A TRUCE
If Glover's aim in disappearing had been to escape the embarrassment of
Mrs. Whitney's attentions the effort was successful only in part.
Lanning and Harrison left in the morning in charge of Bill Dancing to
join the hunting party in the Park, and Mr. Brock finding himself
within a few hours' ride of Medicine Bend decided to run down. Late in
the afternoon the Pittsburg train drew up at the Wickiup.
Gertrude and her sister left their car together to walk in the sunshine
that flooded the platform, for the sun was still a little above the
mountains. In front of the eating-house a fawn-colored collie racing
across the lawn attracted Gertrude, and with her sister she started up
the walk to make friends with him. In one of his rushes he darted up
the eating-house steps and ran around to the west porch, the two young
ladies leisurely following. As they turned the corner they saw their
runaway crouching before a man who, with one foot on the low railing,
stood leaning against a pillar. The collie was waiting for a lump of
sugar, and his master had just taken one from the pocket of his sack
coat when the young ladies recognized him.
"Really, Mr. Glover, your tastes are domestic," declared Marie; "you
make excellent taffy--now I find you feeding a collie." She pointed to
the lump of sugar. "And how is your hand?"
"I can't get over seeing you here," said Glover, collecting himself by
degrees. "When did you come? Take these chairs, won't you?"
"You, I believe, are responsible for the early resumption of traffic
through the cañon," answered Marie. "Besides, nothing in our
wanderings need ever cause surprise. Anyone unfortunate enough to be
attached to a directors' party will end in a feeble-minded institution."
Gertrude was talking to the collie. "Isn't he beautiful, Marie?" she
exclaimed. "Come here, you dear fellow. I fell in love with him the
minute I saw him--to whom does he belong, Mr. Glover? Come here."
"How is your hand?" asked Marie.
"Do give Mr. Glover a chance," interposed Gertrude. "Tell me about
this dog, Mr. Glover."
"He is the best dog in the world, Miss Brock. Mr. Bucks gave him to me
when I first came to the mountains--we were puppies together----"
"And how about your hand?" smiled Marie.
"What is his name?" asked Gertrude.
"It wasn't a hand, it was a wrist, and it is much better, thank
you--his name is Stumah."
"Stumah? How odd. Come here, Stumah. Does he mind?"
"He doesn't mind me, but no one minds me, so I forgive him that."
"Aunt Jane doesn't think you mind very well," said Marie. "Clem had a
steak twice as large as usual prepared for the supper you ran away
from."
"It is always my misfortune to miss good things."
Talking, Glover and Marie followed Gertrude and Stumah out on the grass
and across to the big platform where an overland train had pulled in
from the west. They watched the changing of the engines and the crews,
and the promenade of the travellers from the Pullmans.
While Gertrude amused herself with the dog, and Marie asked questions
about the locomotive, Mrs. Whitney and Louise spied them and walked
over. Glover, to make his peace, was compelled to take dinner with the
party in their car. The atmosphere of the special train had never
seemed so attractive as on that night. To cordiality was added
deference. The effect of his success in the cañon--only striking
rather than remarkable--was noticeable on Mr. Brock. At dinner, which
was served at one table in the dining-car, Glover was brought by the
Pittsburg magnate to sit at his own right hand, Bucks being opposite.
No one may ever say that the value of resource in emergency is lost on
the dynamic Mr. Brock. But having placed his guest in the seat of
honor he paid no further attention to him unless his running fire of
big secrets, discussed before the engineer unreservedly with Bucks,
might be taken as implying that he looked on the constructionist of the
Mountain Division as one of his inner official family.
Glover understood the abstraction of big men, and this forgetfulness
was no discouragement. There was an abstraction on his left where
Gertrude sat that was less comfortable.
At no moment during the time he had spent with the company had he been
able to penetrate her reserve enough to make more than an attempt at an
apology for his appalling blunder in the office. With the others he
never found himself at a loss for a word or an opportunity; with
Gertrude he was apparently helpless.
The talk at the lower end of the table ran for a while to comment on
the washout, to Glover's wrist, and during lulls Mrs. Whitney across
the table asked questions calculated to draw a family history from her
uneasy guest. Even Glover's waiter gave him so much attention that he
got little to eat, but the engineer concealed no effort to see that
Gertrude Brock was served and to break down by unobtrusive courtesies
her determined restraint.
When the evening was over he found himself at the pass to which every
evening in her company brought him--the unpleasant consciousness of a
failure of his endeavors and a return of the rage he felt at himself
for having blundered into her bad graces. Her father wanted him to
return with them in the morning to Sleepy Cat to go over the tunnel
plans again. That done, Glover resolved at all costs to escape from
the punishment which every moment near her brought.
When they started for Sleepy Cat, the afternoon sun was bright, and
much of the time was spent on the pretty observation platform of the
Brock car. During the shifting of the groups Mr. Brock stepped forward
into the directors' car for some papers, and Gertrude found herself
alone for a moment on the platform with Glover. She was watching the
track. He was studying a blueprint, and this time he made no effort to
break the silence. Determined that the interval should not become a
conscious one she spoke. "Papa seems unwilling to give you much rest
to-day."
"I think I am learning more from him, though, than he is learning from
me," returned Glover, without looking up. "He is a man of big ideas; I
should be glad of a chance to know him."
"You are likely to have that during the next two weeks."
"I fear not."
"Did you not understand that Judge Saltzer and he are both to be with
our party now?"
"But I am to leave it to-night."
She made no comment. "You do not understand why I joined it," he
continued, "after my----"
"I understand, at least, how distasteful the association must have
been."
He had looked up, and without flinching, he took the blow into his
slow, heavy eyes, but in a manner as mild as Glover's, defiance could
hardly be said to have place at any time.
"I have given you too good ground to visit your impatience on me," he
said, "and I confess I've stood the ordeal badly. Your contempt has
cut me to the quick. But don't, I beg, add to my humiliation by such a
reproach. I'm blundering, but not wholly reprobate."
Her father appeared at the door. Glover's eyes were fastened on the
blueprint.
Gertrude let her magazine lie in her lap. She could not at all
understand the plans the two men were discussing, but her father spoke
so confidently about taking up Glover's suggestions in detail during
the two weeks that they should have together, and Glover said so
little, that she intervened presently with a little remark. "Papa; are
you not forgetting that Mr. Glover says he cannot be with us on the
Park trip."
"I am not forgetting it because Mr. Glover hasn't said so."
"I so understood Mr. Glover."
"Certainly not," objected Mr. Brock, looking at his companion.
"It is a disappointment to me," said Glover, "that I can't be with you."
"Why, Mr. Bucks and I have arranged it, to-day. There are no other
duties," observed Mr. Brock, tersely.
"True, but the fact is I am not well."
"Nonsense; tired out, that's all. We will rest you up; the trip will
refresh you. I want you with me very particularly, Mr. Glover."
"Which makes me the sorrier I cannot be."
"Here, Mr. Bucks," called Mr. Brock, abruptly, through the open door.
"What's the matter with your arrangements? Mr. Glover says he can't go
through the Park."
The patient manager left Judge Saltzer, with whom he was talking, and
came out on the platform. Gertrude went into the car. When the train
reached Sleepy Cat, at dusk, she was sitting alone in her favorite
corner near the rear door. The train stopped at a junction semaphore
and she heard Bucks' voice on the observation platform.
"I hate to see a man ruin his own chances in this way, that's all," he
was saying. "I've set the pins for you to take the rebuilding of the
whole main line, but you succeed admirably in undoing my plans. By
declining this opportunity you relegate yourself to obscurity just as
you've made a hit in the cañon that is a fortune in itself."
"Whatever the effect," she heard someone reply with an effort at
lightness, "deal gently with me, old man. The trouble is of my own
making. I seem unable to face the results."
The train started and the voices were lost. Bucks stepped into the car
and, without seeing Gertrude in the shadow, walked forward. She felt
that Glover was alone on the platform and sat for several moments
irresolute. After a while she rose, crossed to the table and fingered
the roses in the jar. She saw him sitting alone in the dusk and
stepped to the door; the train had slowed for the yard. "Mr.
Glover?--do not get up--may I be frank for a moment? I fear I am
causing unnecessary complications--" Glover had risen.
"You, Miss Brock?"
"Did you really mean what you said to me this afternoon?"
"Very sincerely."
"Then I may say with equal sincerity that I should feel sorry to spoil
papa's plans and Mr. Bucks' and your own."
"It is not you, at all, but I who have----"
"I was going to suggest that something in the nature of a compromise
might be managed----"
"I have lost confidence in my ability to manage anything, but if you
would manage I should be very----"
"It might be for two weeks--" She was half laughing at her own
suggestion and at his seriousness.
"I should try to deserve an extension."
"--To begin to-morrow morning----"
"Gladly, for that would last longer than if it began to-night. Indeed,
Miss Brock, I----"
"But--please--I do not undertake to receive explanations." He could
only bow. "The status," she continued, gravely, "should remain, I
think, the same."