Eve to the Rescue Part 19

Amos Hiltze was a great help, and worked with enthusiasm.

"I do what I can, but men are helpless when it comes to women. And when I knew of this child,--well, I thought of you. If you refused, I had no notion where to turn. But you did not refuse."

"No, indeed," chirped Eveley. "I am only too happy. I want to do things, real things, and be of use. It--it is right, I suppose, and lots of fun besides."

At six o'clock Angelo came, and looked for a moment with speculative eyes upon Mr. Hiltze. He was not enthusiastic,--rather he was frankly pessimistic.

"Why don't you send her to a hotel?" he demanded aggressively. "You don't want a dirty Greaser in here, messing things all up."

"Oh, Angelo, you mustn't," protested Eveley, deeply shocked. "She isn't a Greaser. She is a high caste Mexican girl."

"There ain't no such thing," he said gloomily. "You'll see. She'll litter the whole place up with a lot of smelly bandits, and they'll cut your throat, and steal your money, and then where'll you be?"

Then Amos Hiltze turned on him, with something compelling in his eyes.

"Cut out that nonsense, and mind your own business. This is not your affair."

So Angelo resigned himself to the inevitable, and fell to work, not with good will, but with efficiency. And when the room was ready, while the man and boy were carrying the extra furniture out to the garage for storage, Eveley hastily prepared a light supper for the three of them. It was eaten in utter silence. Eveley was excited almost to the point of suffocation, and the others were immersed in their own thoughts. She hastily cleared the dishes from the table, and put on her heavy coat and a small hat.

"Where do you go to get your Spanish queen?" demanded Angelo.

"Oh, a long way out in the country," said Eveley nervously. "We must hurry, Angelo. It is getting late."

"Are you going in your car?" he persisted.

"Yes. Now, please, Angelo, I hate to rush you off, but we must go."

"Take me along, Miss Eveley. Please--you've got plenty of room. Won't you take me?"

"Nothing doing," cut in Amos Hiltze shortly. "We've got to keep the girl quiet, and you would let out some rudeness that would spoil everything."

"Honest I won't, Miss Eveley. G'wan, be a sport. You promised to take me for a night ride, and you never have. I won't say a word to the Grea--lady, honest I won't. Be a sport, Miss Eveley, sure I can go along."

"Let's take him," said Eveley. "He can sit in front with me coming back, and you can ride with Marie. He won't say a word, will you, Angelo?"

Mr. Hiltze seemed not altogether satisfied, but Angelo was already half-way down the rustic stairs and headed for the garage, so he contented himself with one final word of warning.

"Just keep quiet," he said to Angelo. "Do not even look at her. There must be no fuss or confusion, or she will be afraid to come."

There was a heavy fog rolling up through the canyons, and Eveley, in her state of excitement, found the car p.r.o.ne to leap wildly through the misty white darkness. There was a great ringing in her ears, and her pulses were pounding. Hiltze at her side was silent and preoccupied, and Angelo in the rear sat huddled in a corner, in the rug which Eveley had tucked about him.

"We do not want any frozen pa.s.sengers to bring home," she had said, with a smile.

They spun swiftly along University, slowing for East San Diego where there were officers with bad reputations among speeders, through La Mesa, the cross on Mt. Helix showing faintly in the pale moonlight, through El Capon, out beyond Flynn Springs where the pavement left off.

"Are you tired?" asked the man, stirring closer to Eveley's side.

"No," she said, with a laugh that was really a sob. "But I am so out of breath, and thrilled, and--all stirred up, like a silly little schoolgirl. I believe I am frightened."

"Do not be frightened, Miss Eveley," said Angelo suddenly, rea.s.suringly.

"I'll look after you. If we do not like the little Greaser, we'll just ditch her."

"You must not be afraid," said Hiltze, pressing his arm companionably against her elbow. "You know I will take care of you. And you will like the girl. She is just a timid, nerve-racked child. You will love her in time. But this is not a question of love, only of service,--one phase of the scheme of Americanization that is sweeping the country. It has to come through the women, Eveley, you know that. It has to be born into the babies of the next generation."

An audible sniff came from the back seat, but Angelo was l.u.s.tily clearing his throat.

"You sound like a stump speaker," he said critically. "Did you get that way selling autos, or did you used to be an agitator or something?"

Mr. Hiltze made no reply. He was leaning forward now, anxiously scanning the road. "We turn soon. Drive slowly, please. I do not know the road very well. Oh,--there it is,--I see it now. Just beyond the little clump of trees, this side of the big rock. Turn to the right,--the road is safe enough, but a little rough. We only go a little farther,--yes, to the right a little more,--down-grade, but it is not very steep. Now, pull off a little and stop. Yes, you wait here now, will you, while I go on to the shack? The road does not lead up to it. You need not be afraid, you are close to the main road though you can not see it for the shrubs and rocks. She does not want the Mexicans to know where nor how she goes."

"Will you be gone long?" asked Eveley, gazing somewhat fearfully into the black shadows about her.

"Oh, just a few minutes. It is only a little bit of a way, and Marie is ready to come at once."

"How does she know you are coming after her?" asked Angelo.

"I told her I would come to-night if I could make arrangements for her, and she said she would be ready. She has only a small bag, so her preparations are simple. Now, don't be frightened, Eveley. You know I would not leave you if there were any danger. Angelo will be with you."

"You bet I will. Beat it, Mister, and cop the lady."

Eveley and Angelo listened in silence, as Hiltze strode quickly away.

When the last sound had echoed to silence, Angelo leaned over the seat, his thin dark face close to Eveley's.

"Say, Miss Eveley, where did you pick up that guy?"

"He was the salesman who sold me my car, but he has many friends who are my friends also, so I have met him often. He was only selling autos temporarily, and is making plans now to go into business for himself."

"I'll bet your friend Inglish ain't stuck on him."

"Not unnaturally," admitted Eveley, laughing. "He is not."

"Well, he's a smart guy, Inglish is," said Angelo shrewdly. "You can pretty well put it down he's on the level about folks."

"You do not seem partial to Mr. Hiltze, Angelo. But he is most kind and sympathetic, and no one works harder for the Americanization of the foreign element than he does."

"Lots of folks work hard for something to keep the real things dark. I guess he's got a mash on this dame."

Eveley was silent.

"Don't you think so?"

"No, I hardly think so."

"Oh, you can't tell. Some guys can have mashes on two or three at a time, you know."

"Angelo, please, let's not talk this way. I do not like it. And I do not wish my friends to criticize my other friends. I know you like Mr.

Inglish best of all, and that is why you try to underrate the others--but please don't."

"Oh, I think he is smart enough," said Angelo ingratiatingly. "It ain't that. I just don't like his wis.h.i.+ng foreign dames off on to you because you are easy and will stand for it."