Something very plain and simple and boyish came out in the young gambler
as he walked and talked with his mother and sister, and Kelley regarded
him with some amazement and much humor. It only proved that every man,
no matter how warlike he pretends to be in public, is in private a weak,
sorry soul, dependent on some one; and this youth, so far from being a
desperado, was by nature an affectionate son and a loyal brother.
Furthermore, Kelley himself felt very much less the tramp and much more
"like folks" than at any time since leaving home ten or fifteen years
before. He was careful to minimize all his hobo traits and to
correspondingly exalt his legitimate mining and cattle experiences,
although he could see that Morse had made Florence curious about the
other and more adventurous side of his career.
Florence was now determined to make a study of the town. "I like it up
here," she said, as she looked down over the tops of the houses. "It
interests me, Fred; I propose that you keep us all night."
"Oh, we can't do that!" exclaimed her brother, hastily. "We haven't
room."
"Well, there's a hotel, I should hope."
"A hotel--yes. But it is a pretty bad hotel. You see, it's sort of run
down--like the town."
This did not seem to disturb her. Rather, it added to her interest. "No
matter. We can stand it one night. I want to see the place. I would like
to see a little of its street life to-night. It's all so new and
strange to me."
Kelley, perceiving that she was determined upon this stop-over, and
fearing that the attempt to railroad her out of town on the afternoon
train might add to her suspicions, then said:
"I think we can find a place for you if you feel like staying."
Morse was extremely uneasy, and Florence remarked upon it. "You don't
seem overflowing with hospitality, Fred. You don't seem anxious to have
us stay on for another day."
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Well, it's a pretty
rough old village, Flo--a pretty rough place for you and mother."
"We are not alarmed so long as we have you and Mr. Kelley as our
protectors," she replied, smiling sweetly upon Tall Ed.
They had reached the car-line by this time, and were standing looking
down the valley, and Fred, pulling out his watch, remarked: "You just
have time to make that three-o'clock train. That will connect you with
the night express for Los Angeles."
"Fred, what's the matter with you?" queried his sister, sharply. "You
seem absolutely determined to get rid of us at once." Then, seeing that
she had perhaps gone a little too far, she said, with a smile, "Mother,
isn't he the loving son?"
The youth surrendered to her will and dropped all opposition. He
appeared to welcome their decision to wait over another day; but Kelley
busied himself with thinking how he could ward off any undesired
information which might approach the two women--the mother especially.
It would be quite wonderful if, with another twenty-four hours to
spend, Florence did not get Fred's secret from him.
He decided to put the matter squarely before her, and when they took the
car arranged to have her sit beside him in a seat across the aisle from
the mother and son, and almost immediately began his explanation by
saying, very significantly:
"I reckon the boy is right, Miss Morse. You had better take that
three-o'clock train."
She faced him with instant appreciation of the change in his tone. "Why
so?" she asked, fixing a clear and steady glance upon his face.
"It will be easier for him and better for--for all of us if you go. He
wants to spare your mother from--"
She was quick to perceive his hesitation. "From what?" she asked. And as
he did not at once reply she went on, firmly: "You might just as well
tell me, Mr. Kelley. Fred's been up to some mischief. He's afraid, and
you're afraid, we'll find out something to his disadvantage. Now tell
me. Is it--is it--a woman?"
"No," said Kelley as decisively as he could. "So far as I know Fred's
not tangled up _that_ way."
Quick as a flash she took him up on his emphasized word. "In what way
_is_ he tangled up?"
Kelley, more and more amazed at her shrewdness and directness, decided
to meet it with blunt candor. "Well, you see, it's like this. When he
first came out here he struck a streak of hard luck and lost all he had.
He was forced to go to work at anything he could get to earn money,
and--you see, when a feller is down and out he's got to grab anything
that offers--and so, when Dutch Pete took a liking to him and offered
him a job, he just naturally had to take it."
"You mean he has been working at something we wouldn't like to know
about?"
"That's the size of it."
"What is this job? It isn't working for you. You wouldn't ask him to do
anything that would be disgraceful."
Kelley did not take time to appreciate this compliment. He made his
plunge. "No. He has been working for--a saloon."
She showed the force of the blow by asking in a horrified tone, "You
don't mean tending bar!"
"Oh no! Not so bad as that," replied Kelley. "Leastways it don't seem so
bad to me. He's been rolling the marble in a roulette wheel."
She stared at him in perplexity. "I don't believe--I--I don't believe I
understand what that is. Just tell me exactly."
"Well, he's been taking care of a roulette layout."
"You mean he has been gambling?"
"Well, no. He hasn't been gambling. At least, not lately. But he
represents the house, you see. He is something like a dealer at faro and
is on a salary."
She comprehended fully now--at least she comprehended enough to settle
back into her seat with a very severe and somber expression on her face.
"That's where his five per day comes from." She mused for a little while
on this, and then suddenly another thought came to her: "What about his
being your partner?"
Kelley saw that it was necessary to go the whole way, and he said,
quietly: "That was all fixed up yesterday. You see, he wanted to save
your mother and you, and he came to me--and wanted me to take him in as
a partner, and--I did it."
"You mean a partner for a day?"
"Yes. He was mighty nervous about your coming, and I told him I would
help him out. Of course, it didn't worry me none, and so I concluded I
would do it."
Her face softened as she pondered upon this. "That was very good of you,
Mr. Kelley."
"Oh no! You see, I kinda like the boy. And then we've been
partners--side partners. We room together."
She looked out of the window, but she saw nothing of the landscape now.
"I understand it all. You want me to take mother away before she finds
out."
"'Pears like that is the best thing for you to do. It would hit her a
good deal harder than it does you."
"It hits me hard enough," she replied. "To think of my brother running a
gambling-machine in a saloon is not especially reassuring. You say he
went into it to carry him over a hard place. I'm afraid you were saving
my feelings in saying that, Mr. Kelley. How long has he been in this
business?"
"A little less than a year."
"And you want me to go away without trying to get him out of this awful
trade?"
"I don't see how you could safely try it. I think he is going to quit it
himself. Your coming has been a terrible jolt to him. Now I'll tell you
what you do. You take the old lady and pull out over the hill and I'll
undertake to get the boy out of this gambling myself."
She was deeply affected by his quiet and earnest manner, and studied him
with reflective glance before she said: "You're right. Mother must never
know of this. She was brought up to believe that saloons and gambling
were the devil's strongest lure for souls, and it would break her heart
to know that Fred has become a gambler. I will do as you say, Mr.
Kelley. I will take this train. But you must write me and tell me what
you do. You will write, won't you?"
"Yes," replied Kelley, hesitatingly. "I'll write--but I ain't much of a
fist at it. Of course, I may not make a go of my plan, but I think it
will work out all right."
She reached her hand to him, as if to seal a compact, and he took it.
She said: "I don't know who you are or what you are, Mr. Kelley. But
you've been a loyal friend to my brother and very considerate of my
mother and me, and I appreciate it deeply."
Kelley flushed under the pressure of her small fingers, and replied as
indifferently as he could: "That's all right, miss. I've got a mother
and a sister myself."
"Well, they'd be proud of you if they could know what you have done
to-day," she said.
His face took on a look of sadness. "They might. But I'm glad they don't
know all I've been through in the last ten years."