CHAPTER XXII
VIRGINIA EXPLAINS--NOTHING
She was covered by a cloak and there was a man's hat on her head, butWiley knew her--it was Virginia Huff. The moon had mounted high and thechill of the morning was in the air, so he could hardly flatter himselfthat she had come to see him. Perhaps it was just to see the mine. Butif, beneath that cloak, she carried some instrument of destruction--hestepped out and watched her covertly. She tiptoed up the trail, glancingnervously about her, starting back as a trammer dumped his ore; andthen, very slowly, she crept past his house and disappeared in thedirection of the mill. Instantly he whipped out of his tunnel andstarted after her, running swiftly up the trail; but as he neared thesummit she came catapulting against him, running as swiftly the otherway.
"Here! Stop!" he commanded as she leapt back with a stifled scream andthen as she made a dash he plunged resolutely after her and caught herlike a child.
"You let go of me!" she panted, but he flung one arm about her and heldboth her hands to her side.
"No," he said, and she struck out violently only to find herselfclutched the tighter.
"Wiley Holman!" she exploded, "if you don't let me go! You'd better--Isaw a man back there!"
"It's my watchman," answered Wiley. "I keep him to guard the mill. Butwhat are you doing up here?"
"No! It wasn't! It was Stiff Neck George! And he had something heavy inhis hand! You'd better go and watch him!"
She was struggling in his arms, her breath hot against his cheek, fearand rage in every word, but he crushed her roughly to his side.
"Never mind about George," he said. "What are _you_ doing up here,now?"
"But he'll blow up your mine! I've heard him threaten to! I just came upto tell you!"
"Oh, that's different!" returned Wiley, relaxing his grip, "but nevermind--my watchman will get him."
"No! The watchman is asleep--I didn't see him anywhere! Oh, Wiley;please run and stop him!"
"Nope," replied Wiley, "he can blow the whole mill up--I want to ask youa question."
He released her reluctantly, for the touch of her had thrilled him, andthe sweetness of her breath on his cheek--but she darted down the traillike a rabbit.
"Here! Wait!" he ordered and outran her in ten jumps, at which shestooped and snatched up a rock.
"Put that down!" he said, and as she swung back the rock, he braved itand caught her anyway. "Now," he went on, trembling from the smash ofthe blow, but holding her in a grip of steel, "we'll see what all thisis about!"
"You will not!" she hissed back, "because I won't answer you a word! AndI hope old George ruins your mill!"
"That's all right," he said, shaking his bloody head, "but, Judas, youdid smash me with that stone! After that, I guess, I've got somethingcoming to me!" And he reached down and kissed her lips.
"You--stop!" she panted. "Oh, I--I'll kill you for that!" But Wiley onlylaughed recklessly.
"All right!" he said, "what's the difference--I'd die happy! I almostwish you'd hit me again."
"Well, I will!" she threatened, but when he released her she drew backand hung her head. "That isn't fair," she said, "you know I can'tprotect myself, and----"
"Well, all right," he agreed, "we'll call it square then. But--I want totell you something, Virginia."
"Are you going to stand here," she burst out sharply, "and let him blowup your mill?"
"Yes, I am," he answered. "I don't care what happens to me if you and Ican be friends. I love you, Virginia, you know it as well as I do, andthat's all I want in the world. Let's just be friends, the way we usedto be when we were playing around town together. I've been trying to seeyou for months--it's seemed like forty years--and Virginia, you've gotto listen to me!"
He paused and drew nearer, and she stood waiting passively, as if daringhim to touch her again; but he stooped and peered into her face. Thenight was not dark and in the ghostly moonlight he could see the coldanger in her eyes.
"Yes, I know," he said, "you hate me like poison--but Virginia, this isgoing too far. It's all right to hate me, if that's the way you'rebuilt, but you ought to give me a chance. It looks very much as if you'dcome up here to-night to do some damage to my mine; but I'll let thatpass and say nothing about it if you'll only give me a chance. Let metell you how I feel and then, some other time----"
"Well, go on," she said, "but if your old mine blows up----"
"I wish it would!" he burst out passionately. "If it would make anydifference, I wish it was blown off the map. I can't bear to fight you,Virginia; it makes my life miserable, and I've tried to be friendly fromthe first. But is it right to blame a man for something he can't helpand not even give him a chance to explain? If you think I've stolen yourmine, why, go ahead and say so and let me give it back. I'll do it, sohelp me God, if you'll only say the word."
"What word?" she asked, and he threw out his hands in a helpless appealto her pity.
"Any word," he said, "so long as it's friendly. But I just can't standit to be without you!"
"Oh," she said, and looked back up the trail as if meditating anotherdash to escape.
"Well, what is it?" he asked at last. "Won't you even listen to me? I'vegot a plan to propose."
"Why, certainly," she responded, "go ahead and tell it. And then, whenit's done, can I go?"
"Yes, you can go," he answered eagerly, "if you'll only just listenreasonably and think what this means to us both. We used to be friends,Virginia, and while I was working up this deal I did everything I couldto help you. I didn't have much money then or I'd have done more foryou, but you know my heart was right. I wasn't trying to take advantageof you. But the minute I got the mine it seems as if everybody turnedagainst me--and you turned against me, too. That hurt me, Virginia,after what I'd tried to do for you, but I know you had your reasons. Youblamed me for things that I never had done and--well, you wouldn't evenspeak to me. But that was all right--it was perfectly natural--and onChristmas I sent you back your stock. I only bought it from Charley tohelp you get to Los Angeles, and I considered that I was holding it intrust; so I sent it back by Charley, but I suppose he made some break,because I found it on my table that night. But you'll take it back now;won't you, Virginia?"
His voice broke like a boy's in the earnestness of his appeal and yet itwas hopeless, too, for he saw that she stood unmoved. He waited for ananswer, then as she shifted her feet impatiently he went on with doggedpersistence. It was useless, he knew it; and yet, sometime in thefuture, she might recall what he had said and take advantage of it.
"Well, all right, then," he assented, "but the stock's yours if you wantit. I'm holding it for you, in trust. But now here's what I wanted totell you--I'd hoped we could do it together; but you ought to do it,anyway. You know that stock that your mother lost to Blount? Well, Iknow how you can get it back."
He paused for her to speak, to exclaim perhaps at his magnanimity inoffering to help her against her will, but she shrouded herselfpettishly in her cloak.
"Oh, you don't care, eh?" he asked with a bitter laugh. "Well, I wish toGod, then, I didn't. But I do, Virginia! I can't stand it to see youslaving when there's anything in the world that I can do. Now here's theproposition: according to law your father isn't legally dead--he won'tbe for seven years--and so your mother, not being his heir yet, had noright to hypothecate that stock. It still belongs to your father'sestate and all you have to do is to go to a lawyer and demand theproperty back. You're his daughter, you see, and a co-heir with yourmother, and Blount will not dare to oppose it!"
"Yes, thanks," returned Virginia. "Is that all?"
"Why--no!" he said at last, clutching his hands at his side."There's--I'll lend you the money, Virginia."
"No, thank you!" she answered, and started off down the trail, but hestepped in her way and stopped her. His mood had changed, for his voicewas rough and threatening, but he struggled to keep it down.
"Is that all?" he demanded and without waiting for the answer he reachedout and caught her by t
he arm. "Virginia," he said, "I've tried to begood to you, but maybe you don't appreciate it. And maybe I've made amistake. There's something about you when I'm around that reminds me ofa man with a grouch--only a man would speak out his mind. Now I've givenyou a chance to clean up twenty thousand dollars and I expect somethingmore than: 'No, thanks!'"
"Well, what _do_ you expect?" she asked, struggling feebly againsthis grasp.
"I expect," he answered, "that you'll state your grievance and tell mewhy you won't have me?"
"And if I do, will you let me go?"
"When I get good and ready," he responded grimly. "I don't know whetherI'm in love with you or not."
"Well, my grievance," she went on defiantly, "is that you went to workdeliberately and robbed me and mother of our mine. And as for winning_me_, that's one thing you can't steal--and I'll kill you if youdon't let go of that hand!"
"Yes," he said, "I've heard that before--it seems to run in the family.But don't you think for a minute that I'm afraid of getting killed--orthat I'm trying to steal you, either. If you were an Indian squaw youmight be worth stealing, because I could beat a little sense into yourhead; but the way things are now I'll just turn you loose--and kindlykeep off my ground."
He flung back her hand and stepped out of the trail but Virginia did notpass. Her breast heaved tumultuously and she turned upon him as shesought for a fitting retort; but while they stood panting, eachglowering at the other, there was a crash from inside the old mill. Itshuge bulk was lit up by a flash of light which went out in Stygiandarkness and as they listened, aghast, the ground trembled beneath themand a tearing roar filled the air. It began at the stone-breaker andwent down through the mill, like the progress of a devastating host, andas Wiley sprang forward, there was a terrifying smash which seemed toshake the mill to its base. Then all was silent and as he looked aroundhe saw Virginia dancing off down the trail.
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