WARMER THAN HE EXPECTED
Joe had gone but a short distance up the road when Ben Stubbles met him
in his car, and enveloped him in a cloud of dust. Ben was alone and he
scowled as the old man stepped aside to let him pass. Douglas, who was
watching, felt thankful that Joe was ignorant of the driver's part in
Jean's ruin.
Seeing Douglas standing under the tree, Ben drew up his car and asked
him what he was doing there.
"Attending to my own affairs," was the cool reply.
"Amusing the old man, eh? You must have a damn lot of work to do if
you can afford to waste your time that way."
"That, too, is my own affair, and not yours. Have you anything more to
say?"
"Sure I have. I want to know what you are doing here."
"Why shouldn't I be here?"
"But you received orders to leave."
"Who gave them?"
"Dad, of course."
"What right had he to order me away?"
"Oh, he rules here."
"Well, he doesn't rule me, and I shall leave when I get ready, and not
before."
"You'll change your tune before long, though."
"I will, eh?"
"Sure. You'll find this place so damn hot for you that you'll be glad
to get out."
"H'm," and Douglas gave a sarcastic laugh. "You have tried to make it
hot for me already, so I believe. How did you succeed?"
"What do you mean?" Ben demanded.
"You know as well as I do. You set two men upon me the other night, as
you were too much of a coward to face me yourself. Now you understand
my meaning. If you want to make things hot for me, step right out
here. Now is your chance."
"I wouldn't foul my hands fighting a thing like you," Ben snarled.
"No, simply because you know what would happen to you. You are too
cowardly to face a man, but you have no hesitation about ruining an
innocent girl, and leaving her to a miserable fate."
At these words Ben clutched the door of his car, threw it open and
stepped quickly out upon the road. His face was livid with rage, and
his body was trembling.
"Explain yourself!" he shouted. "How dare you make such a charge?"
Douglas at once stepped across to where Ben was standing, and looked
him full in the eyes.
"Is it necessary for me to explain?" he asked. "Surely you have not
forgotten what you did at Long Wharf in the city?"
"Do! What did I do?" Ben gasped, while his face turned a sickly hue.
"You pushed Jean Benton over the wharf into the harbour and left her to
drown; that is what you did."
Douglas spoke slowly and impressively, and each word fell like a deadly
blow upon the man before him. His face, pale a minute before, was now
like death. He tried to speak but the words rattled in his throat. He
grasped the side of the car for support, and then made an effort to
recover his composure. The perspiration stood in great beads on his
forehead, and his staring eyes never left the face of his accuser.
"I wish you could see yourself," the latter quietly remarked. "You'd
certainly make a great picture. When you threatened to make this place
too hot for me, you didn't expect to feel very uncomfortable that way
yourself in such a short time, did you?"
"W-who in the devil's name are you?" Ben gasped.
"Oh, I don't pretend to be as intimate with the devil as you are, and
appealing to me in his name doesn't do any good. It makes no
difference who I am. You know that what I just said is true, and you
can't deny it."
"But suppose I do deny it, what then?"
"H'm, you are talking nonsense now. It's no use for you to do any
bluffing. The victim of your deviltry is lying sick unto death at Mrs.
Dempster's. You had better go to her at once and make what amends you
can before it is too late."
"Ah, I know," Ben replied, regaining somewhat his former composure.
"Jean has been stuffing you with lies. She's a little vixen, and wants
to get me into trouble."
"Look here," and Douglas' voice was stern as he spoke. "Don't you
begin anything like that. I have never spoken a word to Jean Benton,
and as far as I know she has never said anything about your cowardly
deed to her. She is as true as steel in her love for you, and my
advice is for you to act like a man, go to her, be true to her, and
marry her as you promised you would that night you hurled her into the
harbour."
"You are lying," Ben blustered. "If Jean didn't tell you this
cock-and-bull yarn, how would you know anything about it?"
"I am not lying, Ben Stubbles. There were eyes watching your every
action that night on Long Wharf; there were ears listening to what you
said, and but for these hands of mine Jean Benton would be dead, and
you would now be arrested for murdering her."
"You! You heard, and saw, and saved her!" Ben gasped, shrinking back
from before the steady gaze of his pitiless accuser.
"I did," was the quiet reply.
"Were you alone?"
"Do you think I could have lifted her wet body from the water myself?
No, I had help. But never mind that now. You go to Jean and make love
to no one else."
The strain through which he had just passed was telling severely upon
Ben. He mopped his face and forehead with his handkerchief. His sense
of fear was passing and anger was taking its place. It annoyed him to
think that he should be thus cornered and affected by Jake Jukes' hired
man. Then his opponent's closing words roused the fire in his soul,
and he turned angrily upon him.
"Ah, I see through your little game now," he cried. "You are jealous
of me."
"Jealous of you! In what way?"
"You want Nell Strong, that's it. Ah, I understand it all. You want
to take her away from me, don't you? I suppose you have told her this
yarn about me, and that accounts for something that took place last
night. You devil incarnate! I'll get even with you for what you have
done!"
"If I were you I would be too ashamed to say anything more," Douglas
calmly replied. "I have not told Miss Strong about your cowardly deed,
though I think she should know of it. It would be an act of mercy if a
word might save her from such a brute as you."
So intent were the two men upon what they were saying, that they did
not notice Nell coming toward them down the road. She was only a few
yards away as Douglas finished speaking. She heard the heated words,
but could not understand their meaning. She was hoping that she might
pass as quickly as possible, as she did not wish to have anything to
say to Ben.
Douglas, standing facing the road, was the first to see her, and he at
once lifted his hat. He thought she never looked so beautiful, clad as
she was in a simple dress, and a plain sailor-hat on her head. She
seemed like an angel of mercy sent to bring peace to their strife.
Ben, however, had no such thoughts. When he turned and saw who was
approaching, he at once recalled the previous evening, and what Nell
had said to him. He was glad, too, of any excuse to get away from his
opponent who had given him such a galling time. And this was an
opportunity, as well, to embarrass the woman who had repelled him.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in the twinkling of an eye.
"Hello, Nell," he accosted. "Going down the road? Better get in and
have a drive. I'm going that way myself."
"I prefer to walk, thank you," Nell quietly replied.
"Oh, nonsense. Get in and have a drive," Ben insisted.
Douglas noted that Nell's face became somewhat pale. Her clear eyes,
filled with courage, never wavered. She had made up her mind and he
knew that nothing could change her from her purpose. She did not at
once reply to Ben's request.
"Get in," he ordered, "and don't be foolish."
"I tell you I prefer to walk," she repeated. "I am quite satisfied
with my own company this afternoon."
With this parting thrust, Nell was about to resume her walk when Ben
with a savage oath sprang toward her.
"No, you don't get away as easy as that," he roared. "I want to know
the meaning of such actions."
Nell's anger was now aroused, and she turned swiftly upon the brute.
"You know very well why I will not ride with you. Have you forgotten
last night? This is the King's highway, and I am at liberty to go as I
please."
"To h---- with the King," Ben retorted, as he reached out and caught
her fiercely by the arm.
At once a cry of pain broke from Nell's lips, and wildly she tore away
the gripping fingers. Her face was distorted with pain, and her right
hand pressed firmly her wounded arm.
Ben's oath concerning the King caused Douglas' face to darken and his
eyes to blaze. He sprang quickly forward, and seized the wretch by the
collar just as Nell forced his grip from her arm. He shook him as a
terrier would shake a rat and left him at length sprawling in the
middle of the road, his clothes all covered with dust.
"If you want some more, get up," Douglas remarked, as he stood viewing
his prostrate victim. "How dare you insult the King, and lay your foul
hands upon this woman? Get up, I tell you, and clear out of this at
once."
As Ben made no effort to obey, but lay there with his face to the
ground, Douglas reached down, caught him by the coat collar, and landed
him on his feet.
"Take your car and get away from here," he ordered. "Don't open your
mouth, or it won't be well for you."
With face livid with rage and with shaking limbs, Ben did as he was
commanded. He was thoroughly cowed, and not once did he look back as
he crawled into his car, started it, and sped down the road.
Douglas paid no more attention to Ben but turned immediately toward
Nell.
"I am sorry for what has happened," he apologised. "I hope you----"
He stopped suddenly, for he noticed a deep crimson stain on the white
dress where Ben had clutched her arm.
"Did he do that?" he exclaimed, stepping quickly forward. "Oh, if I
had only known sooner the extent of your injury, he would not have
escaped so easily."
"He did not do it all," Nell replied with a slight smile. "There is a
wound on my arm, and unfortunately Ben's fingers gripped me there. It
will be all right when it is re-dressed."
For a few seconds Douglas stood looking at her without speaking. Her
courage appealed to him, and her beauty made her almost irresistible.
His brain was in a tumultuous riot of conflicting emotions. How he
longed to comfort her, to take her in his arms, and tell her all that
was in his heart. He was almost jubilant, for he knew now that she had
cast off Ben forever, and there was hope for him.
Nell noted his ardent gaze and her eyes dropped, while a deep flush
replaced the pallor of her face.
"I must go now," she quietly remarked, though it was evident she was
not anxious to leave. "I was on my way to see Jean. I understand the
poor girl is quite ill."
"But you must not go with your arm bleeding that way," Douglas
protested. "You must come into the house and have it dressed. I know
that Mrs. Jukes will gladly do it, that is, if you prefer to have her."
"I prefer that you should dress it," Nell replied. "I do not wish any
one else to see the wound in my arm, and I know you will say nothing
about it to any one. I feel that I can trust you."