CHAPTER XIII
A SACK OF CATS
The weary work of packing had gone on endlessly in the bare rooms of theold Huff house and now Virginia, with two kittens in her arms and themother cat following behind, was passing it all in review. A solid rowof packing boxes, arrayed on the front gallery, awaited the motor truck;and here and there in corners lay piles of discarded treasures that weredestined to go to Charley for loot. He was hanging about, with hispistol well in front, on the watch for Stiff Neck George; but up to thatmoment the Widow had not said the word that would start the mad rush forplunder. Her trunks were all packed, the china nested in barrels and thebedding sewed up in burlap; but still from day to day she put off theevil moment, and Virginia did not try to hurry her. The house had beentheir home for ten years and more and, though Los Angeles would be finewith its palm trees and bungalows, it was a strange land, far away. Andwhat would they do in that city of strange faces and hustling, eagerreal-estate agents? It was that which held the Widow back.
In the city there would be rent and water to pay for, and electriclights and wood; but in desolate Keno rent and water and wood were free,and the electric light company had taken down its poles. If the townwere not so dead--if they could only make a living,--the Widow startedup for the thousandth time, for she heard a racing auto down the street.It was Wiley Holman, as sure as shooting, and--well, Wiley was not sobad. It was his money, really, that had enabled them to pack up, andwould enable them to go, when they started; and the Widow knew, as wellas she knew anything, that he had designs upon the mine. He was afterthe Paymaster, and if he ever got hold of it--well, Keno would come backto its own. She rushed to the door and looked out into the street; andwhen she met Virginia, running away from meeting Wiley, she caught herand whirled her about.
"Now you go back there," she hissed in her ear, "and I want you to benice to him--he may have come back about the mine."
Virginia went out the door and, as Wiley Holman saw her standing there,he leapt out and came up the steps.
"Well, well," he said, "just in time to say good-by. And I wanted to seeyou, too." He smiled down at her boyishly and Virginia's eyes turnedgentle as he took both her hands in his. "I've got some news to tellyou," he burst out eagerly; "not news that will buy you anything butsomething to remember when you're gone."
He led her to a box and, taking one of the kittens, sat down with hisback to the door. Then he rose up hastily at a sudden rustle from behindand glanced inquiringly at Virginia.
"It's just mother," she said and at the mention of her name Mrs. Huffcame boldly out.
"Why, good morning, Wiley," she said, smiling over-sweetly. "Seems to meyou're awful early."
"Yes," answered Wiley, trying vainly to seem polite, "I just stopped offto say good-by!"
He offered her his hand, but the Widow ignored the hint and took theconversation to herself.
"Well, I'm real glad you came," she went on sociably, "because I wantedto see you on a matter of business. In fact, I've been kind of waiting,on the chance that you might come through. Oh, I know that I don'tcount, but you can see Virginia afterwards; and I wanted to consult youabout my stock. Yes, I know," she hastened on, as his face turned grim,"I haven't treated you fairly at all. I should have taken your offer,when you said you'd give ten cents for every share of stock that I had.But I took them to that Blount and he gave me next to nothing, and nowhe's holding the stock. But what I wanted to ask was: Isn't there someway we can arrange it to get it back and sell it to your father?"
"No, I don't think so," answered Wiley, putting down the kitten,"and--well, I guess I'd better go."
He rose up reluctantly, but the Widow would not hear to it and Virginiabeckoned him to stay.
"Well, now listen," persisted the Widow. "That stock certainly must beworth something."
"Not to you," returned Wiley. "I saw Blount only yesterday and he saysit belongs to him."
"Well, it does not!" declared the Widow, but as no one contradicted her,she took a different tack. "Are you coming back?" she asked, smilingbrightly. "Are you going to open up the mine?"
Wiley's face fell for a moment.
"What gave you that idea?" he inquired bluffly, but the Widow pointed afinger and laughed roguishly.
"I knew it," she cried. "I've known it for months--and I wish you thebest of good luck."
"Oh, you do, eh?" grunted Wiley, and stood undecided as Mrs. Huffcontinued her assurances. He had come there to see Virginia, butbusiness was business and the Widow seemed almost reasonable. "Huh,that's funny," he said at last. "I thought you had it in for me. What'sthe chance for getting a quit-claim?"
"A quit-claim!" echoed the Widow, suddenly pricking up her ears. "Why,what do you want that for, now?"
"Well, you're going away," explained Wiley quietly, "and it might comein handy, later, if I should want to take over the mine. Of courseyou've got no title--and no stock, for that matter--but I'll give you ahundred dollars, all the same."
"I'll take it!" snapped the Widow and Wiley broke out laughing as hereached for his fountain pen.
"Zingo!" he grinned and then he bit his lip, for the Widow was quick totake offence. "Of course," he went on, "this doesn't affect your stockif you should ever get it back from Blount. That is still your property,according to law, and this quit-claim just guarantees me free entry andpossession. We'll get Virginia to witness the agreement."
"All right," bridled the Widow and watched him cynically as he wrote outthe quit-claim and check. "Oh! Actually!" she mocked as he put the checkin her hands. "I just wanted to see if you were bluffing."
"Well, you know now," he answered and sat in stony silence until shedeparted with a triumphant smirk. Then he glanced at Virginia andmotioned towards the street, but she sighed and shook her head.
"No," she said, "I can't leave the house--mother is likely to start anytime, now."
"I suppose you'll be glad to go," he suggested at last as she sat downand gathered up the kittens. "The old town is sure awful dead."
"Yes--I guess so," she agreed half-heartedly. "You'd think so, but wedon't seem to go."
"Is there anything I can do for you?" he inquired after a silence. "Youknow what I told you once, Virginia."
"Yes, I know," she answered bitterly, "but--Oh, I'm ashamed to let youhelp me, after the way I acted up about Charley."
"Well, forget it," he said at length. "I guess I get kind of ugly whenanyone doubts my good faith. It's on account of my father, and callinghim Honest John--but say, I forgot to tell the news!"
Virginia looked up inquiringly and he beckoned her into the corner whereno one could overhear his words.
"Blount sent for me yesterday--trying to sell me the mine," he whisperedin her ear, "and I made him show me his stock. And when I looked on theback of his promotion certificates--the ones he got for promoting themine--I found by the endorsements that he'd sold every one of thembefore or during the panic. Do you see? They were street certificates,passing from hand to hand without going to the company for transfer, butevery broker that handled them had written down his name as a memorandumof the date and sale. Don't you see what he did--he set your fatheragainst my father, and my father against yours, and all the time, likethe crook he is, he was selling them both out for a profit. I could havekilled him, the old dog, only I thought it would hurt him more towhipsaw him out of his mine; but listen now, Virginia, don't you thinkwe can be friends--because my father never robbed anybody of a cent! Hethought more of the Colonel than he did of me; and I've started out,even if it is a little late, to prove that he was on the square."
He stopped abruptly, for in his rush of words he had failed to note theanger in her eyes, until now she turned and faced him.
"Oho!" she said, "so that's your idea--you're going to whipsaw Blountout of his mine?"
"If I can!" hedged Wiley. "But for the Lord's sake, Virginia, don't tellwhat I said to your mother! It won't make any difference, because she'sgiven me a quit-claim--but what's the use of hav
ing any trouble?"
"Yes, sure enough!" murmured Virginia, with cutting sarcasm. "She mighteven demand her rights!"
"Well, maybe you _like_ to fight!" burst out Wiley angrily, "and ifyou do, all right--hop to it! But I'll tell you one thing; if you can'tbe reasonable, I can be just as bullheaded as anybody!"
"Yes, you can," she agreed and then she sighed wearily, and waved it allaway with one hand. "Well, all right," she said, "I'm so sick and tiredof it that I certainly don't want any more. And since I've taken yourmoney, as you know very well, I'm going to go away and give you peace."
Her eyes blinked fast, to hold back the tears, and once more the son ofHonest John weakened.
"No, I don't want you to go away," he answered gently, "but--isn't theresomething I can do before you go? I have to fight my way, you know thatyourself, Virginia; but don't let that keep us from being friends. I'm amining engineer, and I can't tell you all my plans, because that surewould put me out of business; but why can't you trust me, and then I'lltrust you and--what is it you've got on your mind?"
He reached for her hand but she drew it away and sat quiet, looking upthe street.
"You wouldn't understand," she said with a sigh. "You're always thinkingabout money and mines. But a woman is different--I suppose you'll laughat me, but I'm worried about my cats."
"About your cats!" he echoed, and she smiled up at him wistfully andthen looked down at the kittens in her lap.
"Yes," she said, "you know they were left to me when the people movedout of town, and now I've got eight of them and I just know that oldCharley----"
"He'll starve 'em to death," broke in Wiley, instantly. "I know the oldtarrier well. You give 'em to me, Virginia, and I swear I'll take careof 'em just the same as I would of--you."
"Oh," smiled Virginia, and then she gave him her hand and the old hatreddied out in her eyes. "That's good of you, Wiley, and I certainlyappreciate it; because no one would trust them with Charley. I'm goingto take the two kittens, but you can have the rest of them and--you canwrite to me about them, sometimes."
"Every week," answered Wiley. "I'll take 'em back to the ranch and thegirls will look after them when I'm gone. We'll have to put them insacks, but that will be better----"
"Yes, that's better than starving," assented Virginia absently, andWiley rose suddenly to go. There was something indefinable that stoodbetween them, and no effort of his could break it down. He shook handsperfunctorily and started down the gallery and then abruptly he turnedand swung back.
"Here," he said, throwing her stock down before her, "I told you to holdonto that, once."
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