in some confusion when Gray mounted the steps. Pa answered
+the bell in his shirt sleeves and with a claw hammer in his hand,
+for he had been hanging pictures. He favored his visitor with a
+wide smile of welcome and a hearty greeting-quite a feat, inasmuch
+as his mouth was full of nails--then, having rid it of its
+contents, he explained:
+
+"We got a slave that tends the door, but I 'ain't got gentled up
+to bells an' things yet. Allie's away an' Ma's layin' down, so--"
+
+"Ma isn't ill, I hope?"
+
+"N--no. Just ailin'. I thought mebbe one of the neighbors had run
+in to see her, but--I guess they're busy. We got lots of neighbors
+here, rich ones, an' we made up our minds to like 'em, if they'll
+give us a chance."
+
+"You were in luck to find a house in such a smart neighborhood,
+Gus. Now show me around, quickly, for I'm dying to see it."
+
+"Lord, I'm dyin' to show it to _somebody!_ You're the first one
+that's dropped in an' we been here 'most two weeks. Say, you'll
+stay an' eat supper, won't you?"
+
+"Of course I will, and breakfast, too, if you can take care of
+me."
+
+"Pshaw! Didn't we take keer of you when you come to the ranch? We
+got three niggers now, just doin' the housework." As if in
+justification of this riotous mode of life, the oil man explained:
+"Ma wanted to do it herself, but she's porely, an' Allie vetoed it
+complete. She says we'll be stylish an' enjoy life if it kills all
+three of us. I'd of bought a bigger house if they'd of let me,
+but--"
+
+"It is large enough. Anything more would merely add to your
+cares."
+
+"Her and Ma picked out the furniture. Swell, ain't it?"
+
+"Beautiful!" Gray exclaimed. Inwardly he groaned, for, although
+the contents of the home appeared to be expensive, almost
+ostentatious, they nevertheless betrayed a conspicuous lack of
+taste both in character and in arrangement. Here and there were
+color combinations so atrocious that they positively hurt the
+caller. On the whole, however, the place looked better than he had
+expected, and such indications of harmony and restraint as he
+detected he attributed to Allie. It was a nice enough home, and
+with a little change, a little rearrangement, it could be made
+attractive even to one of elegant tastes. Those changes, of
+course, Gray determined to make.
+
+Gus, plainly, was not yet accustomed to the sense of ownership,
+and he hung with eagerness upon his guest's expressions of
+approval. After a tour of inspection the men wound up in the
+library--an absurd misnomer under the circumstances, inasmuch as
+the shelves were entirely bare except for Allie's dog-eared school
+books--and there, before a blazing gas log, they discussed the
+miracle.
+
+"Allie's gone out to the old farm to get some stuff for Ma," the
+father explained in due time. "Some pitchers of her an' Buddy when
+they was little, an' a rockin'-chair, an' Ma's favorite bedspread,
+an' some other things she likes."
+
+Gray remembered the portraits, executed by a St. Louis
+"enlargement" concern. They had wide gilt frames, and were
+protected from ravaging flies by mosquito netting. He hoped that
+Ma would not hang them in the hall or the living-room. And that
+rocker, for which she yearned, was probably the one with the
+creaking coiled springs--the one that had leaped after him and
+clashed its jaws like an alligator.
+
+"By the way, how does Buddy like the new home?" the latter
+inquired.
+
+"He 'ain't seen it yet. Says he's too busy to leave the job. What
+you done to that boy, anyhow?"
+
+"I'm making a real man out of him--and an oil man, too. He knew
+how to dress tools when I got him, but he's a pretty good driller
+now. Before long he'll be able to take charge of your property and
+run it on practical lines. I told you he had it in him, and that
+he'd make a 'hand.'"
+
+"You never wrote us nothin' about his--his trouble."
+
+"I left the explaining for him."
+
+Gus smiled meditatively. "First we knew that you an' him had been
+fightin' was when he wrote us a letter sayin' he was doin' great
+an' could see out of one eye." Then, more gravely: "It was worryin'
+over Buddy's affair that got Ma to ailin'. She 'ain't been right well
+since. Say, wha'd you do with that--woman?" Briskow pronounced the
+last word with an accent of scorn and hatred.
+
+"I gave her a chance to make an honest, decent living. I set her
+up in business."
+
+"_What?_"
+
+"And she is making good." When the elder man shook his head
+impatiently Gray went on, "I'm pretty worldly and calloused, but
+if one virtue has been spared me, it is charity."
+
+For a moment the father studied his caller. "Tell me," he began,
+"was it altogether on Buddy's account that you an' him tied into
+one another?"
+
+Gray threw back his head and laughed frankly. "Altogether, I
+assure you. That's why I found it so hard."
+
+"He _oughta_ been licked! Takin' up with a--a thing like her." Gus
+was groping for words more eloquent of his displeasure at his son
+and his hatred for the object of Buddy's misplaced affections,
+when Gray forestalled him.
+
+"Just a minute. You are a rich man and you are growing richer.
+Careful, frugal, prosperous people like you are apt to become
+unduly hard and oversuspicious; but you mustn't permit it. Think,
+for instance, what environment did to your children, then remember
+that under slightly different circumstances it might have made
+evildoers even of them. Most people would like to run straight,
+and would do so if they had a chance. Anyhow, it is an interesting
+experiment to put the chance in their way. Tell me, Gus, how much
+money have you got?"
+
+"I dunno. Figgers over a thousand dollars don't mean much to me."
+
+Gray searched the speaker's face with a speculative gaze. "It's
+mostly liquid, I presume." There was a pause. "I mean it's in cash
+or the equivalent?"
+
+"Oh, sure! These bonds an' stocks an' things--" Briskow shook his
+head disapprovingly. "Land ain't any too safe, either. It's
+rainin' now, an' it 'll keep on rainin' till the farmers is all
+drowned out. Next year it'll be droughty an' fry 'em to a crisp.
+No, I'm skeered of land. I'm skeered of everything!" This last was
+said plaintively. "Why, lookit these Liberty bonds! Goin' down
+steady. I wouldn't put no money into the gov'ment unless I had
+something to say about runnin' it. An' s'pose I did? I wouldn't
+know how it oughta be run."
+
+"How about oil properties? Wouldn't you like to invest in a good,
+safe proposition, with the prospect of big--"
+
+"Gosh, _no!_ I'm skeerder of oil than anything, 'cause I know
+somethin' about it. Feller been tryin' to sell me life insurance,
+lately, but you gotta die to get your money back. No; there's a
+catch in all them propositions. Sometimes I wake up nights
+dreamin' we're all back at the old place an' pore again. That ends
+my sleepin'. You see, Allie's a lady now, an' she's used to silk
+stockin's, an' Buddy's been out in the world spendin' money on
+women, an' Ma's gettin' old. I could go back to corn bread, but it
+would kill them. Worst of it is, the black lime ain't holdin' up,
+an' our wells will give out some day." Briskow sighed heavily and
+his brows drew together in an anxious pucker.
+
+"You'll have enough money in bank to do you."
+
+"Banks bust. I tell you the hull world's full of skullduggery.
+Suspicious? I should say I was! I use' to think if we had money
+our troubles would be over, but--Lord, that's when they begin! You
+see, if I was bright an' knew what slick people is up to, I'd be
+all right; but--Why, I'm like a settin' hen. I can feel the eggs
+under me, but how am I goin' to keep the skunks away when they
+smell the nest? I'm 'most tempted to turn everything I got over to
+some honest man an' let him han'le it. Some feller that had the
+savvy."
+
+"Unfortunately, such people are rare."
+
+"I don't know but one."
+
+"Indeed? Who is he?"
+
+"I reckon you know," said Briskow.
+
+The listener looked up with quickened interest; there was a sharp
+ring to his voice when he said: "Let me get this right."
+
+"You're the only man I ever knowed that I'd bank my life on. An'
+you're smart. You wouldn't take Buddy, but mebbe you'd kinda--take
+me; take all of us. I tell you I'm skeered!"
+
+"Just how much confidence do I inspire in you?" Gray's expression
+was peculiar, for amazement, doubt, eagerness were equally
+blended.
+
+"This much: I'd turn the hull works over to you, if you'd look out
+for us."
+
+"You--scarcely know me."
+
+"Oh, I know you well enough!" Briskow smiled his slow, shrewd
+smile. "So does Ma. So does Allie an' Bud."
+
+For quite a while the caller sat with head bowed, with his gaze
+fixed upon the flames; when he looked up his face was red, his
+eyes were brighter than usual.
+
+"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved. Yes, and
+it's hell to be born with a conscience." He fell silent again, for
+this was a moment to be treasured and he could not let it pass too
+quickly. "You say you want nothing to do with oil?"
+
+"Anything but that. I know it so well, an'--Ma's gettin' feeble."
+Again silence. "Of course, if you'd do it, I wouldn't ask no
+questions. I'd rather shut my eyes an' trust you than keep 'em
+open an'--"
+
+"You don't know how much I'd like to say yes, but I fought Buddy
+to prevent him from making a mistake, and I sha'n't allow you to
+make this one."
+
+"Hm-m! Will you keep me from makin' _other_ mistakes?"
+
+"I will, if I can."
+
+"Mebbe that's enough. Anyhow, I'll sleep better to-night for
+seein' you."
+
+"I think I hear Ma stirring," said Gray, as he rose. "I brought
+her a few little presents, and I'd like to take them up to her."
+As he left the room there was the same queer light in his eyes;
+nevertheless, he moved slowly, like a man tired.
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+Gray was shocked at the change in Ma Briskow. She had failed
+surprisingly. Pleasure lit her face, and she fell into a brief
+flutter of delight at seeing him; but as soon as their first
+greeting was over he led her to her lounge and insisted upon
+making her comfortable. He had tricks with cushions and pillows,
+so he declared; they became his obedient servants, and there was a
+knack in arranging them--the same knack that a robin uses in
+building its nest. This he demonstrated quite conclusively.
+
+It was nice to have a great, masterful man like this take charge
+of one, and Ma sighed gratefully as she lay back. "It does kinda
+feel like a bird's nest," she declared. "And you kinda look like a
+robin, too; you're allus dressed so neat."
+
+"Exactly," he chuckled. "Robins are the very neatest dressers of
+all the birds. But look! Like a real robin, I've brought spring
+with me." He opened a huge box of long-stemmed roses and held
+their cool, dewy buds against Ma Briskow's withered face, then,
+laughing and chatting, he arranged them in vases where she could
+see them. Next, he drew down the shades, shutting out the dreary
+afternoon, after which he lit the gas log, and soon the room,
+whether by reason of his glowing personality or his deft
+rearrangement of its contents, or both, became a warm and cheerful
+place.
+
+He had brought other gifts than flowers, too; thoughtful,
+expensive things that fairly took Ma's breath. No one had ever
+given her presents; to be remembered, therefore, with useless,
+delightful little luxuries filled her gentle soul with a guilty
+rapture.
+
+But these were not gifts in the ordinary sense; they were
+offerings from the Duke of Dallas, and his manner of presenting
+them invested every article with ducal dignity. The Princess
+Pensacola had not played for a long time, and so to recline
+languidly in a beautiful Japanese kimono, with her feet in a pair
+of wonderful soft boudoir slippers spun by the duke's private
+silkworms and knit by his own oriental knitting slaves, while he
+paid court to her, was doubly thrilling.
+
+The duke certainly was a reckless spender, but thank goodness he
+hadn't bought things for the house--things just to _look_ at and
+to share with other people! He knew enough to buy intimate things,
+things a woman could wear and feel rich in. Ma hugged herself and
+tried to look beautiful.
+
+Gray was seated on the side of her couch with her cold hand
+between his warm palms, and he was telling her about the princess
+of Wichita Falls when the summons to dinner interrupted them.
+
+Ma was not hungry, and she had expected to have a bite in her own
+room; but her caller was so vigorous in his objections to this
+plan that she finally agreed to come downstairs.
+
+The Briskow household was poorly organized as yet, and it was only
+natural that it should function imperfectly; nevertheless, Gray
+was annoyed at the clumsy manner in which the dinner was served.
+Being a meticulous man and accustomed to comfort, incompetent
+servants distressed him beyond measure, and he soon discovered
+that the Briskow help was as completely incompetent as any he had
+ever seen. The butler, for instance, a pleasant-faced colored man,
+had evidently come straight from the docks, for he passed the food
+much as a stoker passes coal to a boiler, while the sound of a
+crashing platter in the butler's pantry gave evidence that the
+second girl was a house wrecker.
+
+"See here, Ma!" Gray threw down his napkin. "You have a beautiful
+home, and you want it to be perfect, don't you?"
+
+"Why, of Course. We bought everything we' could buy--"
+
+"Everything except skillful servants, and they are hard to find.
+You are capable of training your cook and teaching your upstairs
+girl to sweep and make beds; but the test of a well-run house is a
+well-served meal. Dish-breaking ought to be a felony, and when I
+become President I propose to make the spoiling of food a capital
+offense. Now then, you're not eating a bite, anyhow, and Gus won't
+mind waiting awhile for his dinner. With your permission, I'd like
+to take things in hand and add a hundred per cent to your future
+comfort?"
+
+In some bewilderment Ma agreed that she would do anything her
+guest suggested, whereupon he rose energetically and called the
+three domestics into the dining room.
+
+"We are going to start this dinner all over again," he announced,
+"and we are going to begin by swapping places. I am going to serve
+it as a dinner should be served, and you are going to eat it as
+--Well, I dare say nature will have to take its course. I shall
+explain, as I go along, and I want you to remember every word I
+say, every move I make. Mr. and Mrs. Briskow are going to look on.
+After we have finished you are going to serve us exactly as I
+served you."
+
+Naturally, this proposition amazed the "help"; in fact, its
+absurdity convulsed them. The man laughed loudly; the cook buried
+her ebony face in her apron; the second girl bent double with
+mirth. Here was a quaint gentleman, indeed, and a great joker. But
+the gentleman was not joking. On the contrary, he brought this
+levity to an abrupt end, then, gravely, ceremoniously, he seated
+the trio. They sobered quickly enough at this; they became, in
+fact, as funereal as three crows; but their astonishment at what
+followed was no greater than that of the Briskows.
+
+Gray played butler with a correctness and a poise deeply
+impressive to his round-eyed audience, and as he served the
+courses he delivered a lecture upon the etiquette of domestic
+service, the art of cooking, and the various niceties of a
+servant's calling. Nothing could have been more impressive than
+being waited upon by a person of his magnificence, and his
+lecture, moreover, was delivered in a way that drove understanding
+into their thick heads.
+
+It was an uncomfortable experience for all except Gray himself--he
+actually enjoyed it--and when the last dish had been removed, and
+he had given instructions to serve the meal over again exactly as
+he had served it, the three negroes were glad to obey. Of course
+they made mistakes, but these Gray instantly corrected, and the
+results of his dress rehearsal were, on the whole, surprising.
+
+"There!" he said, when the ordeal had finally come to an end. "A
+little patience, a little practice, and you'll be proud of them.
+Incidentally, I have saved you a fortune in dishes."
+
+"I wish Allie'd been here. She'd remember everything you said," Ma
+declared.
+
+"Lord! Think of Mr. Gray waitin' on them niggers!" Gus was still
+deeply shocked.
+
+"You see what a meddlesome busybody I am," the guest laughed. "I
+don't know how to mind my own business, and the one luxury I enjoy
+most of all is regulating other people's affairs." He was still
+talking, still lecturing his hearers upon the obligations
+prosperity had put upon them, when he was summoned to the
+telephone by a long-distance call. He returned in some agitation
+to announce: "Well, at last I have business of my own to attend."
+
+"Was that Buddy talkin'?"
+
+"It was, and he gave me some good news. He says that well on
+thirty-five is liable to come in at any minute, and it looks like
+a big one." The speaker's eyes were glowing, and he ran on,
+breathlessly, "He says they're betting it will do better than ten
+thousand barrels!"
+
+"_Ten thousand bar'ls!_" Briskow echoed.
+
+"That's what he said. Of course, they can't tell a thing about it.
+Buddy's only guessing, but--I haven't had a big well yet." Gray took
+a nervous turn about the room.
+
+"Ten thousand barrels! Lord! That would help. That would do the
+trick. And to think that it should come now, this very day--" He
+laughed triumphantly and ran on as if talking to himself: "'The
+wicked are fatted for destruction. Their happiness shall pass away
+like a torrent.' Pull out and leave me, eh?" A second time he
+laughed, more loudly. "Luck? It isn't luck, it's Destiny. The
+mills of the Gods are grinding. Ma Briskow, the fairy ladies
+danced upon the hearth when I was born. Do you know what that
+means?"
+
+"Ten thousand bar'ls a day, an' you buttlin' for three niggers!"
+gasped the head of the house.
+
+"I'm going out on to-night's train and see it come in--if it does
+come in. I told Buddy to stop work; not to drop another tool until
+I arrived. 'Fatted for destruction.' I like the sound of that. Ten
+thousand barrels! Ho! I'll write this day in brass. Why, that
+lease will sell for a million. It--it may mean the end."
+
+Gray brought himself to with an effort, hastily he kissed Ma
+Briskow's faded cheek and wrung her husband's hand. A moment later
+he was gone.
+
+"Thirty-five," where Buddy was working, was only a few miles from
+the Briskow ranch, therefore the boy was able to meet his sister
+at Ranger and drive her directly to the old home. The place was
+much the same as when they had left it, thanks to the watchful
+attention of the men in charge of the Briskow wells, and there
+they spent the night. Buddy and his sister had always been close
+confidants, and their long separation, their varied experiences,
+left many things to be discussed.
+
+The ranch house seemed very mean, very insignificant to Allie, but
+she slipped into one of her old dresses and prepared the supper
+while Buddy straddled a kitchen chair and chattered upon ten
+thousand topics of mutual interest.
+
+"Doggone!" he exclaimed, finally. "I hardly knew you when you
+stepped off that train, but it seems like old times now, with you
+hustlin' around in that gingham."
+
+"I wish it was."
+
+"Hunh?"
+
+"I wish, sometimes, that we'd never struck oil."
+
+"Good Lord! Why?"
+
+"Oh"--Allie turned her back and bent over the stove--"for lots of
+reasons! Ma never had a sick day till lately. Now she's failin'
+fast." Buddy frowned at this intelligence. "And Pa's as restless
+as a squirrel. All the time scared of losing his money."
+
+"Well, _you_ got no kick coming, sis. You've sure made good."
+
+"How?"
+
+"I dunno--You've got rich ways. An' rich _looks_, too!"
+
+Allie lifted an interested face, and her brother undertook,
+somewhat awkwardly, to tell her wherein she had improved. She
+listened with greedy delight, but when he had finished she shook
+her head skeptically and declared: "It sounds nice, and God knows
+I've tried hard enough, but-there's a difference, Bud. We're
+'trash' and always will be."
+
+Of course young Briskow's mind was full of business, and he could
+not long stay off that absorbing topic. When, during their supper,
+he announced the fact that the well on thirty-five showed signs of
+coming in shortly, and that he intended to send for Calvin Gray,
+Allie changed her mind about returning home and decided to wait
+over until the latter arrived.
+
+She and Buddy talked until a late hour that night, but although
+she was dying to have him tell her about his romance, his dream of
+love, he never so much as referred to it, and she could not bring
+herself to disregard his reticence. Nor could she bear to discuss
+with him the problem that lay nearest her own heart. She had
+brooded long over that problem, and her soul was hungry to share
+its bitter secret; nevertheless, she could not do so, for it is often
+easier to bare our wounds to strangers than to those we
+love. If her breedings, her bitterness of spirit manifested
+themselves, it was in a fixed undertone of pessimism and in an
+occasional outburst of recklessness that bewildered her brother.
+
+On the morning of Gray's coming she rode with Buddy over to
+thirty-five. It was a wretched, rainy day, and nothing is more
+bleak than a rainy day in a drilling camp. Work had been halted
+and the men were loafing in their bunk house. Brother and sister
+spent the impatient hours in the mess tent. As usual, they talked
+a good deal about Calvin Gray.
+
+"Funny, him comin' here a stranger, an' gettin' to run our whole
+family, ain't it?" Buddy said.
+
+Allie nodded. "Funnier thing than that is your working for him."
+Buddy was surprised, so she asked him: "Aren't you sore at him
+for--what he did? For breaking up that affair?" It was a question
+that had been upon her lips more than once; she could not credit
+her brother with entire sincerity when he answered, frankly
+enough:
+
+"Sore? Not the least bit."
+
+"Didn't you--care for her?"
+
+"Why, sure. I was all tore up, at first. But he did me the biggest
+kind of a favor."
+
+Allie shook her head uncomprehendingly. "Men are queer things. You
+_must_ have loved her, for a while."
+
+"I reckon I did, if you're a mind to call it that. But he says
+that sort of thing ain't real love."
+
+"'_He says_'!" the girl cried, scornfully. "My God, Buddy! Would
+you let _him_ tell you--? Is he pickin' out women for you like he
+picks out a dress for me and a hotel for Ma? How does _he_ know
+what's the real thing?"
+
+"She was a--grafter," the brother explained, with a flush of
+embarrassment. "She'd of probably took my money an' quit me cold."
+
+"Bah!" The girl rose and, with somber defiance in her smoldering
+eyes, stared out at the desolate day. "You'd have had her for a
+while, wouldn't you? You'd have lived while it lasted. What's the
+difference if she was a grafter? D'you think you're going to fall
+in love and marry a duchess, or something? I wish I'd had your
+chance, that's all."
+
+"What d'you mean by that?" Buddy queried, sharply.
+
+"I mean this," Allie flamed at him. "We're nobodies and we've got
+nothing but our money. A counterfeit is as good as ever we'll get
+--and it's as good as we're entitled to. I'd rather know what it is
+to live for an hour than to go on forever just pretending to live.
+If I've got to be unhappy, then give me something to be unhappy
+over; something to look back on. I'd rather be--But, pshaw! You
+don't understand. You couldn't."
+
+"I dunno what's got into you lately," Buddy declared, with a
+frown.
+
+"Nothing's got into me. Only, what's the use of starving when the
+world's full of good things and you've got the price to buy them?
+_I_ won't do it. If ever I get my chance, you watch me!"
+
+Gray's trip from the railroad was more like a voyage than a motor
+journey, for the creek beds, usually dry, were angry torrents, and
+the 'dobe flats were quagmires through which his vehicle plowed
+hub deep; nevertheless, he was fresh and alert when he arrived.
+After a buoyant greeting to Allie, he and Buddy inspected the
+well, then he issued orders for work to be resumed.
+
+"We're gettin' close to something," young Briskow declared. "She's
+making gas an' rumblin' like she'd let go any minute. We got
+reservoys built an' the boiler's moved back, so we can douse the
+fire when she starts. I figger she'll drownd us out."
+
+"What are the indications at Nelson's well?" Gray turned his eyes
+in the direction of a derrick on the adjoining property, the top
+of which showed over the mesquite.
+
+"Nothin' extra. They won't tell us anything, but they're deeper 'n
+we are."
+
+"How do you know?"
+
+Buddy winked wisely. "We counted the layers of cable on the bull-
+wheel drum. Checked up their casing, too, an' watched their
+cuttin's. They got their eye on us, too, an' they'll be over when
+we blow in."
+
+That was an anxious afternoon, for as the drill bit deeper into
+the rock it provoked indications of a terrific force imprisoned
+far below. To the observers it seemed as if that sharp-edged tool
+was tap-tapping upon the thin shell of some vast reservoir already
+leaking and charged to the bursting point with a mighty pressure.
+An odor of gas escaped from the casing mouth, occasionally there
+came hoarse, throaty gurglings of the thick liquid at the bottom
+of the well. The bailer was run frequently.
+
+Word had gone forth that there was something doing on thirty-five,
+and from the chaparral emerged muddy motor cars bringing scouts,
+neighboring lease owners, and even the members of a near-by casing
+crew.
+
+Supper was a jumpy meal, and nobody had much to say, Allie Briskow
+least of all. She was silent, intense; she curtly refused Buddy's
+offer to send her home, and when the meal was over she followed
+Gray back to the derrick. He was on edge, of course. It seemed to
+him that every blow of that bit was struck upon his naked nerves,
+for he had a deep conviction that this was to prove the night of
+his life, and the strain of waiting was becoming onerous. This
+well meant so much. Ten thousand barrels, fifteen, five--even one
+thousand; it mattered little how heavy the flow, for a good-paying
+well would see him through his immediate troubles. And this was a
+well of some sort, or else indications meant nothing and everybody
+was greatly mistaken. Of course, a big well, something to create a
+furor--that was what he needed, for that not only would bridge his
+financial crisis, but also it would mean a frenzy of quick
+drilling, new wells crowded close together, hundreds of thousands
+of dollars poured into the earth, and the Nelsons couldn't stand
+that. It would break them--break them, and he would taste the full
+sweetness of revenge. Oh, he had waited long! Nor was that all.
+Once he had Henry Nelson down, and his foot on the fellow's
+throat, he'd have something to say to Barbara Parker. He could say
+it then and look her in the eyes. He wished she was here to-night
+while he stood on the top of the world. Ten thousand barrels!
+Twenty thousand! Twenty-thousand-barrel gushers were not unknown.
+A well like that would mean a fortune every day. But why didn't it
+start?
+
+They were bailing again and curiosity drew the owner in upon the
+derrick floor. This time the flow might begin; at any moment now
+oil might come with the water. There is some danger in standing
+close to a well during this bailing process, but Gray was like a
+bit of iron in the field of a magnet; spellbound, he watched the
+cable as it ran smoothly off the drum, flowed up over the crown
+block and down into the casing mouth. That heavy, torpedolike
+weight on the end of the line was dropping almost half a mile. Up
+it came swiftly, as if greased; up, up, until it emerged into the
+glare of the incandescent overhead and hung there dripping. It was
+swung aside and lowered, and out gushed its muddy contents.
+
+Water! Black and thick as molasses, but water nevertheless.
+
+Buddy Briskow was running the rig, and the dexterity with which he
+handled brake and control rod gave him pride. He had seated his
+sister on a bench out of the way, where she was protected from the
+drizzle, and he felt her eyes upon him. It gave him a sense of
+importance to have Allie watching him at such a crisis; he wished
+his parents were with her. If this well blew in big, as it seemed
+bound to do, it would be a personal triumph, for not many cub
+drillers could boast of bringing in a gusher the first time. It
+was, in fact, no mean accomplishment to make any sort of a well;
+to pierce the earth with an absolutely vertical shaft a half mile
+deep and line it with tons upon tons of heavy casing joined air-
+tight and fitted to a hair's breadth was an engineering feat in itself.
+It was something that only an oil man could appreciate. And he was an oil
+man; a darn good one, too, so Buddy told himself.
+
+He eased the brake and the massive bailer slid into the casing as
+a heavy shell slips into the breech of a cannon. As he further
+released his pressure, the cable began to pour serpentlike from
+the drum. Buddy turned his wet, grimy face and flashed a grin at
+Allie. She smiled back at him faintly. Some lightninglike change
+in her expression, or perhaps some occult sense of the untoward
+warned him that all was not as it should be, and he jerked his
+head back to attention.
+
+There are moments of catastrophe when for a brief interval nature
+slows, time stops, and we are carried in suspense. Such an instant
+Buddy Briskow experienced now. He knew at first glance what had
+happened, and a frightened cry burst from his throat, but it was a
+cry too short, too hoarse, to serve as a warning.
+
+During that moment of inattention the bailer had stuck. Perhaps
+five hundred feet below, friction had checked its plunge, and
+meanwhile the velvet-running drum, spinning at its maximum
+velocity by reason of the whirling bull wheel, was unreeling its
+cable down upon the derrick platform. Down it poured in giant
+loops, and within those coils, either unconscious of his danger or
+paralyzed by its suddenness, stood Calvin Gray.
+
+Men schooled in hazardous enterprises carry subconscious mental
+photographs of the perils with which their callings are invested
+and they react involuntarily to them. Buddy had heard of drillers
+decapitated by flying cables, of human bodies caught within those
+wire loops and cut in twain as if made of lard, for when a wedged
+tool resumes its downward plunge it straightens those coils above
+ground in the twinkling of an eye. Instinct, rather than reason,
+warned Buddy not to check the blinding revolutions of the bull
+wheel. Without thought he leaped forward into the midst of those
+swiftly forming loops, and as he landed upon the slippery floor he
+clenched his fist and struck with all the power he could put behind
+his massive arm. Gray's back was to him, the blow was like that of
+a walking beam, and it sent the elder man flying as a tenpin is
+hurled ahead of a bowling ball. Buddy fell, too. He went sprawling.
+As he slid across the muddy floor he felt the steel cable writhing
+under him like a thing alive, and the touch of it as it streamed into
+the well burned his flesh. He kicked and fought it as he would have
+fought the closing folds of a python, for the bailer was falling
+again and the wire loops were vanishing as the coils in a whiplash
+vanish during its flight.
+
+Buddy's booted legs were thrown high, he was tossed aside like a
+thing of paper, but blind, half stunned, he scrambled back to his
+post. By this time the whole structure of the derrick was rocking
+to the mad gyrations of the bull wheel; the giant spool was
+spinning with a speed that threatened to send it flying, like the
+fragments of a bursting bomb, but the youth understood dimly the
+danger of stopping it too suddenly--to fetch up that plunging
+weight at the cable end might snap the line, collapse the derrick,
+"jim" the well. Buddy weaved dizzily in his tracks; nevertheless,
+his hand was steady, and he applied a gradually increasing
+pressure to the brake. Nor did he take his eyes from his task
+until the drum had ceased revolving and the runaway bailer hung
+motionless in the well.
+
+When he finally looked about it seemed to him that he had lived a
+long time and was very old. Gray lay motionless where he had
+fallen, and his body was twisted into a shockingly unnatural
+posture. He was bleeding. Allie Briskow was bending over him.
+Other dim, dreamlike figures were swarming out of the gloom and
+into the radiance of the derrick lights; there was a far-away
+clamor of shouting voices. Buddy Briskow felt himself growing
+deathly sick.
+
+They carried Gray to the bunk house, and his limbs hung loosely,
+his head lolled in a manner terrifying to Buddy and his sister. As they
+stumbled along beside the group, the girl cried:
+
+"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" She repeated the cry over and over again
+in a voice strange to her brother's ears.
+
+"It--it wasn't my fault," he told her, hoarsely. "I aimed to save
+him."
+
+"You killed him!"
+
+"He ain't--" Buddy choked and clung to her. "He's just stunned
+like. He ain't--that!" The youth was amazed when Allie turned and
+cursed him with oaths that he himself seldom ventured to employ.
+
+But Gray was not dead. Buddy's blow had well-nigh broken his neck,
+and he had suffered a further injury to his head in falling;
+nevertheless, he responded to such medical aid as they could
+supply, and in time he opened his eyes. His gaze was dull,
+however, and for a long while he lay in a sort of coma, quite as
+alarming as his former condition. They brought him to at last long
+enough to acquaint him with what had happened, and although it was
+plain that he understood their words only dimly, he ordered the
+work resumed.
+
+When for a second time he lapsed into semiconsciousness, it was
+Allie Briskow who put his orders into execution. "You ain't doing
+any good standing around staring at him and whispering. Bring in
+that well, as fast as ever you can, and bring it in _big_. Now,
+get out and leave him to me."
+
+Buddy was the last to go. He inquired, miserably: "Honest, he
+ain't hurt bad, is he? You don't think--"
+
+"Get out!"
+
+"He won't--die? Ain't no chance of him doin' that, is there?"
+
+"If he does, I'll--" The speaker's face was ashen, but her eyes
+blazed. "I'll fix you, Buddy Briskow. I will, so help me God!"
+
+It was late that night when the well came in. It came with a rush
+and a roar, drenching the derrick with a geyser of muddy water and
+driving both crew and spectators out into the gloom. Up, up the
+column rose, spraying itself into mist, and from its iron throat
+issued a sound unlike that of any other phenomenon. It was a
+hoarse, rumbling bellow, growing in volume and rising in pitch
+second by second until it finally attained a shrieking crescendo.
+Ten thousand safety valves had let go, and they steadily gathered
+strength and shrillness as they functioned. A shocking sound it
+became, a sound that carried for miles, rocking the air and
+stunning the senses. It beat upon the eardrums, pierced them; men
+shouted at each other, but heard their own voices only faintly.
+
+Calvin Gray had recovered his senses sufficiently to understand
+the meaning of that uproar, and he tried to get up, but Allie held
+him down upon his bed. She was still struggling with him when her
+brother burst into the house, shouting:
+
+"It's a gasser, Mr. Gray! Biggest I ever seen."
+
+"Gas?" the latter mumbled, indistinctly. "Isn't there any--oil?"
+His words were almost like a whisper because of the noise.
+
+"Not yet. May be later. Say, she's a heller, ain't she? I'll bet
+she's makin' twenty million feet--"
+
+"Gasser's no good."
+
+"Can't tell yet. We gotta shut her down easy so she don't blow the
+casing out--run wild on us, understand?" Buddy was still
+breathless, but he plunged out the door and back into that sea of
+sound.
+
+With a tragic intensity akin to wildness, Gray stared up into
+Allie Briskow's face. "Worthless, eh? And they told me ten
+thousand barrels." He carried a shaking hand to his bandaged head
+and tried vainly to collect his wits. "What's matter?" he queried,
+thickly. "Everything whirling--sick--"
+
+"You had an accident, but it's all right; all right--No, no! Please
+lie still."
+
+"Running wild, eh? Tha's what hurts my head so. Blown the casing
+out--Bad, isn't it? Sometimes they run wild for weeks, years--ruin
+everything." He tried again to rise, then insisted, querulously: "Goto
+get oil in this well! I've got to!  Last chance, Allie. Got to get ten
+thousand barrels!"
+
+"Please! You mustn't--" Allie had her strong hands upon his shoulders;
+she was arguing firmly but as gently as possible under the
+circumstances, when something occurred so extraordinary, so
+unexpected, as to paralyze her. Of a sudden the interior of the
+dim-lit, canvas-roofed shack was illuminated as if by a searchlight,
+and she turned her head to see that the whole out-of-doors was
+visible and that the night itself had turned into day.
+
+With a cry that died weakly amid the chaos of sound beating over
+her, the girl ran to the window and looked out. What she beheld
+was a nightmare scene. The well was afire. It had exploded into
+flame. Where, a moment before, it had been belching skyward an
+enormous stream of gaseous vapor, all but invisible except at the
+casing head, now it was a monstrous blow torch, the flaming crest
+of which was tossed a hundred feet high. Nothing in the nature of
+a conflagration could have been more awe-inspiring, more
+confounding to the faculties than that roaring column of consuming
+fire. It was a thing incredibly huge, incredibly furious,
+incredibly wild. Human figures, black against its glare, were
+flying to safety, near-by silhouettes were flinging their arms
+aloft and dashing backward and forward; faces upturned to it were
+white and terrified. The scattered mesquite stood against the
+night like a wall, spotted with inky shadows, and, above, the
+heavens resembled a boiling caldron.
+
+It was a hellish picture; it remained indelibly fixed upon Allie
+Briskow's mind. As she looked on in horrid fascination, she saw
+the derrick change into a latticelike tower of flame, saw its
+upper part begin slowly to crumble and disintegrate. The force
+with which the gas issued blew the blaze high and held it dancing,
+tumbling in mid-air, a phenomenon indescribably weird and
+impressive. The men who stood nearest bent their heads and shielded
+their faces from the heat.
+
+Allie tore her eyes away from the spectacle finally. She turned
+back to the bed, then she halted, for it was empty. The door,
+still ajar from Buddy's headlong exit, informed her whence her
+patient had gone, and she flew after him.
+
+She found him not half a dozen paces away. In fact, she stumbled
+over his prostrate body. With an amazon's strength, she gathered
+him into her arms, then staggered with him back to his couch, and
+as she strained him to herself she loudly called his name. Amid
+that demoniac din, amid the shrieking of those million devils,
+freed from the black chasms of the rock, her voice was as feeble
+as the wail of a sick child.
+
+When she had laid her inert burden upon the bed, Allie knelt and
+took Gray's head upon her bosom. Then, for the first time, those
+forces imprisoned deep within her being ran wild, and under the
+red glare of that flaming geyser she kissed his hair, his eyes,
+his lips. Over and over again she kissed them with the hungry
+passion of a woman starved.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+A subdued but continuous whispering irritated Calvin Gray. When it
+persisted, minute after minute, he opened his eyes, asking
+himself, dully, why it was that people couldn't let a fellow
+sleep. He lay, for some time, trying to recognize his unfamiliar
+surroundings; oddly enough, he could not discover the origin of
+that low-pitched murmur, since there was nobody in his bedroom.
+Evidently he had slept too hard, for his eyes were heavy, his
+vision was distorted, and an unaccustomed lassitude bore down his
+body and stupefied his brain. A thousand indistinct memories were
+moving about in the penumbral borderland of consciousness, but
+they refused to take shape. They would emerge into the light
+presently, of course. Meanwhile, it was restful to remain in this
+state of semi-stupefaction. He was pretty tired.
+
+That whispering, he realized after a while, was nothing more than
+the monotonous murmur of rain upon a shingle roof, and the gurgle
+from dripping eaves. Oh yes! It had been pouring for several days;
+raining buckets, barrels--Ten thousand barrels a day!
+
+Yonder was something familiar; a patent, spring rocking-chair.
+Gray knew it well. It creaked miserably when you sat in it, and
+when you got up to look at diamond rings it snapped its jaws at
+you like an alligator. Odd that they'd let an alligator into the
+Ajax Hotel. Nelson's doings, probably. Always up to some deviltry,
+that Nelson. But, thank God, the fire was out, and that ear-
+splitting racket that hurt his head had changed into the soothing
+patter of raindrops. There couldn't be any fire with ten thousand
+barrels of rain falling.
+
+Gray closed his eyes and dozed briefly. But he had dreams;
+calamity haunted him; he awoke to the realization of some horror.
+Slowly his brain began to function, then more swiftly, until, like
+a flood released, memory returned. He groaned aloud.
+
+Allegheny Briskow appeared out of nowhere and laid a soothing hand
+upon his brow. When she saw the light of sanity in his eyes, her
+face brightened and she cried, eagerly:
+
+"You're coming around all right, aren't you?"
+
+"Ten thousand barrels!" he mumbled. "They said it would be a big
+well and I counted on it."
+
+"Don't try to think--"
+
+"But it came in a gasser. I remember it all now--nearly all. I
+--I'm about ruined, I guess."
+
+"No, no!"
+
+"It caught fire."
+
+"You mustn't talk. Everything is all right--all right, honestly.
+I'll tell you everything, but just you rest now until Buddy
+comes." There was magnetism to the girl's touch and comfort in her
+voice.
+
+It was some time later that Gray opened his eyes and spoke in a
+more natural voice, saying, "How do I happen to be here in your
+house, Allie?"
+
+"We brought you over at daylight. Buddy's gone for a doctor, but
+he'll be back." The girl averted her face quickly and moved toward
+the window.
+
+"I remember being hurt in some way--derrick fell on me, or
+something. Then the well caught fire. What time is it?"
+
+"It's afternoon. About four o'clock. Buddy 'll be back--" Allie's
+voice caught queerly. "He'll get back somehow."
+
+"He ought to be at the well--putting it out. God! What a sight! I
+see it yet!"
+
+"The well is out!" Allie returned and seated herself beside the
+bed. "You probably won't understand it or believe it--I can
+scarcely believe it myself, for it's a miracle. All the same, it
+is out, shut in, and not much damage done. You're not ruined,
+either, for Buddy says they're short of fuel here, and a gasser this
+size is worth a good deal--'most as much as a fair oil well.'"
+
+"How can it be shut in? It was blazing, roaring--a tower of flame.
+The derrick itself was going--"
+
+"I know, but the strangest thing--" Allie spoke breathlessly. "Let
+me do the talking, please. You remember the drill stems were
+standing over in one corner? Well, the fire drove everybody off,
+of course; there was no facing it, and they thought sure they'd
+have a job--have to send for boilers and smother it down with
+steam, maybe, or tunnel under, or something--work for days, maybe
+weeks, and spend a fortune. Anyhow, they were in a panic, but when
+the derrick went down what do you think? That stack of drill stems
+fell in such a way as to close the gate valve at the top of the
+casing."
+
+Gray frowned, he shook his head. "Impossible. You're trying to
+ease my mind."
+
+"Of course it's impossible. But it happened, just as I tell you.
+Buddy had a bar fixed in the valve wheel, like a long handle, so
+that a half turn, or maybe a quarter, would shut it. Anyhow, those
+drill stems caught that bar in falling and closed the valve.
+Somebody said it happened once before, to an oil well over in
+Louisiana--"
+
+"It--sounds incredible." The speaker made an effort to collect
+himself, he raised an uncertain hand to his bandaged head. "What
+ails me? I recall a lot of things, but they're pretty well
+confused."
+
+Allie made known, the nature of the accident resulting in Gray's
+injury, and he nodded his understanding. "So Buddy saved my life!"
+He smiled. "Great boy, Buddy! I'll know better than to mix it with
+him again--he learns too quickly."
+
+"Oh, it was terrible! I've been so--so frightened!" Allie Briskow
+suddenly lost control of herself and, bowing her head, she hid her
+face in the musty patchwork quilt. Her shoulders shook, her whole
+strong body twitched and trembled. "You've b-been awful sick. I
+did the best I could, but--"
+
+"There, there!" Gray placed his hand upon the girl's head; he
+took her palm in his and stroked it. "I'm not worth your tears,
+child. And, anyhow, I'm all right again; I am, indeed. I'm as well
+as ever, so far as I can tell. By the way, what set the well
+afire?"
+
+"Buddy thinks somebody must have dropped a cigarette when the
+stampede came." The girl raised her face and wiped the tears from
+it. "It doesn't seem possible anybody would be so careless as to
+smoke near a well that was coming in, but--Just think, Mr. Gray,
+those drill stems shut it off! Why, it was the hand of God!"
+
+"It seems so. My luck hasn't run out, that's plain." The speaker
+pondered briefly, then he said: "Shut in! Safe! Jove, it's
+wonderful! Buddy can take me to the railroad to-night and--"
+
+"Oh, you can't leave. You're not able."
+
+"I must. This gasser was a great disappointment to me. I allowed
+myself to count on a big well, and now I have a serious problem to
+meet. It must be met without delay. Buddy will soon be back, I
+dare say?" Allie undertook to evade the speaker's eye, but
+unsuccessfully, and he inquired, sharply: "What's wrong? What's
+happened to him?"
+
+"Nothing. He's all right, but"--Gray's evident alarm demanded the
+truth, therefore she explained--"but I don't know when he'll be
+back. That's why I've been so frightened. It has been raining cats
+and dogs; the creek has overflowed and everything is under water."
+
+"Under water? Here? Why, that can't be." Gray insisted upon
+rising, and Allie finally consented to his doing so; then, despite
+his protest that ha was quite able to take care of himself, she
+helped him to the window. From that position he beheld a
+surprising scene.
+
+The Briskow farm lay in a flat, saucerlike valley, arid and dusty
+at most seasons of the year, but now a shallow lake, the surface
+of which was broken by occasional fences, misty clumps of bushes,
+or the tops of dead weeds. The nearest Briskow derrick was dimly
+visible, its floor awash, its shape suggestive of the battle mast
+of a sunken man-of-war.
+
+"It's not more than a foot or two deep on the level," Allie
+explained, "but that's enough. And it has come up six inches since
+Buddy left. He'd have been back before this if he could have made
+it."
+
+"Did you ever see it like this before?"
+
+"Once, when I was a little girl. Some years the creek never has a
+drop in it."
+
+"Then we're marooned."
+
+"We were cut off for three days that time."
+
+Gray frowned. What next? he asked himself. Here was a calamity
+that could not be dodged. He shrugged, finally. "No use to fret.
+No use to crouch beneath a load. I'd give my right arm to be back
+in Dallas, but--this is our chance to cultivate the Christian
+virtue of submission. So be it! One must have a heart for every
+fate, but," he smiled at the girl, "it is hard to be philosophical
+when you're hungry. And I'm hungry."
+
+"Oh, you _are_ better!"
+
+"I'm well, I tell you, except for the bruises bequeathed me by
+your brutal brother. Three days--a week, maybe! My God! By the
+way, is there any food in the house?"
+
+"Plenty."
+
+"Then--we've nothing to do except get better acquainted, and that
+is something I've wanted to do for some time."
+
+Allegheny Briskow sang while she prepared supper, for the reaction
+from the strain of the last twelve hours was like an intoxication.
+Mr. Gray was in no further danger; he was well except for a
+bandaged head and some bruises. And he was here alone with her.
+They were as completely cut off from the outside world as if
+shipwrecked on some island, and, for the time being at least, he
+was hers to look out for, hers to wait upon and to guard. Allie
+laughed at the drumming of the rain upon the kitchen roof, and she
+thrilled at memory of some of the things she had done. She could feel
+again Gray's head upon her bosom, his lips against hers, his body
+strained to hers. She had listened to his heartbeats; with her own
+abundant strength she had shielded him, fought for him, drawn him, by
+very force of her will, back to life; the anguish she had suffered
+during those long hours became, in retrospect, a poignant pleasure.
+
+She wondered if by any chance he would remember--there had been
+times when he had seemed to be almost rational. She hoped not. And
+yet--why not? If he did remember, if indeed he had felt her kisses
+or heard her pleadings, that memory, even if subconscious, might
+serve to awaken him. It might evoke some response to the flaming
+passion that had finally escaped her control. Gray was a strong
+man; his emotions, once roused, were probably as wild as hers,
+therefore who could tell what might happen? Irresistible forces,
+fire and flood, had thrown them together. They were at the mercy
+of elemental powers, and they were alone with each other--a man
+and a woman. Allie hoped against hope; she prayed recklessly,
+defiantly, that her hour had struck.
+
+Gray came into the kitchen after a while to warm himself over the
+stove. He was still a little bit unsteady on his feet, and his
+head felt queer; but he assumed a certain gayety and insisted upon
+bearing an awkward hand with the cooking and the dishes. He had
+never seen Allie as she was now, nor in a mood to compare with
+this, and for the first time he realized how fully she had
+developed. It was not surprising that her metamorphosis had
+escaped his attention, for he had never taken time to do more than
+briefly appraise her. With leisure for observation, however, he
+noted that she had made good her promise of rare physical charm,
+and that her comeliness had ripened into real beauty--beauty built
+on an overwhelming scale, to be sure, and hence doubly striking
+--moreover, he saw that all traces of her stolidity had vanished.
+She was an intelligent, wide-awake, vibrant person, and at this
+moment a genial fire, a breathless excitement, was ablaze within
+her. Gray complimented her frankly, and she was extravagantly pleased.
+
+"Buddy said almost the same thing," she told him. "I don't care
+whether it's true or not, if you believe it."
+
+"Oh, it's true! I saw great things in you, but--"
+
+"Even when you saw me hoeing in the garden that first day?"
+
+"Even then; but I wasn't prepared for a miracle. You were an
+enchanted princess, and it required only a magic word to break the
+spell."
+
+"It is all your doings, Mr. Gray. Whatever I am I owe it all to
+you. And it's the same with the rest of the family. I--" Allie
+hesitated, looked up from her work, then shook her head smilingly.
+
+"What?"
+
+"I feel as if--well, as if you'd made me and I--belonged to you."
+It was dusk by this time; the girl's face was lit only by the
+indirect glow from the open door of the stove, therefore Gray
+could make nothing of her expression.
+
+"How very flattering!" he laughed. "As a real matter of fact, I
+had almost nothing to do with it."
+
+"All the same that's how I feel--as if I owed you everything and
+had to give something back. Women are queer, I guess. They love to
+give. And yet they're selfish--more selfish than men."
+
+"I wouldn't say so."
+
+"You don't know how bad hurt you were, Mr. Gray. I saved your life
+as much as Buddy did. You'd have died only for--only I wouldn't
+let you."
+
+"I believe it. So, you see, you have more than evened the score.
+After all, I merely awakened the Sleeping Beauty, while you--"
+
+"The prince woke her up with a kiss, didn't he?" Allie said, with
+a smile.
+
+"So the story goes. Fairy stories, by the way, are the only kind
+one can afford to believe."
+
+"Then I've got--something coming to me, haven't I?"
+
+This time the girl turned her face invitingly to the speaker and
+waited.
+
+Here was a new Allie Briskow, indeed, and one that amazed, nay,
+disturbed, Gray. Romance, he told himself. The girl meant nothing
+by this; nevertheless, her fancy had run far enough. He ignored
+her invitation, and instead of kissing her he patted her shoulder
+affectionately, saying:
+
+"You're a dear child, and I can never repay you for mending my
+poor cracked head."
+
+He turned his back, went to the table and lit the lamp,
+uncomfortably aware of the fact, meanwhile, that Allie remained
+motionless where he had left her. He ran on, casually, during the
+time he adjusted chimney and wick: "I was on the porch just now
+and found a rabbit crouching there. The poor thing was too wet and
+frightened to move." Allie did not seem to hear him. "All sorts of
+things are floating about; dead chickens, rattlesnakes, and--Oh
+yes, another thing I noticed; there's a good deal of oil on the
+water! I wonder where it comes from?"
+
+Allie stirred herself; she jerked open the oven door, peered in,
+then slammed it shut. Her voice was sullen as she said: "They've
+been expecting a gusher on sixteen. Maybe the reservoirs have
+overflowed, or a pipe line has broken. Maybe it came in wild, you
+can't tell. This flood will cost a good many people a lot."
+
+Supper, when the two sat down to it, proved to be a pleasant meal,
+for the soft glow of the lamp, the warmth from the stove, made of
+the Briskow kitchen a cozy place, while the drumming of the rain
+overhead enhanced their feeling of comfort and security. Gray's
+appetite was not that of a sick man, and Allie, who had regained
+her agreeable humor by this time, waited upon him with eager face
+and shining eyes. He paused, finally, to say:
+
+"See here! You're not eating a bite."
+
+"I'm not hungry. I couldn't eat, to-night. Please--I'm perfectly
+happy. I feel like a slave at the great lord's table; all I care
+to do is look on." After a moment she continued: "It couldn't have
+been so bad to be a slave--a girl slave. Somebody owned them,
+anyhow; they belonged to their masters, body and soul, and that's
+something. Women are like that. They've got to belong to somebody
+to be happy."
+
+Gray was a talkative man, therefore he argued this point until he
+began to suspect that his companion was not heeding his words so
+much as the sound of his voice. More plainly than before he
+realized that there was something about Allie to-night utterly
+strange and quite contrary to his conception of her, but, because
+he believed her to be unlike other women, he did not try to
+understand it.
+
+During the night an explosive crash followed by a loud
+reverberation awoke Calvin Gray and brought him up sitting. His
+room was lit by white flickers, against which he saw that the rain
+still sheeted his windows; he fumbled for his watch and found that
+it was two o'clock. This was a storm, indeed, and he began to fear
+that this deluge might swell the waters to a danger point;
+therefore he rose, struck a light, and dressed himself. Sleep was
+out of the question, anyhow, amid such an uproar. As he stepped
+out upon the front porch, his attention was instantly drawn to a
+yellow glow in the west, a distant torch, the flame of which
+illuminated the angry night. He stared at it for a moment before
+he realized its meaning. A well was afire! Lightning had wrecked a
+derrick and ignited the stream of oil. No wonder, he told himself,
+for this field was dotted with towers well calculated to lead
+lightning out of the skies, and amid a play of destructive forces
+such as this nothing less than a miracle could have prevented
+something of the sort. But it was a pity, for yonder a small-sized
+fortune was going up in smoke.
+
+By the next flare he saw that the waters had crept higher. They
+were nearly up to the porch floor now, and, obviously, they were
+still rising. That rabbit was crouched where he had last seen it,
+a wet ball of fur with round, black eyes. The heavens echoed
+almost constantly, now to a thick, distant rumble, again to an
+appalling din directly overhead; for seconds at a time there was light
+enough to read by. The house, Gray decided, was in no danger, except from
+a direct bolt, for the valley was nothing more than a shallow
+lake; nevertheless--
+
+A blinding, blue-white streak came, and he counted the seconds
+before the sound reached him. Sound traveled something like a
+thousand feet a second, he reflected; that bolt must have struck
+about a mile distant. Nothing alarming about that, surely. A
+moment, then he blinked and rubbed his eyes, for out of the murk
+was born another bonfire like that to the westward.
+
+Hearing an exclamation behind him, Gray turned to behold Allie
+Briskow's dim figure in the door.
+
+"Hello!" he cried, excitedly. "Did you see that? Yonder are two
+wells afire."
+
+"I know. I haven't closed my eyes. You can see another one from my
+window." Allia snapped the light from a pocket flash upon Gray,
+and, noting that he was only partly clad, she urged him to come
+into the house. When he ignored the request she joined him, and
+together they stared at the mounting flames.
+
+"Jove! That's terrible!" he muttered.
+
+"Look here." Allie directed the beam of her light down over the
+edge of the porch, and moved it slowly from side to side. The
+surface of the water was not only burdened with debris, but also
+it was thick with oil. "It's just like that on the other side.
+That gusher on sixteen must be wild."
+
+"Why didn't you call me?" the man inquired, sharply.
+
+"What was the use? There's no chance for us to get out."
+
+"How far is it back to high ground?"
+
+"Quite a ways. Too far to wade. It would be over our heads in
+places, too. I don't like the look of it, do you? Not with those
+fires going, and--"
+
+"I dare say it won't get any worse." Gray spoke with a
+carelessness that he was far from feeling, but his tone did not
+deceive the girl.
+
+"It doesn't have to get any worse," she declared, im patiently.
+"There's oil enough here to burn. We're in the middle of a lake of
+it. What 'll happen if it catches fire?"
+
+"Frankly, I don't know. I've never been marooned in a lake of oil.
+Probably this rain would quench it-"
+
+"You know better than that!" Allie cried. "Don't act as if I were
+a kid. We're in a bad fix, with fire on three sides of us."
+
+"At least we'll be as well off inside as out here," Gray declared,
+and his companion agreed, so together they went into her room,
+where, side by side, they peered through her window. What Allie
+had said was true, and the man pinched himself to see if he were
+dreaming. This conflagration was even closer than the others, and
+he could not doubt that there was every likelihood of its
+spreading to the surface of the lake itself. Here was a situation,
+truly. For the life of him he could think of no way out of it.
+
+"I've read about this sort of thing," Allie was saying. "Tanks
+bursting and rivers afire. It spreads all over, the fire does, and
+there's no putting it out."
+
+"One thing sure, this lightning won't last long--"
+
+A blue glare and a ripping explosion gave the lie to Gray's
+cheering words. Allie Briskow recoiled from the window.
+
+"We'll be burned alive!" she gasped. "Roasted like rats in a trap.
+I--I'm frightened, Mr. Gray." She drew closer to him.
+
+"No need of that. We'll get out of this scrape somehow--people
+always do." A flicker lit the room, and he saw that the face
+upturned to his was wide eyed, strained. That brief glimpse of
+Allie, like a picture seen through the shutter of a camera,
+remained long with the man, for her hair was unbound, her lips
+were parted, and her dark eyes were peculiarly brilliant; through
+the opening of her lacy negligee her round, white neck and
+swelling bosom were exposed. It was a head, a bust, to be
+remembered.
+
+"I--You got to--hold me," she said, huskily, and he felt her body
+shrink close to his. She clung tightly to him, trembling at first, then
+shaking in every limb. Fright, it seemed, had suddenly mastered Allie
+Briskow.
+
+Gray endeavored for a moment to soothe her, then gently to loosen
+her hold; he spoke to her as he would have spoken to a terrified
+child, but the wildness of her emotion matched the wildness of the
+night, and her strength was nearly equal to his. Knowing her as he
+did, this abysmal terror was inexplicable; such abandon was
+entirely out of keeping with her. But she had acted queerly ever
+since--Gray was ashamed of the thought that leaped into his mind;
+he hated himself for harboring it. He hated himself also for the
+thrill that coursed through him at contact with this disheveled
+creature. The touch of her flesh disturbed him unbearably. Roughly
+he tore her arms from about his neck and put her away from him; by
+main strength he forced her into a chair, then snatched a covering
+of some sort from the bed and folded it around her shoulders. His
+voice was hoarse--to him it sounded almost brutal as he said:
+
+"Get hold of yourself! We're in no great danger, really. Now then,
+a light will help us both." With clumsy hands he struck a match
+and lit the lamp. "Light's a great thing--drives away foolishness
+--nightmares and fancies of all sorts." Without looking at her he
+seized the electric torch and muttered: "I'll take a look around,
+just to see that things are snug. Back presently."
+
+Gray despised himself thoroughly when the turmoil within him
+persisted; when he still felt the unruly urge to return whence he
+had come. Wild horses! That was how Gus Briskow had described his
+children. Well, Allie had followed Buddy's example and jumped the
+fence. Here was something unique in the way of an experience, sure
+enough; here were forces at play as savage and as destructive as
+those that lit the heavens. The girl was magnificent, maddening
+--and he was running away from her! He, a man of the world, as
+ruthless as most men of his type! It was a phenomenon to awaken
+sardonic mirth. He wondered what had come over him. He had
+changed, indeed.
+
+Could it be that he had read a wrong significance into Allie's
+actions? Thus his mind worked when he grew calmer. He tried to
+answer in the affirmative, but already he hated himself
+sufficiently. No, the night had done it. Texas cattle stampede on
+stormy nights. They run blindly to destruction. The very air was
+surcharged, electric, and the girl was untamed, only a step
+removed from the soil. The possibility that she could be seriously
+interested in him, strangely enough, never presented itself.
+
+Gray laid strong hold of himself, but it is not easy to subdue
+thought, and he could feel those strong, smooth, velvet arms
+encircling him. Disorder without and chaos within this house! The
+heavens rumbled like a mighty drumhead, the lightning made useless
+the feeble ray in his hand. It was the place, the hour of impulse.
+Gray swore savagely at himself, then he stumbled into his room and
+dressed himself more fully.
+
+"Well, there doesn't seem to be much change," he said, cheerfully,
+as he opened Allie's door awhile later. "The fires don't seem to
+be spreading." She was sitting where he had left her, she had not
+moved. "Anything new on this side?"
+
+Allie shrugged; slowly she turned, exposing a face tragic and
+stony. "I guess you don't think much of me," she said.
+
+"Indeed!" he declared, heartily. "This is enough to frighten
+anybody. I don't mind saying it has upset me. But the worst is
+over." He laid a reassuring hand upon her shoulder.
+
+Allie moved her body convulsively. "Lemme be!" she cried, sharply.
+"I don't mind the lightning. I ain't scared of the fire, either
+--hell fire or any other kind. I ain't scared of anything, and yet
+--I'm a dam' coward!"
+
+She rose, gathered her loose robe more closely about her, and made
+blindly toward the bed. She flung herself upon it and buried her
+face in the pillows. "Just a--dam' coward!" she repeated, in a
+muffled wail. "My God, I wish the blaze would come!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+Buddy Briskow had difficulty in getting out of the valley on his
+way for a doctor, for never had the roads been like this. He drove
+recklessly; where necessary he disregarded fences and pushed
+across pastures that were hub deep; he even burst through
+occasional thickets in defiance of axle and tire. It was a mad
+journey, like the ride in a death-defying movie serial; only by
+some miraculous power of cohesion did the machine hold together
+and thus enable him to keep it under way and bring it out to high
+ground. Since he had not taken time before leaving to change into
+dry clothing, he was drenched to the skin; he was, in fact,
+sheeted with mud like the car itself.
+
+To find a doctor, however, was a problem. Buddy tried first one
+camp, then another, but without success. Meanwhile, the downpour
+continued and the creeks rose steadily, obliging him to make
+numerous detours and to follow the ridge roads wherever possible.
+He was aching in every bone and muscle from the pounding he had
+received, his arms were numb, his back was broken. He drowned his
+motor finally in fording a roily stream and abandoned the car.
+
+He came into Ranger that afternoon on the back of a truck horse
+that he had borrowed--without the owner's consent. For a time it
+seemed that if he got a doctor at all he would have to follow a
+similar procedure, but the Briskow name was powerful, and Buddy
+talked in big figures, so eventually he set out on the return
+journey--this time in a springless freight wagon drawn by the
+stoutest team in town. A medical man was on the seat beside him.
+
+Progress was maddeningly slow, incredibly tedious; creek beds, long dry,
+had become foaming torrents; in places even the level roads were belly
+deep and the horses floundered. When one of them fell, it required
+infinite labor and patience to get it upon its feet again.
+
+It was after midnight when Buddy and his miserable companion
+gained the comparatively easy going of the last ridge, that flinty
+range beyond which lay the Briskow farm. Here they drove in the
+glare of lightning and under a sky that rumbled almost steadily,
+for a frightful electric storm had broken. Here it was that they
+saw what havoc was being wrought--they counted several blazing
+wells ahead of them.
+
+Buddy stopped at a drilling camp where lights showed the occupants
+to be astir, and there he received confirmation of his fears. The
+flats beyond were inundated to a depth rendering travel
+impossible, and although some of the men stationed out there had
+managed to work their way back, others were, for the time being,
+hopelessly cut off. What was more alarming by far, in view of
+these blazing beacons, was the news that a huge gusher on sixteen
+was wild and pouring its inflammable flood out upon the surface of
+the water.
+
+Buddy stood in the midst of a spreading puddle from his streaming
+clothes, and through chattering teeth announced: "My sister and
+Mr. Gray are out there. I _gotta_ get through!"
+
+"How you going to get through, kid?" one of the drillers inquired.
+"Our men had to swim in places."
+
+"I guess I can swim, if I try. Feller can do 'most anything if he
+has to. How about you, Doc?" Buddy turned to his traveling
+companion.
+
+The latter shook his head positively. "You're crazy, Briskow. We'd
+probably drown. If we didn't, we'd be burned alive when that loose
+oil catches fire."
+
+"Looks like it's bound to catch if this lightning keeps up," some
+one declared. "Listen to that!"
+
+Buddy cursed furiously and lurched toward the door. It took force
+to restrain him from going.
+
+That was indeed a night of terror in the oil fields, for
+destruction was wholesale, and to those who were fortunate enough
+to be in no danger it was scarcely less trying than for the
+luckless ones out in the flooded area. Buddy Briskow was half
+demented. At one time it seemed certain that the surface oil was
+aflame near his father's farm, and the pictures he conjured up
+were unbearable.
+
+The rain ceased with the passing of the electrical storm, but the
+late hours of the night were thick and the fires continued to
+burn. It seemed as if morning would never come. With the first
+light Buddy mounted one of his horses, and, regardless of
+admonitions, set out. In miles he had no great distance to go;
+nevertheless, it was midday before he came in sight of his
+father's unpainted farmhouse, and when he dismounted at the front
+porch he fell rather than walked through the door.
+
+He broke down and blubbered weakly when he saw Calvin Gray up and
+around and apparently well. He collapsed into a chair and huddled
+there in a wet heap, the while he sobbed and laughed hysterically.
+He was considerably ashamed of his show of feeling.
+
+Even after he had been helped into the kitchen and his wet clothes
+had been stripped from him, he could tell little about his trip,
+but hot food and drink brought him around and then, indeed, his
+story was one that deeply touched the elder man.
+
+Already the waters had ceased to rise, but Buddy's difficulty in
+getting through proved the folly of attempting escape for the time
+being; his horse had been forced to swim with him in more than one
+place; in others he had waded waist deep, stumbling through
+thickets, hauling the animal after him by main strength. There was
+nothing to do, it seemed, but await a subsidence of the flood.
+Then, too, the boy was half dead for sleep.
+
+Under the circumstances it was not easy for the elder man to face
+this delay. His affairs were in a precarious condition and more in need
+of his immediate attention than ever before; to be cut off, therefore,
+to be lost for several days at this particular time was more than a
+misfortune--it was a catastrophe. Such vague plans as he had considered
+he was now forced to abandon. He could see ruin ahead.
+
+One purpose this enforced idleness did serve, however; it enabled
+him--nay, it forced him--to evolve a new scheme of relief. Some
+minds become paralyzed in moments of panic, others function with
+unexpected clearness and ingenuity, and his was such a mind. An
+idea came to him, finally, which seemed sound, the more he thought
+about it. Indeed, its possibilities galvanized him, and he
+wondered why he had been so long in arriving at it. It was
+spectacular, daring, it might prove to be impossible of
+accomplishment; nevertheless, it was worth trying, and he could
+scarcely wait for Buddy Briskow to wake up so that he could put it
+to him.
+
+Late that evening, after Allie had gone to bed, he had a long talk
+with his young friend, during which he told him more about his
+affairs than he had made known even to Roswell, the banker.
+
+Buddy listened with the closest attention. He drew a deep breath
+at last and said: "I knew you was in deep, but I thought it was
+just your way. Now I _know_ it was Nelson's crew that fired our
+gasser. Why, they might have cost us thousands--yes, hundreds of
+thousands--if it had been the kind of a gusher we figgered on!
+Say"--the speaker's brows drew together in an angry scowl--"what
+ails this Nelson, anyhow--tryin' to get you shot, an' firin' your
+wells, an' everything?"
+
+"He once did me a great injury."
+
+"What kind?"
+
+There was a pause. "I'd rather not go into that now, Buddy. To
+repeat what I've been telling you, however, the situation is this:
+I've gone as far as I can go with the backing I have, and I must
+make a quick turn--strike one final blow or give up. Nelson and I
+are like two wrestlers floundering on the mat. We're both tired, groggy,
+out of breath. Whichever one gets the first hold will win, for the
+other lacks strength to break it. Do you think your father would
+trust me? Do you think he'd go it blind on my say-so?"
+
+"If he won't, I will. I got money. So's Allie."
+
+Gray declined this offer with a positive shake of the head. "It
+must appeal to him on its merits. I wouldn't permit you to go
+contrary to his judgment."
+
+"Judgment? What's Pa's judgment worth? He knows it's no good, an'
+so do we. Everybody's tryin' to do him up but you; you're the only
+one he trusts. An' the same here. There's my bank roll--you can
+shoot the whole piece. I don't care if it never comes back. Tryin'
+to get you killed! An' spoilin' a well on me!"
+
+"Thank you, Buddy! You--make me slow to trust my own judgment. I
+--I seem to be developing a conscience. But I'm sure this is the
+thing to do, for you and your father as well as for me. People
+can't stand still; they must go forward. The Briskow fortune must
+grow or it will crumble."
+
+"I dunno if we've got as much in us as you seem to think," the boy
+said, doubtfully.
+
+"Look at Allie! And, you, too! You took hold of this field work
+and ran it like a man. I said you'd make a hand, and you have. The
+day is coming when people like you, who went from poverty to
+affluence overnight, will retrace that journey. That's the time
+when the truly dramatic story of the Texas oil boom will be
+written. Then will come the real tragedy, and you mustn't be
+caught in it. Money isn't a servant, Buddy; it is a master, and a
+mighty stern, relentless master, at that. When your first well
+blew in, it didn't mean ease and enjoyment, as you thought; it
+meant hard work for the rest of your life."
+
+"If you'd talked to me like this when I went off to school," the
+boy said, after a moment of consideration, "mebbe I'd of made
+myself swallow some more education, even if I had to take it out of a
+bottle along with the little kids."
+
+Gray smiled. "You have common sense, at least, and that's
+something you can't get in school. Men wear smooth from contact
+with one another, and it is time you got in touch with something
+bigger than mere drilling. If you're willing, I'll take you to
+Wichita Falls with me."
+
+"_Willing?_" Buddy's eyes sparkled. Guiltily he confessed: "It's
+been pretty--lonesome out here with the scorpions. But I wanted to
+show you I could make good."
+
+"Do you drink any more?"
+
+"Haven't touched a drop. I don't reckon I ever will, either. I
+don't take to the idea of back-trackin' to this farm an' gettin'
+old in overalls, like you say. I'm sort of penurious an' I aim to
+keep what little sense I got. A feller as dull as I am can't
+afford to drink."
+
+"One thing more." Gray nodded approvingly. "I want you to promise
+me that you won't fall in love with the first woman you meet. I'd
+never be able to lick you again."
+
+Buddy showed his strong, white teeth in a broad grin. "I promise!
+That boy with the bass voice cured me. I'm goin' to be a hermit."
+
+News of the damage wrought by the recent storm was naturally of
+grave concern to Henry Nelson, but owing to the fact that lines
+were down, about his only source of information, during the days
+immediately following it, was the press reports. He was reading
+the Dallas papers with interest one morning when his attention was
+arrested by the name of Calvin Gray. Now Gray's name in print
+affected the banker almost as disagreeably as did a sight of the
+man himself; therefore it was with intense resentment that he read
+the article in which it appeared. It was a vividly written account
+of the former's experience during the flood, and, due no doubt to
+Gray's personal touch, it read a good deal like fiction. The man
+had a unique turn for publicity, a knack for self-advertising that
+infuriated Nelson. To read this anybody would think that he was
+one of the dominant figures in the oil industry, and that his
+enterprises were immensely successful. With a sneer Nelson flung
+the paper aside. So, that was how it had happened. The well had
+been fired--Henry believed he could account for that--but a
+miracle had quenched the flame. Falling drill stems! Who ever
+heard of such a thing? Such luck was uncanny--enough to give one
+the creeps. If Gray were tied hand and foot and thrown into a
+river, somebody would drag him out--with his pockets full of fish!
+And to be marooned for days in the midst of a blazing lake
+--Damnation! Well, luck like that was bound to change. It had
+changed. The note of assurance in this self-edited story was
+patently counterfeit, or so Henry told himself, for surely the
+fellow must know by this time that his race was run. Probably this
+was a desperate effort to secure further backing. If so, it would
+fail.
+
+Henry believed that he had weakened his enemy's support so
+completely that he would fall of his own weight; he considered it,
+in fact, about the cleverest move he had ever made to dispose of a
+block of bank stock in such a way as not only to tide him over his
+own difficulties, but also to make allies of Gray's associates
+--the very men who had been fighting him. Those men were through
+with the scoundrel now, and who else could he appeal to, once they
+abandoned him? Nobody. No, the ice had been thin, at times--Henry
+had felt it bending under him--but he was safe at last. The
+crossing had been made.
+
+So much accomplished; now that the fellow was down and could no
+longer fight back, it was time to see that Barbara Parker learned
+the truth about her gallant suitor. The next time Tom Parker came
+into the bank Henry called him into his private office and had a
+talk with him.
+
+Old Tom listened silently; nevertheless, it was plain that he
+was deeply shocked.
+
+"I s'pose you ain't lyin'," he said, coldly, when the banker had
+finished.
+
+"It's a matter of record, Tom. He can't deny it."
+
+"Why did you--hold off so long?"
+
+"We're not exactly friends. He foolishly believes that I had
+something to do with his disgrace, and he has done his best to
+injure me. Under the circumstances, I couldn't very well say
+anything. I wouldn't speak now, except for the fact that 'Bob' is
+interested in him and--well, I'm interested in 'Bob.'"
+
+"She's been interested in him from the first. I don't see that the
+circumstances are much different than they have been," Tom said,
+sourly.
+
+"Put it down to jealousy, if you wish." Henry was impatient.
+
+"And I don't know as 'Bob' ever encouraged you to think--"
+
+"Perhaps not. But she is the only woman I ever saw that I'd make
+Mrs. Nelson."
+
+"What was it he did?"
+
+"'Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman' is the way the
+record stands. That covers a lot."
+
+"Did he welch--quit under fire?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Steal something?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Woman scrape?"
+
+"There was--a woman concerned. Pretty nasty mess, Tom. He's the
+sort of man to intrigue any foolish woman. Women can't see far."
+
+"I s'pose so." Mr. Parker rose stiffly. "But we don't have to
+worry about 'Bob.' She ain't foolish and her eyesight is good.
+She's got more sense than all three of us men." With this
+noncommittal remark the father limped out.
+
+But Tom was more deeply troubled than he had shown. Nothing to be
+said against a man could have weighed more heavily with him than
+this particular charge. To a man of his type dereliction of duty
+was a crime; dishonorable discharge from the army of his country
+was an appalling indictment implying utter moral turpitude. Tom
+had known more than one fellow who was guilty of conduct
+unbecoming a gentleman--as a matter of fact, he had reason to
+respect certain of them for some of their ungentlemanly conduct
+--but conduct unbecoming an officer was something altogether
+different. He had never met but one such, and he had shot that
+fellow just above the bridge of the nose. A traitor to his oath of
+office, a man who could dishonor his state, his country, was worse
+than a renegade; his name was a hissing upon the lips of decent
+people. Scalawags like that were not to be tolerated. It seemed
+incredible that Gray could be one.
+
+Yes, and "Bob" liked the fellow--but so did he, for that matter.
+In great perturbation of spirit Tom consulted Judge Halloran.
+
+The judge listened to him in astonishment; angrily he cried: "The
+idea of his paying court to 'Bob'! The insufferable insolence of
+it! Why, I consider it a personal affront."
+
+"Where do _you_ come in to get all het up?" Tom growled.
+
+"_What?_" Halloran's irascible face reddened. '"Where do I--'? My
+God! Haven't I--? Don't I stand in _loco parentis_ to the girl?"
+
+"You ain't as _loco parentis_ to her as I am. She's my son.
+Trouble is, I like Mr. Gray. You don't think Henry could be
+lying?"
+
+"He wouldn't dare. It is too serious. No, Tom, there's just one
+thing to do; you and I will go directly to the scoundrel, tell him
+we are aware of his infamy, and order him out of town. Ha! That's
+the way to go about it; cut deep and quickly. Tar and feathers are
+too good for--"
+
+"Trouble is," Tom repeated, with a reluctant sigh, "I like him and
+I ain't sure--" "The trouble is you're a weakling!" Halloran
+snapped. "You are a--sentimentalist. You lack my stern,
+uncompromising moral fiber. _Like_ him? Pah! What has that to do
+with it? I have no weakness, no bowels of compassion. I am a
+Spartan. I am--"
+
+"You're a damned old fool--if you think you can run _him_. He's
+liable to run you."
+
+Judge Halloran was furious at this; he was hurt, too. He sputtered
+for a moment before managing to say: "Have it your own way. You
+are trying to be unpleasant--not that it requires conscious
+effort--but I won't argue with you."
+
+"Don't! I hate arguments. That's why I don't like to talk this
+over with Mr. Gray. When I'm mad enough to argue I'm mad enough to
+fight, and I fight better than I argue."
+
+If, indeed, Calvin Gray's affairs were in a condition as
+precarious as Nelson believed, he showed no signs of it when he
+returned to Wichita Falls. On the contrary, he was in an exultant
+mood, and even on the train young Briskow, who accompanied him,
+was amazed at the change that had come over his friend. With every
+mile they traveled Gray's buoyancy increased and upon his arrival
+he trod the street to his office like a conqueror. McWade and
+Stoner, who came in for a conference with minds preoccupied and
+faces grave, left with a smile and a jest.
+
+When they had gone, Gray rose with relief and surprised Buddy by
+saying: "That's enough for now, thank goodness! Business is only
+one side of life, my boy. You are going to make this city your
+home, so you must begin by meeting the right people, the
+influential people. Nicest people in the world right here, Buddy;
+nicest place in the world, too!"
+
+Now to a youth who, for months, had been immured in the oil
+fields, Wichita Falls did indeed resemble a city of marvelous
+portent. Pavements, large buildings, bright lights, theaters--Buddy was
+thrilled. He prepared himself for introduction to oil operators, to men
+of finance sitting in marble and mahogany offices; he made ready to step
+forth into the big world.
+
+Great was his astonishment, therefore, when after a swift walk
+Gray turned into a tiny frame insurance office on a side street.
+Funny place to look for people of influence, Buddy cogitated.
+
+A girl was seated at a desk; she rose at sight of Gray, and her
+face broke into a smile. Her greeting was warm; her hand lingered
+in his; for the moment neither of them seemed to remember Buddy's
+presence. When she did hear his name, however, her face lightened
+and she gave her hand to him as to an old friend. When she smiled
+at him, as she had smiled at his companion, Buddy dropped his hat.
+He had never seen anyone in the least like this creature and--she
+knew Allie! She knew his mother! That was astonishing. He wondered
+why they had never said anything about it. Before she had finished
+telling him about that meeting in the store at Dallas, Buddy
+realized that here indeed was an influential person, a citizen of
+supreme importance. He had missed her name, but probably she owned
+that Dallas department store, or was the Mayor of Wichita Falls.
+He had never before been so embarrassed.
+
+Mr. Gray certainly was a wonderful man. His poise, his air of
+respectful but easy familiarity with this--this angel raised him
+immensely in Buddy's esteem. Think of joking, chatting, making
+pretty speeches to an--an angel! That was going some. The gall of
+it!
+
+They were talking about that big gasser of Gray's; the fire; the
+overflow; and the melodramatic occurrences of the past fortnight.
+Gray was telling her how Buddy had saved his life at the well, how
+he had risked his own, later, in braving the flood, and she was
+listening with eager smiles and nods and exclamations. When she
+turned admiring, grateful eyes upon the hero of Gray's story--and
+the story had been told in a manner to make Buddy no less--that
+youth felt himself suffocating, burning up. Mr. Gray sure knew how
+to talk; he could sling language. And _lie_--! Gosh, how
+beautifully he could lie! It was splendid of him to exaggerate
+like this, so as to set him in solid with the most important
+person in town. That was noble! People were awful nice. And this
+certainly was a grand city. Buddy knew he was going to get along
+fine; and he'd never forget Mr. Gray for this.
+
+After a while, when the two men were on the street again, Buddy
+inquired: "Who is that young lady? I mean--her name?"
+
+Gray told him, then with a friendly twinkle: "Well, speak out!
+What do you think of her?"
+
+"Oh--_Gee_!" Buddy cried, breathlessly, whereupon his companion
+laughed in perfect satisfaction.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+Gray returned to his desk that morning after his call on "Bob"
+Parker determined to tackle energetically the numerous business
+details needing his attention, but he found that he could not do
+so. As usual, his brief sight of the girl, instead of satisfying
+him, had merely increased his hunger; made him the more restless,
+the more eager to see her again--alone. He gave up fighting his
+desires, presently, and invented the necessity of a hurried trip
+to the Avenger lease.
+
+Her ready acceptance of the invitation he construed to indicate an
+eagerness akin to his own, and during the several hours they were
+together he had hard work to keep from breaking his resolve and
+telling her all she had come to mean to him.
+
+"Bob" seemed to expect something of the sort, as a matter of fact.
+Her shyness, her fluttering agitation when his voice unconsciously
+became tender--and he realized that, in spite of himself, the tone
+of his voice conveyed a message quite at variance with his words
+--taxed his self-control to the utmost. Well, it wouldn't be long
+now--another two weeks perhaps! But two weeks is an eternity when
+hearts are pounding, when ears are strained and lips are waiting.
+
+Two callers were awaiting Gray when, late that afternoon, he
+mounted the stairs to his office--Tom Parker and Judge Halloran
+--and something in their formal, awkward greeting sent a quick chill
+of alarm through him. Mechanically he ushered them into his
+private room and offered them chairs. He heard himself chatting
+casually enough, but neither his own words nor theirs conveyed
+much meaning to him. Nelson, it seemed, scorned no advantage,
+however dishonorable. Gray's hatred of the man attained deeper,
+blacker depths than ever. To-day of all days! What a reckoning was
+due!
+
+The two old men were talking, one lamely supplementing the other's
+efforts to lead up to the object of their visit. Gray turned a set
+face to Tom Parker finally, and interrupted by saying:
+
+"Permit me to ease your embarrassment, sir. You object to my
+attentions to your daughter. Is that it?" Tom dropped his eyes and
+mumbled an uncomfortable affirmative. "Not, I hope, because you
+question the nature of my intentions?"
+
+"Oh no!"
+
+"I'd say yes and no to that," Halloran declared, argu-mentatively.
+"Tom and I are gentlemen of the old school; we live by the code
+and 'Bob' is our joint property, in a way. Any man who aspires to
+the honor of--well, of even paying attentions to that girl must
+stand the acid test. There must be no blot upon his 'scutcheon."
+
+"You imply, then, that there is a blot upon mine?"
+
+"That is what prompts our visit, sir. Can you assure us that there
+is none?"
+
+After a moment of hesitation Gray inquired, curiously: "Judge, do
+you believe that a man can live down disgrace?"
+
+"Disgrace, yes. Dishonor, never! A man's honor is so sensitive
+that to stain it is to wound it. Like the human eye it cannot
+suffer the slightest injury without serious damage."
+
+The younger man ignored the pompous tone of this speech; he
+nodded. "I see. Someone said also that it is like an island,
+rugged and without landing place; and once outside of it we can
+never re-enter. That is your idea, I dare say."
+
+"Precisely!"
+
+Tom Parker stirred; irritably he broke out, "I'm damned if I think
+you did it!"
+
+"Did what?"
+
+Tom remained silent, but when his companion drew a deep,
+preparatory breath, Gray lifted a hand. He rose nervously and in a
+changed tone continued:
+
+"Again let me speak for you and shorten our mutual distress.
+First, however, I must make my own position plain. I--love your
+daughter, Mr. Parker." The declaration came at great cost, the
+speaker turned away to hide his emotion. "I think--I hope she is
+not indifferent to me. I would give my life to marry her and, God
+willing, I shall. So much for that." He swung himself about and
+met the eyes of first one old man, then the other. Harshly,
+defiantly, he added: "Understand me, nothing you can do, nothing
+on earth--nothing in Heaven or in hell, for that matter--will stop
+me from telling her about my love, when the time comes. Now then,
+Henry Nelson has told you that I was--that I was sent back from
+overseas in disgrace. You want to know if he spoke the truth. He
+did!"
+
+After a moment of silence Judge Halloran said, with stiff
+finality: "Under the circumstances there is nothing more to talk
+about. You amaze me when you say--"
+
+"I want to know more than if he was just telling the truth," Tom
+interrupted, grimly. "I want to know if you were guilty."
+
+"That was the verdict of the court martial."
+
+"To hell with that! Innocent men have been hung."
+
+A faint smile softened Gray's face. "And guilty men have gone to
+the gallows protesting their innocence. Which are you to believe?
+I made the best defense possible, but it was insufficient. I have
+no new evidence. I would rather endure the stigma of guilt than
+have you consider me a liar, and, of course, that is what you
+would think if I denied it."
+
+Halloran was on his feet now, and evidently anxious to terminate
+the interview. "There are two sides to every case, of course, and
+justice is not always done. However, that really makes no
+difference in this instance. The findings of a military tribunal
+are as conclusive as those of any court of law, and it is not for
+us to question them. To repeat what I started to say just now, I
+fail to understand how you can expect us to tolerate your further
+attentions to Miss Barbara or how you can persist in your insane
+determination to ask her hand in marriage."
+
+"Perhaps you'll understand when I say that I propose to clear
+myself."
+
+"How? When?"
+
+"Soon, I hope."
+
+"And in the meantime?"
+
+Gray considered this question briefly. "In the meantime--if you
+will agree to say nothing to 'Bob,' I will promise not to declare
+my feelings, not to see her alone."
+
+"That's a go," said the father.
+
+"Mind you, I may fail to right myself. In that event I shall feel
+at liberty to tell her the facts and ask her to believe in me
+against the world. I trust she will do so. If she loves me as I
+love her, she will marry me even though she knows I am a liar and
+a blackguard."
+
+"Never!" Halloran exploded. "'Bob' isn't that sort of a girl."
+
+"I hope it never comes to the test."
+
+"I hope so, too," the father declared, earnestly. "I'm--right fond
+of 'Bob,' and I wouldn't like to see her team up with a man she
+couldn't be proud of. _I_ wouldn't take it easy." Mild as were
+these words, coming from Tom Parker they had the ominous effect of
+a threat.
+
+Without further ado the two old men left.
+
+There was little sleep that night for Calvin Gray, and the days
+that followed were a torture. It was a torment to avoid "Bob," for
+self-denial only whetted his appetite to see her, and those
+cunning plans he had laid at the time of their last meeting--plans
+devised solely to bring them together--he had to alter upon one
+excuse or another; he even forced Buddy Briskow to substitute for
+him. Fortunately, there were certain negotiations requiring his
+presence in Dallas, in Tulsa, and elsewhere, and it some what
+relieved his irritation to put miles between him and the city he
+had come to regard as his home.
+
+The Nelsons' bank was known as the Security National, and it
+represented the life work of two generations of the family. Bell's
+father had founded it, in the early cattle days, but to the genius
+and industry of Bell himself had been due its growth into one of
+the influential institutions of the state. Other banks had finer
+quarters, but none in this part of the country had a more solid
+standing nor more powerful names upon its directorate. Bennett
+Swope, for instance, was the richest of the big cattle barons;
+Martin Murphy was known as the Arkansas hardwood king, and Herman
+Gage owned and operated a chain of department stores. The other
+two--there were but seven, including Bell and his son--were
+Northern capitalists who took no very active interest in the bank
+and almost never attended its meetings. For that matter, the three
+local men above named concerned themselves little with the actual
+running of the institution, for the Nelsons, who owned nine-tenths
+of the stock, were supreme in that sphere. It was only at the
+annual meetings when directors were re-elected--and invariably
+they succeeded themselves--that they forgathered to conduct the
+dull routine business which is a part of all annual meetings.
+After they had adjourned as stockholders they reconvened as
+directors, and again mumbled hurried and perfunctory ayes to the
+motions put before them, so that Bell could the more quickly get
+out his bottle of fine old Bourbon, the one really ceremonious
+procedure of the day. The Security National was as conservative,
+as rock ribbed, as respectable, and as uninteresting as any bank
+could well be, and its directors were always bored when election
+time came around.
+
+In spite of the fact that the program this year was as thoroughly
+cut and dried as usual, the day of the meeting found both father
+and son decidedly nervous, for there were certain questions of
+management and of policy which they did not wish to touch upon,
+and their nervousness manifested itself in an assumption of
+friendliness and good fellowship quite unusual.
+
+Senator Lowe, the bank's attorney and secretary, was arranging his
+minute books, his reports, and his miscellaneous papers, Martin
+Murphy was telling his latest story, when a knock came at the door
+to the directors' room. Bell himself answered it, but his protest
+at the interruption died upon his lips when he beheld Calvin Gray,
+Gus Briskow, and the latter's son, Ozark, facing him.
+
+Gray spoke sharply, and his words fell with the effect of a bomb,
+at least upon Bell and Henry, for what he said was: "We are
+attending this meeting as stockholders, and we came early to
+enable the secretary to record the necessary transfer of our
+shares."
+
+Disregarding the president's gasp of astonishment, the speaker
+pushed past him and entered, then introduced himself and his
+companions to the other men present.
+
+Henry Nelson experienced a sick moment of dizziness; the room grew
+black before his eyes. It was Bell who broke out, harshly:
+
+"_Stockholders?_ Where did _you_ get any stock in this bank, I'd
+like to know?"
+
+"We bought it. Picked it up here and there--"
+
+"I don't believe it!" Bell glared at the speaker, then he turned
+his eyes upon Swope, upon Murphy, upon Gage. "Did any of you sell
+out?"
+
+"We don't own enough to make it worth while," Swope said, dryly.
+Murphy and Gage agreed. Bell's peculiar display of emotion
+surprised them; they exchanged glances. "I thought there wasn't
+any stock outside of what's owned by our group. What's the idea?"
+
+Gray answered, easily. "There is now a considerable amount outside
+of that. A very considerable amount."
+
+Henry Nelson made himself audible for the first time, and sneered
+angrily. "Quite theatric, Gray, this eleventh-hour move. How much
+have you got? What's your--your object?" In spite of himself his
+voice shook.
+
+"My object is purely selfish." Gray's tone was equally
+unpleasant. He had expected to create a sensation, and he was not
+disappointed. "Mr. Briskow and his son are looking for a secure
+investment, and I have convinced them of the soundness of your
+institution. My operations make it necessary for me to establish a
+close banking affiliation--one where I can ask for and receive
+consideration"--his mockery was now unmistakable--"so where should
+I turn, except to my friends? I assume you make no objection to
+the stock transfer? Very well." He drew from his pocket a bundle
+of shares and tossed them across the table to Senator Lowe.
+
+Henry made his way to his father's side; they withdrew to a corner
+and bent their heads together, murmuring inaudibly. Gray watched
+them with unblinking intensity; he nodded to Buddy Briskow, and
+the latter, as if heeding some prearranged signal, removed his
+hands from his pockets and stepped farther into the room. He, too,
+watched the agitated pair.
+
+"Why--look here!" the secretary gasped, after a moment or two.
+"This--this gives you control!"
+
+Bell Nelson raised a stricken face. "Control?" he repeated,
+faintly. "_Control_?" He strode to the end of the table, and with
+shaking hands he ran through the sheaf of neatly folded
+certificates. "Sold out, by God!" He fell to cursing certain men,
+the names of whom caused Swope and Murphy and Gage to prick up
+their ears.
+
+Gray was still staring at the junior Nelson; it was to him more
+than to the father that he spoke: "Sold out is right! It came
+high, but I think it was worth the price. We intend to vote our
+stock."
+
+"By that I infer that you're going to take the bank over--take its
+management away from Bell and Henry?" Bennett Swope ventured.
+
+"Naturally."
+
+The elder Nelson voiced an unintelligible exclamation.
+
+"That's a pretty rough deal. Bell has put his life into it. It is
+an--an institution, a credit to the community. It would be a
+misfortune if it fell into the hands of--into the control of
+somebody who--" The ranchman hesitated, then blurted forth,
+angrily: "Well, I don't like the look of this thing. I want to
+know what it means."
+
+"I'll tell you," Henry cried, unevenly. "I'll tell you what it
+means. Persecution! Revenge! Hatred! I quarreled with this man, in
+France. He's vindictive; he followed me here--tried every way to
+ruin me--cost me thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars.
+Father and I were--we were pinched. We had to realize some quick
+money to protect our oil holdings--offsets and the like--and we
+sold a lot of our stock with the understanding that we could--that
+we would buy it back at a higher figure. We only borrowed on it,
+you might say--hypothecated it. We thought we were dealing with
+friends, but--_Friends_! My God!" The speaker seized his head.
+
+"The stock was not hypothecated. You sold it," Gray said, quietly,
+"and we bought it in."
+
+"It is all a personal matter, a grudge."
+
+"Is that true, Mr. Gray?" Swope inquired.
+
+"Substantially. But I'm waiting for Colonel Nelson to tell you
+more; to tell you the whole story of our antagonism."
+
+Martin Murphy, who had been a silent onlooker up to this point,
+made himself heard. "Mr. Gray, I don't like the look of this any
+better than Swope does. Your quarrel with Henry is wholly your and
+his affair, but the welfare of the Security National is partly
+ours. Banks are not toys, to be juggled and played with in
+mischief or in spite. You say you paid high for your stock; do you
+intend to wreck the institution, lose a fortune--?"
+
+"By no means."
+
+"That's precisely what you will succeed in doing."
+
+"I had ventured to hope that you three gentlemen would remain on
+the board."
+
+"Am I dreaming?" Bell Nelson's collar appeared to be choking him,
+and with clumsy fingers he tugged at it. "Going to kick Henry and
+me off the board, eh? Rob us? Well, I'm damned if you do! You'll not
+kick us off--"
+
+"He doesn't want the bank," the son exclaimed, hoarsely. "That's
+all a bluff. He wants blackmail. That's the kind of man he is. He
+wants his price. I know him. How much, Gray? What'll it cost us?"
+
+"I'll tell you what it will cost--"
+
+"Ha! Didn't I say so?"
+
+"Oh, there is a price for everything! Mine will surprise you,
+however, it is so low. Can't you guess what it is?" The speaker's
+intent gaze had never left Henry Nelson's face; it was fixed there
+now, as cold, as relentless as the stare of a python.
+
+Bell Nelson leaned forward, his lips parted, a new eagerness came
+into his purple countenance. "Well, well! What is it?" he
+demanded, querulously.
+
+"Vindication!"
+
+There was a moment of silence. "What is he talking about, Henry?"
+Bell's eyes were strained toward his son.
+
+"I don't know," the latter said, in a thin voice. "He's crazy
+--always was."
+
+"I'm giving you a chance, Colonel. You'd better take it. Think
+carefully." When there came no response to this warning, Gray
+shrugged. "Very well! There is nothing further, except to complete
+the transfer and proceed with the business of the meeting. Mr.
+Briskow will be the next president, and I shall occupy the
+position of vice-president and treasurer now held by you--"
+
+The effect of this declaration was electric. With a cry the
+younger Nelson lunged forward. Confusion followed. It was of short
+duration, however, for Henry found himself locked in the arms of
+the Briskow giant. Others lent Buddy their assistance, and, in
+spite of his struggles, the vice-president was flung backward upon
+a deep leather divan. He rose unsteadily, but, meeting Buddy's
+threatening gaze and realizing the impossibility of getting past
+him, he cried: "Let me out of here! Let me out, damn you! I
+--I'll get you for this, Gray. Let me out, I tell you!"
+
+"Buddy!" Gray jerked his head in the direction of the door to one
+of the adjoining offices. "He keeps a gun in his desk--top drawer.
+Get it before me makes a fool of himself." Young Briskow stepped
+out of the room. Gray continued, speaking to the others, "I have
+something to say to you gentlemen before we go on with the
+meeting, and I wish to say it in the presence of Colonel Nelson
+and his--"
+
+"You'll not keep me here. I refuse to stay," Henry shouted, and he
+pushed past Swope toward the door.
+
+"Wait!" It was the elder Nelson speaking, and in his voice was a
+new note--a note of triumph. "Stock can't be transferred at an
+annual meeting. It has to be done in advance--ten days, I think it
+is. Am I right, Senator?"
+
+"That is the usual procedure," Senator Lowe agreed.
+
+"Better look it up and make sure," Gray directed.
+
+There followed a few moments of uncomfortable silence while the
+bank's attorney ran through the by-laws. It seemed to those
+waiting that it was a long time before he frowned and shook his
+head.
+
+"I--ah--I can find nothing against it. It seems I have nothing to
+do except transfer the shares."
+
+"Then there won't be any meeting!" Bell loudly declared.
+
+The three directors greeted this remark with exclamations of
+genuine relief. "Sure! Let's adjourn--put it over until--" one of
+them began, but the bank's president was bellowing in rising fury
+at the interlopers:
+
+"Get out! Get out of my office, d'you hear? Get out--"
+
+"Looks to me like it's _my_ office," Gus Briskow said, quietly,
+"or it will be, directly. You, Bell, put on the muffler! I came a
+long ways to attend this meetin'. It's the first one I ever been
+to, an' it's goin' to happen. Shut up your fuss! I want you to
+hear what Mr. Gray's got to say."
+
+"To hell with him, and you, too!" stormed the financier. "Hold the meeting,
+eh? Hold it if you dare! I defy you. Steal my bank, double-cross me--We'll
+see about that. Come along, Henry."
+
+"You're in," Gray said, menacingly; "you'd better stay and vote
+your stock or you may never get back again." But neither father
+nor son heeded him. When they had gone he frowned. "I'm sorry.
+Really I am. I hoped I could force--"
+
+"I think we'd better go, too," some one said. "This is too
+extraordinary--We're in no frame of mind to go ahead--"
+
+"I must insist that you remain long enough to hear me out. You
+have no right to refuse. There is something you _must_ be told."
+
+"I'll admit I'm curious to know what the devil it all means,"
+Murphy, the lumberman, confessed; "but I don't know that I should
+accept an explanation from you. Not after Henry's accusations.
+I've known him and Bell for years--"
+
+"I respect your friendship for them, and I sha'n't expect you to
+put trust in my words. It seems to me, however, that you owe it to
+that friendship to hear me. This incident has taken a turn wholly
+unexpected, and, I must confess, disappointing. I looked for a
+different outcome--hoped I'd be able to force an explanation--"
+The speaker shook his head and frowned again, perplexedly. When,
+after a moment of indecisive murmuring, the three directors seated
+themselves, Gray thanked them with a bow. "I'll be as brief as
+possible, and if you don't mind I'll stand as I talk. I'm in no
+mood to sit. I'll have to go back a bit--" It was several seconds
+before he resumed.
+
+"When it became evident that the United States was going to war, I
+managed to get in at Plattsburg and took the officers' training
+course. It was easy for me to complete that course, because I had
+served in the Spanish War and had kept up my interest in military
+affairs. Something convinced those who ought to know that I
+possessed qualifications of unusual value to the country--a wide
+business experience at home and abroad, a knowledge of languages
+perhaps--anyhow, I was called to Washington. There I met Henry
+Nelson--a valuable man, too, in his way. We were commissioned at
+the same time and sent overseas on the same ship to engage in the
+same work--military intelligence. I didn't like the job, but it
+was considered important, and naturally I couldn't pick and
+choose. Of course it was secret, confidential work. No need of
+going into that here.
+
+"Nelson's and my duties were identical, our authority was equal;
+we were ordered to work hand in hand, and although we were
+commissioned together, technically, he outranked me owing to the
+fact that he was given his commission a moment before I got mine.
+
+"That's where the trouble started. We clashed, even on shipboard.
+He proved himself to be authoritative, overbearing; he immediately
+assumed the position of my superior officer. I'm not a mild-
+tempered man, but I put up with it, figuring that our paths would
+soon separate. But they didn't. When we arrived in France I
+tackled my job with all the energy in me; I tried for results.
+Nelson, I discovered in time, was concerned only in taking entire
+credit for all that he and I and the whole organization under us
+accomplished and in advancing himself. I worked; he played
+politics.
+
+"You are not military men, so I sha'n't bore you with army terms
+or technical details, but--by one means or another he managed to
+intrench himself in a position of actual authority over me not at
+all in accord with our purpose or our instructions. I swallowed my
+resentment, for it seemed rather petty, rather selfish, in a time
+like that, to divert my attention from the important work in hand
+to quarrel with him. You understand? Then, too, he was not making
+good and I was, and I thought time would surely cure the trouble.
+He must have appreciated my feelings--nevertheless, he persisted
+in abusing his powers; he began finally to really interfere with me, to
+call me off of important tasks and humiliate me with futile
+assignments, and I realized that I was threatened with failure
+through his meddling. This may sound trivial to you"--the speaker
+raised his eyes to his audience--"but, take my word for it, there
+were many instances of the kind over there. Jealousy, intrigue,
+malevolence, petty spite, drove more than one earnest, patriotic
+officer to rebellion and--ruined many a career.
+
+"I rebelled. I had to, or be made ridiculous. I warned him,
+privately, as man to man. He ignored the warning. Then I prepared
+a complete report showing by the copies of his orders, by the
+records of our respective accomplishments, by our correspondence,
+how he had systematically and maliciously endeavored to nullify my
+work and--and the like. It was not a pretty report to read. I
+turned it in to him for submission higher up.
+
+"Then it was that he outgeneraled me. He was furious, of course,
+but he apologized--abjectly. He admitted that he had been wrong;
+that he had imposed upon me. He promised to play fair if I'd
+permit him to withhold the report, and--I was deceived. No man
+likes to be thought a cry-baby. Those were eventful times;
+personal complaints were not welcomed in any quarter--not with the
+world rocking on its foundations. I was glad to accept his
+promises.
+
+"For a while we worked in harmony. I became engaged in an
+intricate case, having to do with a leak concerning transport
+sailings and routes--a matter involving the lives of thousands of
+our boys, millions of dollars in supplies, and I went to Brest,
+under cover. It had to be handled with extreme care--some danger
+about it, too. A very interesting case, I assure you. I lived in a
+house with some of the people under surveillance. One of them was
+a woman, extremely attractive--thoroughly unscrupulous. My avenue
+of approach was through her. Nelson, of course, knew what I was
+doing; he was about the only one who did. "I worked a long while
+and I was upon the verge of success--it would hare been a real
+accomplishment, too--when, without apparent cause, the gang took
+warning, scattered, the whole thing blew up. Months of work for
+nothing! I had made worse than a failure this time."
+
+"You mean to accuse Henry of--of treachery of that sort?" Swope
+inquired.
+
+"I do. And that's not all. Out of a clear sky charges were
+preferred against me. Outrageous charges in which that woman
+figured." Up to this point Gray had spoken smoothly, rapidly, but
+now his tone changed, his words became hesitant, jerky. "I was
+amazed! Joke, I called it at first. Sort of a blanket indictment,
+it was, charging me with inefficiency, negligence, exceeding my
+authority, dishonesty--and things even worse. Those were some of
+the least serious, the least--nasty. It was all too absurd! Being
+peculiarly vain and sensitive, my impulse was to shoot Henry
+Nelson. But I couldn't believe the charges would be taken
+seriously.
+
+"Well, there was an investigation. I was court-martialed. I
+disproved a good deal; I think I'd have exonerated myself on every
+count only for the woman--that one I spoke about. She turned the
+trick. I was found guilty, disgraced, sent back. Even though you
+are not military men, you can appreciate the extent of my
+dishonor.
+
+"There, gentlemen, you have in a few words an unconvincing summary
+of a long and complicated story--one that I detest telling.
+However, I could not permit you to sit with me at the directors'
+table of this bank without knowing who I am, what I am, and why I
+have run that rat into his hole. Colonel Nelson spoke the truth
+when he said this was purely a personal matter between us. It is
+so purely personal that I was willing to spare humiliation to his
+father--leave Old Bell in control of his bank and end our fight
+--if he'd right that old wrong. But you heard him refuse. So they
+must both fall. He said I've been persecuting him--" Gray smiled
+grimly. "Let me tell you how. That disgrace cost me my friends, and
+what money I had, for I tried long and earnestly to get back, to
+get a rehearing, to enter the navy--anything to re-establish
+myself. Failing that, I came to Texas. I came without a dollar,
+without an acquaintance, and--began my 'persecution' of Henry
+Nelson. I began it by coming here to the bank and telling him what
+I was up to. I put him on guard, and we engaged each other, as the
+French would say, 'to the death.' I--won. That's all there is to
+the story."
+
+"Well, I'll be damned!" Martin Murphy exclaimed.
+
+"At least Henry played fair in this; he didn't betray your
+secret," Gage said, coldly.
+
+"Oh, I meant to tell you that he didn't dare betray me, for he,
+too, came back in disgrace. The pot couldn't very well talk about
+the kettle."
+
+"_What_?"
+
+"Henry Nelson?"
+
+"Impossible!"
+
+"I mean exactly what I say. No man of his type could have lasted
+over there. Then, too, the story of our quarrel leaked out, that
+old report of mine turned up--Yes, he got the same medicine he
+gave me. But he had influence in Washington, and he managed to
+delay final action almost up to the day of the armistice. Even
+then he succeeded in pretty well covering up the reason for his
+dismissal."
+
+"Why, even Bell doesn't know that!"
+
+"Henry's been a terrible hero, hereabouts," said Gus Briskow.
+After a moment he addressed the other men. "Mr. Gray told me this,
+an' I wanted him to tell it to you. I dunno what you-all think of
+his story, but I know him an' I believe every word of it. What's
+more, I believe this bank is goin' to be run as well as ever it
+was even if I am president. A man can be president an' stay at
+home, if he's got folks under him that know more than he does.
+What d'you say if we start that meetin' we been talkin' about? I'm
+willing to see Mr. Gray settin' in yonder at Henry's desk if you
+are."
+
+"I don't see that it makes much difference whether we're willing
+or not," Swope confessed. "You have the votes, between you, to do
+about as you choose."
+
+"Of course we have, but, with Bell an' Henry gone, it seems like
+some of their neighbors ought to stay an' look out for what
+potaters they've left in the ground. What d'you say?"
+
+Swope eyed his companions briefly, then he nodded. "We'll stay."
+
+"Then, Mr. Secretary, let her go!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+One morning, several days after the annual meeting, Gus Briskow
+opened the door between his and Gray's office and inquired,
+"Busy?"
+
+The new vice-president of the Security National raised a
+preoccupied face to the new president and said: "I'm never too
+busy to talk to you. What is it?"
+
+"Nothing! I'm just kinda lonesome; kinda tired of lookin' bright
+about things I don't savvy." Gus seated himself and crossed his
+thin legs. "Folks give an owl credit for bein' wise just because
+he keeps his mouth shut. Prob'ly he's got nothing of interest to
+say."
+
+"Perhaps. But you can say 'no,' Gus, and that's about all the
+average banker is called upon to say."
+
+"Um-m!" The elder man nodded reflectively. "I heard about a
+captain of industry that allus smelled a pink when he did his
+heavy thinkin'. Now me, I'm goin' in for bananas. I keep a bag of
+'em in my desk. I'most killed myself on bananas when our first
+well came in--never thought I'd be able to afford all I wanted.
+How's the bank?"
+
+"Why, it's still here, as you see."
+
+"I know. That's the remarkable part. I keep thinkin' it's goin' to
+bust--I mean blow up an' disappear. I wake up nights dreamin' it's
+gone. It's all right, is it?"
+
+"Positively! I put an accountant at work on the books and he
+should be ready to report any time now."
+
+"No chance of Bell Nelson throwin' us out, is there? He's in
+Dallas tryin' to stir up money--"
+
+"Not a chance, unless you want him to do so; unless you're afraid
+we'll make a failure of the business."
+
+"_We?_" Gus smiled quizzically. "_You_ won't fail. Folks around town are
+talkin' about how quick you're takin' hold, an' they're beginning to
+think you'll make a better banker than the Nelsons. Funny, ain't it,
+how easy reconciled folks is to losin' a coupla prominent citizens like
+that? Looks like Bell an' Henry are about the only ones that take it hard."
+
+"The funny thing is"--Gray frowned, perplexedly--"they _don't_
+take it hard. At least, Henry doesn't appear to do so. That's what
+puzzles me. No move of any sort--That's not like him."
+
+Gus agreed to this. "I been expectin' him to cut some capers.
+That's why I been hangin' around so steady."
+
+"I know."
+
+"Every time I peel a banana I peel an eye for Henry. I worry
+whenever you go out alone."
+
+The younger man rose and nervously paced the floor. "I'm
+completely mystified," he admitted. "The whole affair has been a
+great disappointment to me. I thought I'd sprung a coup, but--I'm
+at a standstill. I'm stumped--checkmated."
+
+"About that trouble between you an' him, eh? Why, we took your
+word for that."
+
+"Unfortunately, that didn't help me very greatly. Other people
+aren't so easily convinced as you and Swope and Gage and Murphy.
+Damnation! I thought my troubles were over."
+
+"Well, your money troubles is over--"
+
+"They're the smallest part. I'd go back and start all over again
+if I could clean up that--that army record. It's a pretty flat
+triumph."
+
+"Humph! Most triumphs is. A feller has a dream--a longin', an' he
+bows his back an' works his life away tryin' to realize it. If he
+does, the chances is he's disappointed. He finds he's kep' his
+back bent so long he can't straighten it. Look at me--pore as dirt
+an' scarcely enough to eat! I used to pray for a miracle; pray for
+money enough to do something for Ma an' the children--for a
+thousan' dollars. Here I am, president of a whole bank, but Ma's
+sick, Allie's miserable, an' I can't sleep nights for fear I'll
+lose what I got!"
+
+"Poverty wouldn't have helped Ma's health--"
+
+"Oh, I ain't sayin' I'd trade!" Gus wagged his sandy head. "I get
+my shoes shined every two hours because that bootblackin' stand is
+a nice place to look at the bank from. I set there an' tell myself
+I'm president of it! But that's the biggest dividend I've got, so
+far--five shines a day an' all the bananas I can eat. 'Flat' is
+the word."
+
+Gray smiled affectionately at the speaker. "At least Buddy is
+happy. He's reaping his dividends, if I'm any judge."
+
+"I figger he's in love again."
+
+"Good heavens!" Gray paused in his restless pacing and turned an
+expression of almost comic dread upon the father. "With that
+woman, eh? Well, I refuse to interfere again. I haven't fully
+recovered from his first infatuation for her."
+
+"I can tell the boy's symptoms. I felt the same way when I was
+courtin' Ma. I acted just like him."
+
+"He has been trying to tell me something for a week, but I've been
+too busy and too worried to listen."
+
+Briskow's kindly face had settled into graver lines when next he
+spoke. "You prob'ly wonder why I take it so easy. Well, I remember
+what you told me once about judgin' people I don't know. Mebbe
+Allie was right, too, when she said a little genuine happiness is
+worth all it costs. Anyhow, if Buddy wants that woman, I won't say
+a word. She's turned out pretty good, an' people speak well of
+her. Buddy's a man, an' some men just _have_ to get married--the
+sooner it's over, the better for 'em. He's like that. But what's
+more 'n all that, love between two young people is a pretty sacred
+thing, an' when old folks keep interferin' it seems to me they're
+settin' themselves up to be wiser than God. Ma's folks didn't care
+much for me."
+
+"I feel a rebuke in your words," Gray said; "and no doubt I've earned it,
+for it has always been my weakness to rearrange the lives of those I love.
+But--who am I, after all? If I were so divinely wise, why is my own life
+what it is? When I marry, perhaps I shall have to ask B--ask the girl
+to ignore in me things as--as disagreeable to think about as those which
+Buddy will have to ignore in Margie's past. That boy, in fact all you
+Briskows, have put me so deeply in your debt that I'm afraid I
+shall have to conquer my meddlesome instincts." The speaker looked
+up suddenly. "You'll never know, by the way, how deep is my debt
+of gratitude. When a vainglorious, supersensitive man finds
+himself under a cloud, it is pretty nice to know that there is
+somebody whose faith is unshakable; somebody who needs no legal
+proof that he's--Proof! Here I am, back again right where I was
+when you came in; back to my own selfish concerns. I can't get
+away from them. What to do next? The Nelsons are on their last
+legs. The loss of this bank will certainly destroy what credit
+remained, and even a good well now would scarcely tide them over.
+But--damn it, Gus, I can't kick a man if he refuses to stand up! I
+can't beat a corpse!"
+
+There came a rap at the door, and the accountant whom Gray had put
+to work upon the bank's books entered. "I'd like to talk to you
+about this report," the man began.
+
+"Don't go," Gray said, as Briskow unfolded his legs and rose.
+
+But the president of the Security National shook his head, saying:
+"Bookkeepin' is all Choctaw to me. I saw one statement an' I
+thought 'liquid assets' meant that bottle of whisky Bell left in
+his desk."
+
+"Mr. Gray," the auditor announced, when they were alone, "I wish
+you'd ask somebody else to take this job off my hands."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Well, somebody else could probably do it better." There was a
+pause. "I've known Bell Nelson all my life--" "That is why I
+engaged you. You've been over these books before." Again there was
+an instant of silence, then into Gray's face there flashed a
+curious alertness. "Come!" he cried, sharply. "What is it?"
+
+"I'm sorry to be the one to--" The auditor shrugged. "If you
+insist on an explanation, I suppose I shall have to tell you.
+Perhaps it's just as well, anyhow. They say figures don't lie, but
+you and I know better. I only wish they didn't."
+
+"Have you caught them lying, here?"
+
+"I have. And--it has made me rather ill. You'd better prepare
+yourself for a shock."
+
+It was nearly an hour later that Gray telephoned to Senator Lowe,
+the bank's attorney, and to Bennett Swope, the latter being the
+only member of the board available at short notice. This done, he
+wrote a note to Henry Nelson. In spite of his effort to control
+his hand, it shook when he signed his name, and on second thought
+he destroyed the missive. There is something ominous about the
+written word. If Nelson grew suspicious, he'd never come.
+
+Gray stepped into Gus Briskow's office and asked him to call the
+former vice-president, first, however, explaining exactly what he
+wished Gus to say. The ruse succeeded; then Gray returned to his own
+office. He drew a deep breath. Within him he felt a ferocious
+eagerness take fire, for it seemed to him that the day of reckoning
+had come. Henry's behavior was now easily understandable; the fellow
+was cringing, cowering in anticipation of a second blow. Well, the
+whip was in Gray's hands, and he proposed to use it ruthlessly--to
+sink the lash, to cut to the bone, to leave scars such as Henry had
+left upon him. Nor was that his only weapon. There was, for instance,
+Old Bell Nelson's honor.  If coercion failed, there were rewards,
+inducements. Oh, Henry would have to speak! The Nelson fortune, or
+what remained for salvage from the wreck thereof, the bank itself,
+they were pawns which Gray could, and would, sacrifice, if
+necessary. His hunger for a sight of "Bob" had become unbearable.
+Freedom to declare his overwhelming love--and that love he knew was no
+immature infatuation, but the deep-set passion of a full-grown
+man--was worth any price he might be called upon to pay. Yes, Henry
+would speak the truth to-day or--for one of them, at least, there
+would be an end to the feud.
+
+Gray, too, kept a revolver in his desk. He removed it and placed
+it in his pocket.
+
+Buddy Briskow chose this, of all moments, to thrust his grinning
+visage into the door and to inquire, "Got time for me now, Mr.
+Gray?"
+
+"Not now, Buddy."
+
+"When?"
+
+"Why--almost any other time."
+
+"I wouldn't bother you, but it's important and I--I promised a
+certain party--" The youth's face reddened, his smile widened
+vacuously.
+
+"Later, if you don't mind."
+
+It was plain that Buddy did mind; nevertheless, he withdrew.
+
+When Swope and Lowe arrived, Gray could with difficulty restrain
+himself from blurting out the reason for his urgent summons, but
+he contented himself by asking them to wait in the president's
+office.
+
+Henry Nelson entered the bank with his head up, with a
+contemptuous smile upon his lips and an easy confidence in his
+bearing. His hand was outstretched toward the knob of Briskow's
+door, when the one adjoining opened and, from the office he
+himself had so long occupied, Calvin Gray spoke to him.
+
+"Please step in here, Colonel."
+
+Nelson recoiled. "No, thank you!" he said, curtly.
+
+"Briskow and I are amateur bankers; there is a matter upon which
+we need your advice."
+
+"Indeed? Finding it isn't as easy to run a bank as a drilling rig?
+He said you were out, otherwise--"
+
+"Will you come in?"
+
+Stiffly, reluctantly, as if impelled by some force outside of himself,
+Nelson stepped within, but he ignored the chair that was proffered him.
+
+Gray closed the door before saying: "The deception was mine, not
+Briskow's. You prefer to stand? Um-m--I appreciate your feeling of
+formality. I felt a bit ill at ease on the occasion of my first
+call here, when our positions were reversed--"
+
+"If you got me here just to be nasty--"
+
+"By no means. Nevertheless, it gratifies my vanity to remind you
+that you considered me a braggart, a bluffer, whereas--"
+
+"I haven't changed my opinion."
+
+"So be it. One matter, only, remains between us. I am about to
+ring up on the last act of our little comedy."
+
+"Theatrical, as always, aren't you?" Nelson's lip curled.
+
+For a moment Gray stared at the speaker curiously; his tone had
+altered when he said: "You're a better poker player than I
+thought. You're almost as good a bluffer as I am. That, by the
+way, is probably the last compliment I shall pay you."
+
+"Come! I've no time to waste."
+
+"You will soon have ample time--if not to waste, at least to
+meditate--"
+
+"What do you mean by that?" The query came sharply.
+
+"I've had an examination of the bank's books. That, as you will
+readily understand, explains why I sent for you."
+
+"Why--no. I don't--"
+
+"I wondered how you and your father got the money to keep going so
+long, for I discovered you were in a bad way even before I turned
+up. It is no longer a mystery. When you and he, as directors of
+the Security National, lent yourselves money, as individuals, you
+must have realized that you were--well, arranging ample leisure
+for yourselves in which to meditate upon the stringency of the
+banking laws--"
+
+"Nonsense! That's n-nothing--nothing serious." Nelson's ruddy
+color had slowly vanished; with uncertain hand he reached for the
+nearest chair, and upon it he leaned as he continued, jerkily:
+"Irregular, perhaps--I'll admit it was irregular, but--there's
+nothing _wrong_--Oh, you'll make it look as bad as possible, I
+dare say! But you don't understand the circumstances. Anyhow,
+father is getting it straightened out; all he needs is time. We'll
+be able to handle it, all right. We're good, you know, perfectly
+good--"
+
+"You're broke! Everybody else knows it, if you don't.
+'_Irregular_'! Ha! There's a choice of words!" The speaker laughed
+silently. "It is an 'irregularity' that carries with it free board
+and lodging at the state's expense."
+
+An incoherent protest issued from Nelson's throat. When next he
+managed to make himself audible, his words were such as really to
+amaze his hearer. "_I_ didn't do it," he cried, in a panic-
+stricken voice. "It was father's idea! You had us crowded--there
+was no other way. I warned him--"
+
+"Wait a minute! You blame it on _him_?" Gray's inquiry was harsh,
+incredulous. After a momentary pause his lips moved, but for once
+he stammered, his ready tongue refused its duty. He exploded,
+finally, with an oath; he jerked open a drawer in his desk. From
+his pocket he removed his revolver, flung it inside, then jammed
+the drawer back into place with a crash. "You--_rat_!" he
+exclaimed. He turned his back upon Henry Nelson and made a circuit
+of the little room.
+
+"It's a thing you and I can easily fix up," the latter feebly
+insisted. "Now that personal matter of yours--Perhaps I could help
+you reopen it somehow, clear it up."
+
+"Ah! Indeed!"
+
+"Give and take, I say. I'm willing to do anything I can, if--"
+
+"There won't be any 'ifs'! No conditions whatever."
+
+"Is that so?" Nelson flamed forth, in a momentary explosion of
+resentment. "If you think I intend to stand the brunt of this,
+you're crazy. I can't afford to figure in a scandal--banking
+scandal--like this. I'm a young man. Bell has had his day. He's
+old. You can hush this up. There are lots of ways to do that. Keep
+me out of it and--and I'll do what's right by you; I'll do
+anything you say."
+
+"You'll do that, anyhow," Gray replied, in a voice that grated. He
+flung himself into his desk chair and, seizing pen and paper, he
+began to write rapidly, shakily.
+
+"I want to see what I'm signing," Nelson warned. A growl was his
+answer.
+
+For an interminable time the only sound in the office was the
+scratching of that pen. When at last it came to an end, Gray rose,
+thrust the loose sheets into Nelson's hand, then, indicating the
+vacant chair, said:
+
+"Sign that!"
+
+The wretched recipient of this curt command read the lines
+caiefully. He read them twice, thrice, for his mind no longer
+functioned clearly. He raised a sick face, finally, and shook his
+head.
+
+"Wouldn't I be a fool?" he queried.
+
+"Listen, you--" Gray's body was shaking, his words were uneven.
+"I'm sorry for Bell, but not for you. I'll never forget nor
+forgive what you did to me. Nothing can undo that. Disgrace clings
+to a man. You're going to get yours, now, and you can't squirm out
+of it, or lie out of it, no matter how you try, for I sha'n't let
+you. You're ruined, discredited, blown up, but--I don't think I
+want to send you to the penitentiary. I'd rather see you walking
+the streets with dandruff on your collar. I'd rather keep you to
+look at. Anyhow, you'll have to sign that."
+
+"If you'll guarantee to keep this bank matter quiet--if you'll
+protect me, I'll sign. Otherwise, you can go to hell. We'll beat
+it out, somehow. We can do it."
+
+Inflexibly Gray asserted: "I'm going to turn you over, whether or
+no. But I'll help Bell get the money to repay those loans. He'll
+probably manage to save himself and--save you, too."
+
+"I won't do it!" Nelson flung down the pen. "Not on those
+conditions. You can't bulldoze me. It's your day to crow, but, I
+warn you, don't push me too far."
+
+Gray voiced an epithet. It was low pitched, but its explosive
+force, the impelling fury back of it, fairly caused the room to
+vibrate. He was white of lip, his rage had reached the foaming
+point.
+
+"Don't make me lay hands on you--choke you into it," he cried,
+hoarsely. "If you do, by God, I'll finish you!"
+
+Like a man fighting some hypnotic influence stronger than his
+will, Henry Nelson took up the pen and signed his name waveringly.
+The next moment Gray smote the door to Briskow's office a heavy
+blow and, as it flew open, he barked:
+
+"Come in here! All three of you!" He stood aside as Gus, Bennett
+Swope, and Senator Lowe entered. "Yonder is a statement which I
+want you to read and witness. When you've done that, I'm going to
+tell you why Henry Nelson signed it. The rest will be up to you."
+
+It was midafternoon. Swope and Lowe had left the bank. Briskow
+drew a deep breath and said, with genuine relief: "I'm glad
+_that's_ over. We can handle the debt between us, an', after all,
+Old Bell's a pretty good citizen. As for Henry, I s'pose he'll
+wiggle out of it, somehow. I dunno as I'd of been so easy on him
+if I'd been in your place."
+
+"I'll tell you why I was easy on him," Gray confessed. "I'm tired
+of fighting; I'm worn out. I've won my point, and he'll carry the
+sort of load I've been carrying. But there is this difference: for
+him there will be no vindication at the end." Taking from his
+pocket Nelson's statement, he stared at it, then slowly his face
+lightened. "I was blind mad at first. I felt as if I couldn't keep
+my hands off him. It was such a dirty trick he did me and so
+reasonless! He had no excuse whatever for injuring me, Gus.
+However, I suppose most quarrels sprout from tiny seeds. Well, I'm
+square with the game! I--I'm afraid, even yet, that it's all a
+dream. I've wanted to yell--" The speaker chuckled; the chuckle
+grew to a laugh. "There's magic in this document, Gus, old boy.
+I've grown young all at once."
+
+"You needn't of took it so hard. Us fellers would have stood by
+you if you'd turned out to be a horse thief. Texas men are like
+that."
+
+"You proved it. But that wasn't enough. A man's business
+associates will frequently overlook a lot more than their wives
+and daughters will overlook. There's a certain loyalty that
+doesn't apply outside of the office." Gray rose and filled his
+lungs. "D'you know why I felt this thing so keenly? Why I fought
+so long? Of course you don't, for I've held out on you. Fact! I've
+held out on my partner--had a secret from him. Now then, steel
+yourself for a surprise. I'm suffering from Buddy's complaint,
+only ten times aggravated!"
+
+"What?" Briskow stared up at the animated countenance above him.
+"You thinkin' about gettin' _married_?"
+
+"I'm thinking about nothing else. That's what ails me. Why, Gus,
+you've no idea what a perfectly charming person I can be when
+--when I can be what I am. I thought I was too old and too blase
+ever to become seriously interested in a woman, above all in a
+girl, but--Do you remember when Ma and Allie came to Dallas that
+first time? Something happened about then to upset all my ideas."
+
+Briskow's sun-parched face slowly lightened, his bright,
+inquisitive eyes grew bluer, brighter. "I'm--mighty glad! I allus
+hoped--" He tried to finish his sentence, then shook his head and
+murmured, huskily, "Mighty glad!"
+
+Here was a marvel, a miracle, for which he had never dared even
+hope. He thought of Allie and a lump came into his throat. She had
+reached the stars. His girl! he would be mighty glad, too--
+
+Gray was speaking, and in his voice was a new, vibrant quality,
+a new vigor. "Now you'll know why this is the biggest day of my
+life; why I thought those men would never go. I'm shaking all
+over, Gus. You'll have to run the bank for a while; I'm too young
+and irresponsible. I'm going out to buy a hoop and a jumping rope
+and a pair of roller skates." Again he laughed, boyishly; then,
+with a slap that knocked the breath from Briskow's lungs, he
+walked lightly into his own office and seized his hat.
+
+For a long time the father sat at his big, empty desk, staring,
+smiling into space. This would make Ma well. Money wasn't
+altogether a worry, after all; it bought things that nothing else
+could buy--stars and--and things.
+
+From the expressions upon the faces Gray passed in leaving the
+bank, he realized that his own must wear a grin; but, in spite of
+his dignified effort to wipe it off, he felt it widening. Well,
+this was his day to grin; his day to dance and caper. People were
+too grave, anyhow. They should feel free to vent their joy in
+living. Why act as if the world were a place of gloom and shadow?
+Why shouldn't they hop, skip, and jump to and from business, if so
+inclined? He visualized the streets of the city peopled with
+pedestrians, old and young, fat and thin, thus engaged, and he
+laughed aloud. Nevertheless, it was a good idea, and when he
+became mayor, or perhaps the junior Senator from Texas, he'd
+advocate public playgrounds for grown-ups. "Bob" would help him
+put it through. There was a girl who would never grow old. They
+would grow young together. He caught sight of his reflection in a
+shop window and slowed down his gait, telling himself that pending
+the time his new idea was definitely planted it might be well to
+walk in the old-fashioned manner. Men of substance, bankers, for
+instance, shouldn't rush through the streets as if going to a
+fire; they shouldn't dash over crossings and take curbstones as if
+they were hurdles. It wasn't being done. No reason, however, why a
+banker shouldn't throw his shoulders back and walk springily upon
+his toes.
+
+When he beheld the familiar painted sign, "Tom and Bob Parker.
+Real Estate and Insurance," he paused. The mere sight of the
+little wooden building, the name, gave him an odd shortness of
+breath. It was weeks since he had been here.
+
+He realized of a sudden that he had brought nothing with him; no
+gift, not even flowers. But there was enough to talk about. She'd
+forget that. What a shower of gifts he would pour upon her--and
+upon Old Tom, too! Good Old Tom! Tom had wanted to believe. Tom
+and he would be great pals. They couldn't help being pals with
+just one thing, between them, to love; one thing in all the world!
+
+It was a disappointment to find the office empty, except for the
+father himself, but Gray began with a rush, "Well, I told you I'd
+clear myself, and--here I am, walking on air."
+
+"You did it, eh? That's good news."
+
+"We had a show-down at the bank. Henry Nelson and I locked horns
+and--But here! Read what he signed. That cleans the slate. He'll
+do anything further that may be necessary, officially. Where's
+"Bob"?"
+
+"They're fishin' for a bit in one of your Avenger wells. She's out
+there."
+
+"So? I'd forgotten."
+
+"Did you see--? Did Buddy have a talk with you? To-day, I mean?"
+
+"Buddy? Oh, Buddy Briskow! I saw him for a moment only. She'll be
+back soon, I dare say?"
+
+Tom Parker stirred; it was a moment before he spoke, then it was with
+apparent irrelevance that he said: "I'm sorry you and he didn't have a
+good talk. 'Bob' asked him to see you--sent him there a-purpose." The
+sight of Gray's smiling, eager, uncomprehending face caused the old
+man's steady gaze to waver. He cleared his throat. "Buddy's a fine
+boy."
+
+"Finest in the world! I claim responsibility for him, in a way.
+He's part mine." Gray laughed; his eyes sparkled.
+
+"Him and 'Bob' are out there together. They've been together a
+lot, Mr. Gray. Both of 'em young, that-away--"
+
+"Of course. I knew you'd both like--" Some quality in Tom's voice,
+some reluctant evasiveness to his eyes, bore a belated message to the
+younger man--snapped his chain of thought--dried the words upon his
+lips. Into his eyes leaped a sudden, strained incredulity. Sharply, he
+cried, "What do you mean?" Then, after an instant, "Why did he want to
+see me?" The two men gazed squarely at each other for the first
+time. "My God! Why--that's absurd! I--I brought him here. He's just
+a _boy_!"
+
+"And she's just a girl, Mr. Gray."
+
+The younger man shrank as if at a blow. He closed his eyes; he
+raised a shaking hand to his face, which was slowly assuming the
+color of ashes. "That's too--rottenly unfair!" he said, faintly.
+"I brought him here--made a man of him. Of course he doesn't know
+--" His eyes opened; eagerly he ran on: "Why, Tom, it's just the
+boy and girl of it! Puppy love! You know how that is."
+
+"I didn't notice how things was going till if was too late. We
+might as well talk frankly, Mr. Gray. Prob'ly it's well you saw me
+first, eh? Well, when I understood where they was heading, I
+worried a lot--after what you said that day, understand? But those
+two! Pshaw! It was like they had known each other always. It was
+like 'Bob's' mother and me when we first met; her beautiful and
+fine and educated, and me rough and awkward. Only Buddy's a better
+boy than I was. He's got more in him. I s'pose all womenfolks have
+that mother feeling that makes 'em yearn over the unlikeliest
+fellers." Parker looked appealingly at his stricken hearer, then
+quickly dropped his eyes, for Gray's countenance was like that of
+a dying man--or of a man suffering the stroke of a surgeon's
+knife.
+
+"After all, it's youth. You're a good deal older than 'Bob,' and I
+s'pose you sort of dazzled her. She likes you. She thinks you're
+great. You kinda thrill her, but--I don't believe she ever dreamed
+you was actually--that you actually cared for her. You've got a
+grand way, you know, and she ain't a bit conceited about herself.
+Why, I _know_ she never figgered it that way, because she made
+Buddy promise to tell you the first thing; sent him to the bank a-
+purpose, thinking you'd be so glad on his account."
+
+"Then they've--settled it between them?"
+
+Tom nodded gravely. "She told me last night. And from the way she
+told me, I know it's not just boy and girl love. She's been
+singing like a bird all day. And Buddy! He's breathless. I know
+how he feels. I couldn't draw a full breath for two weeks after
+'Bob's' mother--"
+
+Gray uttered a wordless, gasping cry. He moved unsteadily toward
+the door, then paused with his hand upon the knob. Tom Parker was
+surprised when, after a moment, he saw the man's shoulders shake
+and heard him utter a thin, cackling laugh. "Time is a grim old
+joker, isn't he? No way of beating him, none at all. Now I thought
+I was young, but--Lucky I found you here and spared my vanity." He
+turned, exposing a face strangely contorted. "You won't mention my
+foolish mistake, will you? No use hurting the ones we love. You
+know how we feel--fatherly. That's it, fatherly love. I was a
+silly old fool. They'll be happy. Young people like that--" The
+speaker choked. "Young people--Well, _adios_, old man!" He opened
+the door and walked blindly forth.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+Calvin Gray did not return to the bank. He went straight to his
+hotel and, as soon as he could sufficiently control himself to do
+so, he telephoned Gus Briskow, telling him that he intended to
+leave town. Then he began mechanically to pack his bag. He moved
+like a man in a trance, for the blow had fallen so suddenly as to
+numb him; his only impulse was to escape, to hide himself from
+these people who, of a sudden, had become hateful. His city of
+dreams had collapsed. The ruins, as they lay, meant nothing as
+yet, for his mind refused to envisage them and he could see them
+only as they had stood. He groped amid a hopeless confusion of
+thought--at one moment bewildered, piteously hurt, at the next
+suffering a sense of shameful betrayal. He had grown old and dull
+and feeble, too, and for the time being he was incapable of
+feeling the full force of a strong man's resentment. This
+surprised him vaguely.
+
+Soon, however, like kindling fires among the ruins, his fury rose
+--fury at himself, at Buddy, at Barbara--and in the heat of those
+scorching flames he writhed. She _had_ loved him. He'd swear to
+that. He had swayed her, overpowered her; he had lacked only the
+courage to trust his instinct. Coward's luck! It served him right.
+He had held her in his arms and had let her slip through; her lips
+had been raised to his, and he had refused to press them.
+Imbecile!
+
+He groaned; he tore the collar and the tie from his neck, for they
+were choking him. Old, eh? Too old! That was the grimmest jest of
+all, for at the mere thought of Barbara's lips unruly forces took
+possession of him; he experienced a fierce, resistless vigor such
+as he had never felt in his younger days. It was a dreadful, an
+unappeasable yearning of soul and body, and when the paroxysm
+had passed, it left him weak. He sank into a chair and lay there
+stupid, inert, until again those fires began to lick at him and again
+he twisted in dumb agony. Buddy Briskow! Buddy, of all people!
+That lout; that awkward simpleton, who owed him everything! But
+Buddy was _young_!
+
+Gray heard himself laughing in hoarse derision. He rose and
+tramped heavily around his room, and, as he went, he crushed and
+ripped and mutilated whatever his hands encountered. His slow,
+deliberate, murderous rage demanded some such outlet. All the
+while he felt within himself two conflicting impulses, heard two
+voices: the one voice shouted at him to search out Buddy and visit
+upon him the punishment warranted by a base betrayal; the other
+told him jeeringly to lay the scourge upon his own shoulders and
+endure the pain, since he had betrayed himself. His mind was like
+a battle ground, torn, up-heaved, obscured by a frightful murk--he
+remembered a night in France, a black night of rumbling, crashing
+terror, when, as now, the whole world rocked and tumbled. Some
+remnant of self-control induced him to lock his door and pocket
+the key, for Buddy might come. He probably would look him up, all
+grins and smirks and giggles, to tell him the glorious news, to
+acclaim the miracle. That would be too much.
+
+One thing was certain, there was no safety except in flight,
+ignominious, cowardly flight... After all, how could Buddy have
+known? He was a good boy, and he had shown his love, his loyalty,
+in a thousand ways. Gray hated him at this moment, but, more
+bitterly even, he hated himself. It was fate.... He fell to
+cursing aloud, but there was no relief in that, and again the
+appalling irony of the situation silenced him. He had deified
+himself, set himself upon a high place, bent men and affairs to
+his own ends, until he had acquired a godlike belief in his power
+to accomplish all things. His victory had been complete. He had
+won all--except the one thing he most desired, the very fruit of
+victory.
+
+Some time later he heard Buddy come whistling merrily down the
+hall and knock at his door. Gray cowered in his chair, listening
+in breathless dread until the footsteps retreated. When he rose he
+moved about stealthily.
+
+When night came he took his bag and slunk out of the hotel, for it
+seemed that men must surely know what a fool he had made of
+himself. It would have been a relief to feel that he was leaving
+never to return; but even that was denied him, for, after his
+first panic, the truth had come home. He could not run away. He
+had forged chains for his own limbs. Like a tethered mustang he
+could plunge only to the end of his rope. Friendship, again! There
+was simple, trustful, faithful Gus Briskow. And the bank. God,
+what a mess things were in! Gray knew he would have to return,
+have to see "Bob" and Buddy day after day, month after month, and
+the prospect was too distressing to dwell upon. Again his mind
+grew weary, baffled; he experienced a wretched physical illness...
+Where to go, where to hide until his sickness had passed? That was
+the question.
+
+For the first time he appreciated the full extent of his loneliness;
+his utter lack of resource in a crisis like this. Most men, however
+solitary, lay by material things for themselves, build homes and
+surround themselves with personal possessions from which, or amid
+which, they can gain some sort of solace in times of trial. But he had
+not fashioned so much as a den into which he could creep and lick his
+wounds. Once he had left his hotel room behind him he was in the open
+and without cover. Not a single soul cared whether he came or went,
+not another door stood ajar for him. And he had planned so much upon
+having a home, a real home--But he could not trust himself to think
+much along that line; it induced an absurd desire to weep at his
+plight. It made him feel like a child lost in a wood. That was silly,
+just an emotional reaction; nevertheless, the impulse was real and
+caused him to yearn poignantly for human comfort.
+
+He thought of Ma Briskow, finally. She was human; she had a heart.
+And Dallas was a sort of homey place; anyhow, the bellboys at the
+Ajax knew and liked him. That was probably because he had tipped
+them handsomely, but what of that? If they'd be kind to him now
+he'd tip them more handsomely than ever. Lonely men--old ones
+--must expect to pay for what they get. He bought a ticket to
+Dallas.
+
+Ma Briskow's eyes were dim; nevertheless, she saw the change in
+Calvin Gray when, late the following afternoon, he came to see
+her.
+
+"Land sakes!" she exclaimed, in a shocked voice. "Pa never said
+you was ailin'. Why, Mr. Gray!"
+
+"I'm not really ill," he told her, wearily, "just old. I've had a bad
+night." Seating himself beside her couch, he took her hand in his and
+made her tell him all about herself. He had brought her an armful of
+flowers, as usual, and extravagant gifts for her adornment--giving, it
+seemed, was his unconscious habit. While she admired them with
+ecstatic "Ohs!" and "Ahs!" he busied himself with bowls and vases, but
+Ma noted his fumbling uncertainty of touch and the evident effort with
+which he kept up his assumption of good cheer. She told him, finally:
+
+"Something mighty bad has happened to you, Mr. Gray."
+
+He gazed at her mutely, then nodded.
+
+"Is it something about the--the Princess of Wichita Falls?"
+
+"Yes, Ma."
+
+"Tse! Tse! Tse!" It was a sympathetic cluck. "Was she a wicked
+princess?" The query was gently put, but it deeply affected the
+man. He tried to smile, failed, then like a forlorn little boy he
+came and bowed his head beneath her hand.
+
+"I knew you'd understand, Mother Briskow, so I--I ran to you with
+my hurt, just as I used to run to my Mother Gray." After a while he
+continued in a smothered voice: "She isn't a wicked princess.
+She didn't mean to hurt me and--that's what makes it hurt so deep.
+She tumbled the old duke's castle down upon his head; tumbled
+the old duke out of his dreams. He isn't a duke any longer."
+
+"He'll allus be a duke," Mrs. Briskow firmly declared. "He was
+born that way."
+
+"At any rate, he's a sad old duke now; all his conceit is gone.
+You see, he was a vain old gentleman, and his courtiers used to
+tell him he was splendid, handsome--They said he looked as
+handsome as a king, and by and by he began to think he must be a
+king. His enemies sneered at this and said he was neither duke nor
+king, but a--a mountebank. That made him furious, so he went to
+war with them, and, by Jove, he fought pretty well for an old
+fellow! Anyhow, he licked 'em. When they fell down and begged for
+mercy he knew he was indeed a great person--greater even than he
+had suspected and worthy of any princess in the land."
+
+"Pshaw! Ain't a duke higher than a princess?"
+
+"No, Ma. Not higher than this princess. Her father made all the
+laws. She is very noble and very good. Good princesses are scarce
+and--and so, of course, they're very high. But the Duke of Dallas
+didn't stop to think of that. He told himself that he was so
+strong and so rich and so desirable that she would be flattered at
+his notice. He got all dressed up and went to call on her, and, on
+the way, whenever he looked into a shop window, he didn't see the
+buns and the candies and the dolls inside; all he saw was his own
+reflection. It looked so magnificent that he strutted higher and
+thought how proud he was going to make her.
+
+"I guess that was the trouble with the old duke all along; he had
+never looked deeply enough to see what was inside. Anyhow, what do
+you think, Ma? While he'd been off at war conquering people and
+making them acknowledge that he was a king, the little princess
+had fallen in love with--with his nephew. Nice boy, that nephew,
+and the duke thought a lot of him."
+
+Ma Briskow's hand, which had been slowly stroking Gray's bent
+head, ceased its movement; she drew a sharp breath.
+
+"There happened to be an old mirror in the princess's boudoir, and
+while the duke was waiting for her he saw himself in it. He saw
+himself just as he was, not as he had looked in the shop windows,
+for it was a truthful mirror and it told everything. My! That was
+a bad moment for the Duke of Dallas, when he saw that he wasn't
+young and beautiful, but old and wrinkled and--funny. That was
+bad enough, but when he looked again and saw the princess whom he
+loved in the arms of his handsome nephew, why, he gave up. All his
+fine garments fell off and he realized with shame that, after all,
+he was only the withered mountebank.
+
+"When he got home his castle had collapsed. There wasn't a stone
+standing, so he ran away--ran to his mother."
+
+"Oh, Mr. Gray!" Ma Briskow quavered. "I could cry. An' after all
+you done for Buddy!"
+
+The man shook his head vigorously, still with his face hidden. "It
+isn't Buddy. It's youth. Youth needs no fine adornment, no crown,
+no victory."
+
+"What you goin' to do?" she asked him.
+
+"Go on playing the duke, I suppose; rebuild the castle the best
+way I can. That's the hard part. If I could run away and forget,
+but--I can't. The old duke walled himself in. He must grin and
+strut and keep people from guessing that he's only a fraud until
+he can find a hole in the wall through which he can creep."
+
+There was a long silence, then Ma inquired: "Would you like to
+tell me something about the little princess? Sometimes it helps,
+to talk."
+
+"N-not yet."
+
+"You're a duke, an' the best one that ever lived, Mr. Gray. You
+can't fool me; I've met too many of 'em. That lookin'-glass lied!
+Real dukes an' kings an' such people don't get old. It's only
+common folks. There's lots of magic, the world's full of it, an'
+your castle is goin' up again."
+
+"After a fashion, perhaps"--Gray raised his head and smiled
+crookedly--"but it will never be a home, and that's what I wanted
+most of all. Do you think I'm very weak, very silly to come to you
+for a little mothering?"
+
+"That's the kind of children mothers love best," the old woman
+said, then she drew him down to her and laid her cheek against
+his.
+
+"There! I've made you cry," he exclaimed, reproachfully. "What a
+selfish beast I am! I'll go now."
+
+"Won't you stay an' have supper with Allie an' me? We're awful
+lonesome with Pa gone. Allie's out som'er's, but--it would do me
+good to know you was here an' it 'll do you good to stay. You can
+rest yourself while I take my nap."
+
+Ma Briskow did not wish to take a nap, but she knew that Gray
+needed the solace of his own thoughts just now, so, when he
+agreed, she sent him downstairs.
+
+First balm, indeed, had come to the man; the smart was less
+intense. To put his trouble into words somehow lightened it; then,
+too, the grateful knowledge that some warmth of sympathy was his
+made it easier to bear. But it remained a cruel burden. That
+gentle, dreamy soul up yonder could not know how it hurt. How
+could she understand, for instance, what it meant to go back and
+face the deadly dull routine of a life from which all zest, all
+interest, had fled? A routine broken only by moments of downright
+torture. Yes, and the effort it would take to smile! God! If there
+were only some way to break his fetters, slip his gyves!
+
+Gray's brain, like his body, had grown tired and feverish. To be
+sure, little more than a day had gone by since he had sallied
+forth like a knight, but it seemed a year, an age, and every hour
+brought a new and keener distress. He found it possible now, for
+the first time, to relax a bit physically, so he closed his eyes
+and lay back in an easy chair while the twilight stole in upon
+him. Sooner or later his mind, too, would cease its torment, for
+pain distils its own anodyne. Then he would sleep. It would be a
+blessing to forget for even an hour, and thus gain strength with
+which to carry on the fight. But what a useless battle it was! He
+could never win; peace would never come.
+
+He heard Allie enter the house, but he did not stir. He would have
+to put on the mask soon enough, for, of course, she must never
+suspect, on Buddy's account. The room, which had grown agreeably
+dark, was suddenly illuminated, and he lurched to his feet to find
+the girl facing him from the door. She was neither startled nor
+surprised at his presence, and when he tried to smile and to greet
+her in his accustomed manner, she interrupted him by saying:
+
+"I knew you were here."
+
+"So? Then Ma is awake again?"
+
+Allie shook her head vaguely. "I knew you were here the minute I
+came in. I can 'most always tell." There had been a shadow of a
+smile upon her lips, but it vanished; a look of growing concern
+crept over her face. "What's the matter? Whatever has happened,
+Mr. Gray?"
+
+"Why, nothing. I was feeling tired, worn out. Indulging myself in
+a thoroughly enjoyable fit of the blues." His voice broke when he
+tried to laugh.
+
+Allie uttered a quick, low cry, a wordless, sympathetic sound. Her
+dark eyes widened, grew darker; she came forward a step or two,
+then she halted. "Would you rather be alone?" she asked. He
+signified his dissent, and she went on: "I know what the blues are
+like. I sit alone in the dark a good deal."
+
+She busied herself about the room for a few moments, straightening
+things, adjusting the window shades. Allie had the knack of
+silence, blessed attribute in man or woman, and to Gray's surprise
+he found that her mere presence was comforting. She startled him
+by saying, suddenly:
+
+"You're hurt! Hurt badly!"
+
+He looked up at her with an instinctive denial upon his lips, but,
+realizing the futility of deceit, he nodded. "Yes, Allie."
+
+The girl drew a deep breath, her strong hands closed, harshly she
+said: "I could kill anybody that hurt you. I wanted to kill Buddy
+that time. Is it those Nelsons? Have they got you down?" There was
+something fierce and masterful in Allie's concern, and her inquiry
+carried with it even more than a proffer of help; she had, in
+fact, flung herself into a protective attitude. She suggested
+nothing so much as a lioness roused.
+
+"No, no! It is nothing like that. I merely fooled myself--had a
+dream. You wouldn't understand, my dear."
+
+Allie studied him soberly for a moment. "Oh yes, I would! I do! I
+understand perfectly. Nobody _could_ understand as well as I do."
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"I've been hurt, too." She laid a hand upon her breast. "That's
+why I sit in the dark."
+
+"My dear child! I'm sorry. Gus said you were unhappy, but I
+thought it was merely--the new life. You're young; you can forget.
+It's only us old ones who can't forget. Sometime you must tell me
+all about it." The girl smiled faintly, but he nodded, positively:
+"Oh, it's a relief to tell somebody! I feel better already for
+confiding in Ma. Yes, and your sympathy is mighty soothing, too.
+It seems almost as if I had come home." He closed his eyes and
+laid his head back.
+
+Allie placed her hand upon his forehead and held it there for a
+moment before she moved away. It was a cool and tranquilizing palm
+and he wished she would hold it there for a long time, so that he
+could sleep, forget--
+
+Allie Briskow went to her room, and there she studied her
+reflection in the mirror carefully, deliberately, before saying:
+"You can do it. You've _got_ to do it, for he's hurt. When a girl
+is hurt like that, it makes a woman of her, but when a man's hurt it makes
+him a little boy. I--I guess it pays to keep on praying."
+
+It was perhaps a half hour later that Ma Briskow heard a sound that
+caused her to rise upon her elbow and listen with astonishment. It was
+the sound of low, indistinct, but joyous singing; it came from Allie's
+room. Allie singing again! What could have happened? Slowly Ma's face
+became wistful, eager. "Oh, Mister Fairy King!" she whispered. "Please
+build up his castle again. You can do it. There's magic in the
+world. Make him a duke again, an' her a queen, for yours is the power
+an' the glory for ever an' ever. Amen!"
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
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