A Man of Two Countries Part 31

The drummer interrogated shook his head.

"Well, he's a Helena man, and one of the State senators. There's a woman lobbyin' for Burroughs, so they say, and she's got Blair batty! Last man in the world you'd expect to be caught by a woman. They say he's a great friend of her husband's, too--Judge Latimer."

A stifled moan came from the seat behind the drummers.

"You don't say! Any talk about her before?"

"Search me!"

"Probably there's nothing in it," concluded the other, with unexpected charity. "You know how people surmise the worst. She doesn't care for him, I take it."

"Naw! At least, not if I size her up correct. She's a good-looker, all right; she was pointed out to me one night in the hotel dining-room. It was easy to see where _she_ was stuck! She couldn't keep her eyes off a tall, good-looking fellow, that I was told was the senator from Chouteau County."

The other nodded. "I've heard of him. He's the head of the opposition to Burroughs in the Republican party. Danvers, his name is--Englishman--in the cattle business."

"I saw the situation right away. Bill Moore, Burroughs' political boss, you know, says that years ago they had an affair over in the Whoop Up Country--wherever that is, and----"

"Bozeman!" said the porter, interrupting the conversation.

"I got to see a man here," said one of the drummers. "Come along. It won't take but a minute. He'll be waiting on the platform; I wired him."

"That man looked bad," commented the other, jerking his thumb backward as they stepped from the car. "Did you notice how ghastly his face was?

I thought for a moment he was going to speak to you."

They pa.s.sed on, and the conductor, who followed a moment later, stopped abruptly at sight of the limp figure, and hurried into the next coach.

"Is there a doctor on board?" he asked. "A man has fainted--or had a stroke. It's Judge Latimer, of Helena."

And the instruments of fate never knew what a deadly blow they had delivered.

That evening Mrs. Latimer, exquisitely gowned and radiating magnetism, was again trying to persuade Senator Blair to vote for Mr. Burroughs.

"Burroughs is capable of more skulduggery than any man in the State,"

declared her caller, after they had talked somewhat of the senatorial candidate. "I can't see why you keep on harping on his fitness for the place."

"Do you know, I admire him," responded Mrs. Latimer, with apparent frankness. "He may be unscrupulous; but he has been successful. The end justifies the means, I think."

"I've promised Senator Danvers that I would not vote for Burroughs,"

affirmed Blair, stubbornly. Eva had treated him coolly for a few days, and he had practically decided that he wanted neither Judge Latimer's wife nor Burroughs' money. But as he gazed at the lady's ripe beauty he became more infatuated than before. He changed the subject abruptly. "I must go down to the valley to-morrow, after the session adjourns. Will you come with me for a ride?"

"Are you crazy?" Mrs. Latimer spoke with scorn.

"No one will see us," he pleaded. "I can pick you up where you used to live. You can wear a veil if you like. What do we care if we do meet somebody we know? You belong to the smart set--you can do anything you like." Charlie laughed loud.

"My dear friend," Eva began, cynically, believing that her position had so far made her exempt from comment, "the world is too suspicious. No man and woman can foregather without some pure soul interpreting that companions.h.i.+p to its own satisfaction. Besides, I expect Arthur any day now. He neither writes nor wires me just when he can come."

"You'll never do a thing to please me!" cried Blair, hotly. "I am the one who must grant favors. I----"

"Aren't you a man, and therefore to be compliant?" returned Eva, her smile tempering her insolence. Then, pleading, although her eyes grew no softer: "Only one thing do I ask, Senator. Please, please grant me that! Don't you care for me more than for Senator Danvers? Break your promise to him--for me." She was very enticing as she bent towards him, and he was conscious of the faint perfume about her.

"Mr. Burroughs needs your vote," she went on, persuasively; "and if you give it to him--as I've told you a hundred times--he has promised that he will provide for Arthur; and you like Arthur."

"And what do _I_ get out of it?"

"You'll please _me_," was the caressing answer. "And--I never thought of it before," she hastened to add, as the scar grew more conspicuous--a sure register of his emotions--"why not ask Mr. Burroughs to get you to Berlin, too--as first secretary or something, if we go there?" She must throw him some encouragement. "I hate Helena. You do yourself. If we were in Berlin, we'd be where life is--a whirl of----"

"Madness," Senator Blair finished her sentence for her, thickly. "I do not have to go away from Helena for that sensation!" He lost control of himself. "You drive me mad, Eva! You are more tempting than ever! Give me one kiss--one--and I'll vote for Burroughs till h.e.l.l freezes over!"

The language of the frontier returned, in his abandon.

"Not now!" The temptress was thoroughly alarmed. She had thought to control any situation, but--Charlie's eyes--so near her own!

"Perhaps--when you have voted for----" She must secure this man's vote for Burroughs, even if she bartered her self-respect.

"Now, by G.o.d! Now!"

"No! No!" In terror Eva gave a suppressed cry and turned to escape the arms of the man she had maddened. With his hot lips brus.h.i.+ng her own she turned away her face in impotent writhing, and saw her husband standing in the doorway.

"Pardon me," apologized Latimer, courteously, as though in a trance. He stepped forward, closed the door and took off his coat and hat. He sat down absently, as if he had returned after only a few hours' absence. He took no notice of the presence of Senator Blair nor of his hasty exit.

The scene he had interrupted seemed to have no meaning for him. He could not have told how he reached home, and his one thought was of Danvers--his supposed Judas--and of the wife who had lived a lie even while bearing his children.

But Eva could not know this, and strove hurriedly to form some excuse for her predicament.

Latimer made no response to her explanations. Instead he said, quite gently: "I'll go and see if little Arthur is asleep. I want to kiss him good-night," and disappeared through the portieres.

Eva stood motionless, voiceless, in chill terror at her husband's solicitude for the dead child! Had he forgotten--or was he going mad?

What had happened? What was to happen?

When Latimer returned, his eyes had lost their dazed expression. "My name is a reproach--it is handed around by coa.r.s.e gossips!" he said, hoa.r.s.ely. His look went beyond accusation.

Eva suddenly sank to her knees in mortal fear. The tones were not loud, but she never could have believed that those mild, blue eyes would flash at her such a menace of death.

"Arthur!" she wailed; "what have you heard? Why have you come home like this? I have not been untrue? Who said so? I have not! I have lied to you sometimes about little things--but not now!"

The silence was terrible! She began again, miserably: "I've been helping Mr. Burroughs; but surely that's not--it was for your advancement--Arthur!--speak to me!" She broke into gasping sobs.

The pale, emaciated face above her never softened; the eyes never wavered. Yet a reasoning anguish crept into the insane glare. After all, nothing mattered except this one great pain in his heart. What was it he wanted to know? Yes--he remembered! The truth!--the truth!

"And Philip Danvers?"

The change in tone gave so great relief that Eva became hysterical, not understanding the obscure connection.

"Oh, Senator Danvers? He has had nothing to do with the lobbying. You know he is against Mr. Burroughs." She rose, again self-possessed, feeling herself able to explain all untoward circ.u.mstances.

"Come, you are worn from your journey. Lie here on the couch and I'll get you some wine."

But her husband resisted, dumbly, looking at her as a starving dog might look at the hand that had enticed him by pretending to offer food. Words came, at last, while he beat his hands together in agony.

"I cannot bear it--I cannot! They said you and Phil had an affair in the Whoop Up Country----"