Keith of the Border Part 22

"You are certainly an ill.u.s.tration of your theory," she said pleasantly.

"I shall have to say yes, but, really, I did not suppose you would enjoy being ranked among that cla.s.s."

He drew out a chair, and sat down facing her, leaning slightly forward upon the intervening table.

"Nor would I, only I recognize you do not comprehend. The source of your information is a bit polluted, Miss Maclaire. There are those whose good opinion I do not seek, and you should not form your decisions on the unsupported testimony of a personal enemy."

"Oh, indeed," rather resenting the words, and already regretful of her compliance. "Surely I have as much reason to trust my informant as I have you. He, at least, has proven himself a friend."

"I wish I could feel as fully a.s.sured of that as you do," he returned honestly. "I would then have every temptation to meddle further taken away from me. Do you realize that my interest is very largely upon your account?"

"Oh, no," laughing, "I couldn't believe that. I--I have heard it whispered it might be because of the other girl."

"The other girl!" in complete surprise at this swift return.

"Yes, sir," conscious of having attained the upper hand. "Miss Hope Waite."

"Some more of Mr. Hawley's fancies," he retorted, perplexed that so much should be suspected. "Have you seen her?"

"Why, of course. I am a woman, Mr. Keith, with all the natural curiosity of my s.e.x. In this case I had special reason to be interested. One does not meet her counterpart every day."

"The resemblance between you is certainly most striking."

"Sufficiently so," she said slowly, her eyes on his face, "to abundantly confirm in my mind the truth of all that has been told me."

The waiter approached with the orders, and the two remained in silence until he had deposited his load upon the table, and departed. She was watching the face opposite through lowered lashes that veiled her eyes, but Keith was first to break the stillness.

"I wish I might be told what that was."

"To what do you refer?" apparently forgetful as to where their conversation had been broken.

"To Hawley's proposition."

"No doubt," her lips smiling, "but you have come to the wrong market, Mr. Jack Keith."

"Yet," he insisted earnestly, "if this is all straight, with no fraud concealed anywhere, if you have the proofs in your hands, why are you afraid to talk openly? The very manner in which Hawley works should convince you he is himself afraid to face the truth."

"No, you are wrong. There are perfectly satisfactory reasons why we should for the present keep our plans secret. There are details yet to be decided upon, and Mr. Hawley's present objection to publicity is only ordinary prudence."

She leaned toward him, her fingers playing nervously with a knife.

"Mr. Keith, I cannot help but like you, and I also feel most kindly disposed toward Mr. Hawley. I wish in this I was no longer compelled to consider you an enemy to us both. There is no reason why I should, except for your blind prejudice against this other man who is my friend.

I know you have some cause, for he has told me the entire story, yet I am sure he did no more than his actual duty. He let me realize how very sorry he was that the marshal at Carson City had called upon him for a.s.sistance."

"Who? Hawley?" Keith questioned, hardly trusting his own ears.

"Yes; indeed he is a very different man from what you have been led to believe. I know he is a gambler, and all that, but really it is not altogether his fault. He told me about his life, and it was very sad.

He was driven from home when only a boy, and naturally drifted into evil company. His one ambition is, to break away, and redeem himself. I am so anxious to help him, and wish you could realize his purpose, as I do, and become his friend. Won't you, for my sake? Why, even in this affair he has not the slightest mercenary purpose--he has only thought of what was rightfully mine."

Keith listened, feeling to the full the woman's earnestness, the impossibility of changing her fixed conviction. Hawley had planted his seed deep and well in fruitful soil.

"You make a strong and charming advocate, Miss Maclaire," he returned, feeling the necessity of saying something. "I should like to have you equally earnest on my side. Yet it will be hard to convince me that 'Black Bart' is the paragon of virtue you describe. I wish I might believe for your sake. Did he also explain how he came into possession of these papers?"

"Oh, yes, indeed; there is no secret about that. They were entrusted to him by an old man whom he discovered sick in Independence, and who died in his rooms three years ago. Mr. Hawley has been searching ever since for the old man's grand-daughter. It is remarkable how he was finally convinced that I was the one."

"A photograph, was it not?"

A gleam of sudden suspicion appeared in the brown eyes, a slight change in facial expression.

"That was a clue, yes, but far from being all. But why should I tell you this?--you believe nothing I say."

"I believe that you believe; that you are fully convinced of the justice of your claim. Perhaps it is just, but I am suspicious of anything which Bart Hawley has a hand in. Miss Christie, you really make me wish to retain your friends.h.i.+p, but I cannot do so if the cost includes faith in Hawley. Do you know that is not even his name--that he lives under an alias?"

"Is there anything strange in that out here?" she asked stoutly. "I told you how deeply he regretted his life; that alone would be sufficient cause for him to drop his family name. Did you ever learn his true name?"

He was not sure--only as Neb had reported what Waite had called the man, yet ventured a direct reply.

"Bartlett, I believe--he uses it now as a prefix."

"Bartlett!--Bartlett!" her hands clasping, and unclasping nervously.

"Why, what a strange coincidence!"

"How? What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing--nothing," biting her lips in vexation. "The name merely recalled something. But really I must go, Mr. Keith, or I shall be late at the theatre. You have not attended since I came?"

"No," arising from the table with her. "However, I have heard you sing before, and hope I may again."

"How tenderly you dwell on that word 'hope,'" she said banteringly, "it almost makes me envious."

"Your resemblance almost makes me forget."

"But not quite?"

"No, not quite," he confessed, smiling back into her quizzing eyes.

They went out into the hall together, only to meet with Doctor Fairbain at the door. The latter stared at the two with some embarra.s.sment, for a moment forgetful of his purpose. His gaze settled on the face of the lady.

"Always getting you two mixed," he blurted forth. "Never saw such resemblance--positively uncanny--same hotel too means trouble--this Miss Waite?"

"No, Doctor; I am Miss Maclaire."

"Ought to have known it--if I knew as much about faces as I do about anatomy never would make such mistake--very sorry--what fooled me was seeing you with Keith--thought he was after the other one--gay dog though--never satisfied--was hunting after you."

"After me?" evidently amused.

"Certainly--you--went to the room--then to the clerk--said you were in at supper--just occurred to me streets here bad at night--thought I'd ask you to let me escort you to theatre and back--a bit of lunch later--" he glanced suspiciously at Keith--"probably got here too late."

"Well really you have, Doctor," she replied sweetly, veiling her eyes to hide their laughter. "But I can a.s.sure you it is not Mr. Keith,"