CHAPTER III
JEALOUSY
Meantime, many things of great interest to Gordon Wade happened withouthis knowledge.
A national election at which the previously dominant party was defeated,was a sad blow to Senator Rexhill, who not only suffered in prestige butin pocket. There was no question, even in the minds of his friends, thathe frequently used his political influence to back up the many businessenterprises in which he held an interest, and in which the greater partof his quickly-made fortune was invested. With the loss of his politicalpull, disaster came to one after another of those enterprises, and hissuccessive losses were soon heavy enough to drive him almost todesperation.
His previous successes, however, had all been due to the audacity of hisplans, for his boldness and courage were unquestionable. For a time hefelt confident of winning again, and accordingly, maintained his lavishexpenditures and luxurious style of living, with no word of caution tohis wife and daughter, and he continued to seek for the long chances inbusiness that offered the largest risks and the greatest gains.
All the redeeming qualities of his nature (and he had more than hisenemies gave him credit for), were shown in his family life, and it wasnot surprising that Helen and her mother were both undisturbed by thegathering storm, but continued to live as he encouraged them to, havingperfect confidence in his ability to overcome any and all thedifficulties he might encounter.
Mrs. Rexhill continued to dream of social distinction. Failing to seethat she had lost much of her own prestige by the Senator's politicalreverses, she continued to entertain so extravagantly in her palatialhome, that she was still tolerated and she took infinite satisfaction inthe position she thought she occupied.
She considered Chicago the greatest city in the world, and she dreamedof Helen as its queen. To her mind, the easiest way to accomplish thatambition was to persuade Helen to marry Maxwell Frayne. He hadpersistently courted the girl ever since he first met her, and he washeir to the great Frayne fortune.
The idea was not entirely revolting to Helen, though she had a smallopinion of the elegant young trifler who pursued her so persistently,for she, too, had social aspirations, though being more clear-sightedthan her mother, she dreamed of wider circles than those of Chicago. Herhusband, whoever he was to be, should take her to Paris, or at least toNew York.
Her infatuation for Gordon Wade, however, was as strong as ever. Perhapsshe was right in thinking of it as true love, but she was greatlyannoyed by Wade's choice of a ranchman's life, and by his settling downout of the world, as she considered he had done. Her letters to him,tender as they were, told him plainly enough of her dissatisfaction, andthereby undoubtedly contributed to the slow growth of his indifference.
For a time she failed to perceive this, and enjoying the excitement ofthe life she was leading, she was content to wait till Wade should tireof the wilderness, as she fully expected him to do, and should return toher. So she drifted, until after a time her suspicions were aroused bythe tone of his letters, and she became anxious.
As time went on, Senator Rexhill's affairs became more and moreinvolved. He realized that he stood little chance of reelection, whenhis term of office should expire, and meantime, his fortune dwindledrapidly, though he was still careful not to betray that fact at home.
Moran knew the situation perfectly well, but he remained outwardly loyalto his employer, partly because of the latter's liberality, but more,perhaps, because of the hope he still had of winning Helen eventually,despite the dislike she took no pains to hide.
Knowing how bold the Senator was in his speculations, he came to him oneday with an exciting story.
"There's a guy in town," he said, "who may be just a plain nut, but hehas the name of being a scientific sharp who knows his business from Ato Izzard, and he's either got something almighty big, or he's got thewillies.
"What he says is, that he's found gold in a new spot and oodles of it.According to what he tells, it beats California in '49. It's so big, hesays, that he's scared stiff, thinking he can't grab enough of it, andhe don't know, no more'n a baby, what to do with it. So he's looking forsomebody to take hold of it in a big way and give him a whack."
"Where is this gold?" asked the Senator incredulously.
"That's the funny part of it," says Moran; "it's in Wyoming, and as nearas I can make out, it must be close to where that young squirt is thatHelen thinks she's stuck on. I'm not sure but what it's on his place,but even if it is, there is no reason why he should have any of it. Theexpense will be pretty heavy to do the thing up right, but if you'regame, I reckon we can hog the whole business. We can stall thisscientific nut off with promises, and probably buy off Wade for theprice of pasture land, and then file claim on the whole dog-gone tract."
This vision of enormous wealth was captivating to the Senator, who hadmade his first start in mining and knew something of its possibilities.Bold as he was, however, he was also cautious, but after severalconferences with Moran, he fell in with the scheme, first securing theservices of a skilled metallurgist and an equally capable engineer, whowere liberally paid and solemnly sworn to secrecy. He sent them out toverify the discoverer's story, and sent Moran to Crawling Water, toestablish himself, and to do such preparatory work as should benecessary. In due time, Moran reported by letter that the gold waslocated, and was beyond question abundant. He was having trouble,however, in getting the property, as Wade refused to sell.
"Of course," he wrote, "we can file mining claims on the ground we knowof, and get possession that way, but we want to make more surveysbefore doing that, so as to be sure of getting all there is, and wecan't do that without giving the whole snap away, and filling themountains full of prospectors. If that damn Wade won't sell, I'll findsome means to drive him away."
It was just after the receipt of this letter, which filled the Senatorwith hope on the one hand, and anxiety on the other that he came onHelen one evening, as she was entering her own sitting room, andfollowed her in for a chat.
"What are you thinking of?" he asked, presently, when she failed tonotice some trivial question he had asked, and seemed to be in areverie.
She looked at him with laughing eyes.
"Crawling Water."
"Gordon Wade, eh? Well, I wouldn't think of him too much. Better letthat pass. You've outgrown it."
"Oh, no I haven't."
The Senator sighed.
"Mother said to me a little while ago, that he was probably going withother girls and forgetting me, and it made me angry."
"Well, I reckon your mother is about right. Gordon is a likely lookingchap, you know. I've got nothing against him, except that he isn't goodenough for you; no man is. You don't really care so much for him, doyou?"
"Oh, don't I?" She viewed her father through half closed lids, in aquizzical way. "I care so very much for him that if I really thoughtthere was another girl, I would go to Crawling Water to-morrow. You'dhave to drop everything and take me."
Her father gently pinched her cheek.
"I would, eh? Well, maybe I'll have to go out there anyway. But do yourealize what Crawling Water is like,--a rough, frontier town?"
"I wouldn't mind that for a while."
"No, I suppose not. You've got too much of your old dad in you to balkat a few difficulties. There's somebody else out there who'd be mightyglad to see your pretty face. Race Moran."
"Mr. Moran!"
The sudden change in the girl's tone from tenderness to scorn caused theSenator a twinge of uneasiness. His plans were so closely linked withMoran's for the present, that the man might prove dangerous if his lovefor Helen were too openly scorned. That she could scarcely tolerate him,despite his ability and force of character, her father knew from thepast; but even in the moment of his need he did not seek to influenceher in Moran's favor. His love for her was genuine and very deep.
"He's been out there for some time, as my agent."
"Yes, I know that. He--he has written to me, although I've neveranswered his l
etters. I've been curious to hear from him again, becausehe promised to send me some kodaks of Crawling Water."
"Maybe he hasn't done so because you've ignored his letters."
Helen's lip curled in disdain.
"He'd never let a little thing like that stop him. But perhaps I willanswer the next one, if only to find out what is going on out there.It's all so very mysterious. Do you know, father,"--She playfully shookher finger at him--"this is the first time in a long while that youhaven't taken me into your confidence, and I think it a very ominoussign. I'm sure you'll be punished for it."
The Senator winced at the word punished, and Helen laughed at what shethought was the effect of her raillery.
"Why don't you tell me? You see, I'm so worried about Gordon. Honestly,father, I'm serious about that. I--I love him, and I don't want himhurt."
"Hurt? Why, who is thinking of hurting him?"
"Oh, I don't know. Moran hates him, and has referred to him once ortwice in a way that I do not understand. Do tell me all about it."
"Oh, well, my dear, there's really nothing to tell. It's all concernedwith some homestead lands out there that I want to get hold of for aninvestment. Wade will not be hurt, no; that is, he won't be if he beatsme out. If I win, he'll lose."
"He will?"
"We both can't win, of course. It's to be a fight, yes,--an amicablebusiness struggle, I hope. There's no reason for it to be otherwise."The Senator appeared strangely nervous, despite his effort atself-control. "Wade as a man and a Westerner doesn't expect to be fed onpap, you know, any more than I do. May the best man win, that's the wayof it."
Helen thought this over for a moment.
"Perhaps I'd better go out there with you, after all," she remarked,half in jest.
Then the Senator thought that over for a moment and left the room.
Next day Helen received a package by mail which proved to contain adozen clear photographs of Crawling Water and its neighborhood.
First of all, as though Moran thought it most important, was a snapshotof himself, which had been taken, so he wrote on the back of the print,by an obliging cowboy. The girl's face was a study in amused scorn asshe looked at the photograph, for which Moran has posed with a cigar inhis mouth, his hands in his pockets.
Then there were a number of views of the town itself; of its mainstreet, its hotel, its dance-hall, and of "some of the boys" in variousposes of photographic self-consciousness. There were also pictures ofthe marvelously beautiful countryside, but as she neared the end ofthem, Helen was disappointed to find none of Wade. "Of course, hewouldn't send me one of _him_," she said petulantly to herself, and shewas rapidly running through the remaining prints only to pause suddenlyat the very last, while a rosy tide flooded her face and neck.
The little photograph showed a tall, handsome, vigorous looking man, inthe garb of a cattleman, half turned in his saddle, with one handresting on his pony's flank. The man was Wade. With his other hand, hewas pointing ahead, apparently for the benefit of a girl--a very goodlooking girl whose fine head was thrown back, as the wind blew her hairinto pretty disorder.
Helen Rexhill had not hitherto experienced real jealousy, but thislittle photograph excited it. In the highly actinic light of CrawlingWater at noon the camera had done its work well, and the figures of thetwo stood out from the distant background with stereoscopic clearness.Wade was smiling at the girl, who seemed to be laughing back at him,although her face in the picture was partially turned away, so thatHelen got only an impression of charm. But the impression was enough torouse her jealousy.
On the back of the print, Moran had written:
"A surprise picture of Gordon Wade and our new fellow-townswoman, MissDorothy Purnell, whose beauty and general attractiveness have made herthe idol of Crawling Water."
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