VIRGINIA EXPLAINS--NOTHING
She was covered by a cloak and there was a man's hat on her head, but
Wiley knew her--it was Virginia Huff. The moon had mounted high and the
chill of the morning was in the air, so he could hardly flatter himself
that she had come to see him. Perhaps it was just to see the mine. But
if, beneath that cloak, she carried some instrument of destruction--he
stepped out and watched her covertly. She tiptoed up the trail, glancing
nervously about her, starting back as a trammer dumped his ore; and
then, very slowly, she crept past his house and disappeared in the
direction of the mill. Instantly he whipped out of his tunnel and
started after her, running swiftly up the trail; but as he neared the
summit she came catapulting against him, running as swiftly the other
way.
"Here! Stop!" he commanded as she leapt back with a stifled scream and
then as she made a dash he plunged resolutely after her and caught her
like a child.
"You let go of me!" she panted, but he flung one arm about her and held
both her hands to her side.
"No," he said, and she struck out violently only to find herself
clutched the tighter.
"Wiley Holman!" she exploded, "if you don't let me go! You'd better--I
saw a man back there!"
"It's my watchman," answered Wiley. "I keep him to guard the mill. But
what are you doing up here?"
"No! It wasn't! It was Stiff Neck George! And he had something heavy in
his hand! You'd better go and watch him!"
She was struggling in his arms, her breath hot against his cheek, fear
and rage in every word, but he crushed her roughly to his side.
"Never mind about George," he said. "What are _you_ doing up here,
now?"
"But he'll blow up your mine! I've heard him threaten to! I just came up
to tell you!"
"Oh, that's different!" returned Wiley, relaxing his grip, "but never
mind--my watchman will get him."
"No! The watchman is asleep--I didn't see him anywhere! Oh, Wiley;
please run and stop him!"
"Nope," replied Wiley, "he can blow the whole mill up--I want to ask you
a question."
He released her reluctantly, for the touch of her had thrilled him, and
the sweetness of her breath on his cheek--but she darted down the trail
like a rabbit.
"Here! Wait!" he ordered and outran her in ten jumps, at which she
stooped and snatched up a rock.
"Put that down!" he said, and as she swung back the rock, he braved it
and caught her anyway. "Now," he went on, trembling from the smash of
the blow, but holding her in a grip of steel, "we'll see what all this
is about!"
"You will not!" she hissed back, "because I won't answer you a word! And
I hope old George ruins your mill!"
"That's all right," he said, shaking his bloody head, "but, Judas, you
did smash me with that stone! After that, I guess, I've got something
coming to me!" And he reached down and kissed her lips.
"You--stop!" she panted. "Oh, I--I'll kill you for that!" But Wiley only
laughed recklessly.
"All right!" he said, "what's the difference--I'd die happy! I almost
wish you'd hit me again."
"Well, I will!" she threatened, but when he released her she drew back
and hung her head. "That isn't fair," she said, "you know I can't
protect myself, and----"
"Well, all right," he agreed, "we'll call it square then. But--I want to
tell you something, Virginia."
"Are you going to stand here," she burst out sharply, "and let him blow
up your mill?"
"Yes, I am," he answered. "I don't care what happens to me if you and I
can be friends. I love you, Virginia, you know it as well as I do, and
that's all I want in the world. Let's just be friends, the way we used
to be when we were playing around town together. I've been trying to see
you for months--it's seemed like forty years--and Virginia, you've got
to listen to me!"
He paused and drew nearer, and she stood waiting passively, as if daring
him to touch her again; but he stooped and peered into her face. The
night was not dark and in the ghostly moonlight he could see the cold
anger in her eyes.
"Yes, I know," he said, "you hate me like poison--but Virginia, this is
going too far. It's all right to hate me, if that's the way you're
built, but you ought to give me a chance. It looks very much as if you'd
come up here to-night to do some damage to my mine; but I'll let that
pass and say nothing about it if you'll only give me a chance. Let me
tell you how I feel and then, some other time----"
"Well, go on," she said, "but if your old mine blows up----"
"I wish it would!" he burst out passionately. "If it would make any
difference, I wish it was blown off the map. I can't bear to fight you,
Virginia; it makes my life miserable, and I've tried to be friendly from
the first. But is it right to blame a man for something he can't help
and not even give him a chance to explain? If you think I've stolen your
mine, why, go ahead and say so and let me give it back. I'll do it, so
help me God, if you'll only say the word."
"What word?" she asked, and he threw out his hands in a helpless appeal
to her pity.
"Any word," he said, "so long as it's friendly. But I just can't stand
it to be without you!"
"Oh," she said, and looked back up the trail as if meditating another
dash to escape.
"Well, what is it?" he asked at last. "Won't you even listen to me? I've
got a plan to propose."
"Why, certainly," she responded, "go ahead and tell it. And then, when
it's done, can I go?"
"Yes, you can go," he answered eagerly, "if you'll only just listen
reasonably and think what this means to us both. We used to be friends,
Virginia, and while I was working up this deal I did everything I could
to help you. I didn't have much money then or I'd have done more for
you, but you know my heart was right. I wasn't trying to take advantage
of you. But the minute I got the mine it seems as if everybody turned
against me--and you turned against me, too. That hurt me, Virginia,
after what I'd tried to do for you, but I know you had your reasons. You
blamed me for things that I never had done and--well, you wouldn't even
speak to me. But that was all right--it was perfectly natural--and on
Christmas I sent you back your stock. I only bought it from Charley to
help you get to Los Angeles, and I considered that I was holding it in
trust; so I sent it back by Charley, but I suppose he made some break,
because I found it on my table that night. But you'll take it back now;
won't you, Virginia?"
His voice broke like a boy's in the earnestness of his appeal and yet it
was hopeless, too, for he saw that she stood unmoved. He waited for an
answer, then as she shifted her feet impatiently he went on with dogged
persistence. It was useless, he knew it; and yet, sometime in the
future, she might recall what he had said and take advantage of it.
"Well, all right, then," he assented, "but the stock's yours if you want
it. I'm holding it for you, in trust. But now here's what I wanted to
tell you--I'd hoped we could do it together; but you ought to do it,
anyway. You know that stock that your mother lost to Blount? Well, I
know how you can get it back."
He paused for her to speak, to exclaim perhaps at his magnanimity in
offering to help her against her will, but she shrouded herself
pettishly in her cloak.
"Oh, you don't care, eh?" he asked with a bitter laugh. "Well, I wish to
God, then, I didn't. But I do, Virginia! I can't stand it to see you
slaving when there's anything in the world that I can do. Now here's the
proposition: according to law your father isn't legally dead--he won't
be for seven years--and so your mother, not being his heir yet, had no
right to hypothecate that stock. It still belongs to your father's
estate and all you have to do is to go to a lawyer and demand the
property back. You're his daughter, you see, and a co-heir with your
mother, and Blount will not dare to oppose it!"
"Yes, thanks," returned Virginia. "Is that all?"
"Why--no!" he said at last, clutching his hands at his side.
"There's--I'll lend you the money, Virginia."
"No, thank you!" she answered, and started off down the trail, but he
stepped in her way and stopped her. His mood had changed, for his voice
was rough and threatening, but he struggled to keep it down.
"Is that all?" he demanded and without waiting for the answer he reached
out and caught her by the arm. "Virginia," he said, "I've tried to be
good to you, but maybe you don't appreciate it. And maybe I've made a
mistake. There's something about you when I'm around that reminds me of
a man with a grouch--only a man would speak out his mind. Now I've given
you a chance to clean up twenty thousand dollars and I expect something
more than: 'No, thanks!'"
"Well, what _do_ you expect?" she asked, struggling feebly against
his grasp.
"I expect," he answered, "that you'll state your grievance and tell me
why you won't have me?"
"And if I do, will you let me go?"
"When I get good and ready," he responded grimly. "I don't know whether
I'm in love with you or not."
"Well, my grievance," she went on defiantly, "is that you went to work
deliberately and robbed me and mother of our mine. And as for winning
_me_, that's one thing you can't steal--and I'll kill you if you
don't let go of that hand!"
"Yes," he said, "I've heard that before--it seems to run in the family.
But don't you think for a minute that I'm afraid of getting killed--or
that I'm trying to steal you, either. If you were an Indian squaw you
might be worth stealing, because I could beat a little sense into your
head; but the way things are now I'll just turn you loose--and kindly
keep off my ground."
He flung back her hand and stepped out of the trail but Virginia did not
pass. Her breast heaved tumultuously and she turned upon him as she
sought for a fitting retort; but while they stood panting, each
glowering at the other, there was a crash from inside the old mill. Its
huge bulk was lit up by a flash of light which went out in Stygian
darkness and as they listened, aghast, the ground trembled beneath them
and a tearing roar filled the air. It began at the stone-breaker and
went down through the mill, like the progress of a devastating host, and
as Wiley sprang forward, there was a terrifying smash which seemed to
shake the mill to its base. Then all was silent and as he looked around
he saw Virginia dancing off down the trail.