The One-Way Trail: A story of the cattle country

by Ridgwell Cullum

  CHAPTER VI

  EVE AND WILL

  Elia was staring at his sister with wide, expectant eyes. Suspensewas evidently his dominant feeling at the moment. A suspense whichgave him a sickly feeling in the pit of the stomach. It was theapprehension of a prisoner awaiting a verdict; the nauseatingsensation of one who sees death facing him, with the chances athousand to one against him. A half-plaited rawhide rope was lying inhis lap; the hobby of making these his sister had persuaded him toturn to profitable account. He was expert in their manufacture,and found a ready market for his wares on the neighboring ranches.

  Eve was staring out of the window considering, her pretty faceseriously cast, her eyes far away. Will Henderson, his boyishlyhandsome face moodily set, was standing beside the work-table thatoccupied the centre of the living-room, the fingers of one handrestlessly groping among the litter of dress stuffs lying upon it. Hewas awaiting her answer to a question of his, awaiting it in suspense,like Elia, but with different feelings.

  Nor did the girl seem inclined to hurry. To her mind a lot depended onher answer. Her acquiescence meant the giving up of all the littlefeatures that had crept into her struggling years of independence.There was her brother. She must think for his welfare. There was herbusiness, worked up so laboriously. There was the possible removalfrom Barnriff to the world of hills and valleys, which was Will'sworld. There were so many things to think of,--yet--yet she knew heranswer beforehand. She loved, and she was a woman, worldly-wise, butunworldly.

  The evening was drawing in, and the soft shadows were creeping out ofthe corners of the little room. There was a gentle mellowness in thetwilight which softened the darns in the patchwork picture the placepresented. This room was before all things her shop; and, inconsequence, comfort and the picturesque were sacrificed to utility.Yet there was a pleasant femininity about it. A femininity which neverfails to act upon the opposite sex. It carries with it an influencethat can best be likened, in a metaphoric sense, to a mental aromawhich soothes the jagged edges of the rougher senses. It lulls them toa gentle feeling of seductive delight, a condition which lays men sooften open to a bad woman's unscrupulousness, but also to a goodwoman's influence for bringing out all that is greatest and best intheir nature.

  The waiting was too long for Will. He was a lover of no greatrestraint.

  "Well, Eve?" he demanded, almost sharply. "Two months to-day. Willyou? We can get the parson feller that comes here from Rocky Springsto--marry us."

  The dwarf brushed his rope out of his lap, and, rising, hobbled toEve's side, and stood peering up into her face in his bird-like way.But he offered no word.

  Eve's hand caressed his silky head. She nodded, nodded at the distanthills through the window.

  "Yes, Will, dear."

  The man was at her side in an instant, while Elia slunk away. Theyouth drew back and turned tail, slinking off as though driven by acruel lash in the hand of one from whom kindness is expected. He didnot return to his seat, but passed out of the house. And the girl andman, in their moment of rapture, forgot him. At that moment theirlives, their happiness, their love, were the bounds of their wholethought.

  For moments they stood locked in each other's arms, oblivious to allbut the hot passion that ran through their veins. They were lost inthe dream of love which was theirs. The world was nothing, life wasnothing, except that it gave them this power to love. They drank ineach other's kisses till the woman lay panting in the fierce embraceof the man, and he--he was devouring her with eyes which hungered forher, like the eyes of a starving man, while he crushed her in the armsof a man savage with the delicious pain of his passion.

  At last it was the woman who stirred to release herself. It is everthe woman who leads where love dominates. She gently but firmly freedherself. She held his hands and looked up into his glowing eyes. Shehad something to say, something to ask him, and, reluctant though shebe, she must abandon for the time the blissful moments when theirmutual love was burning to the exclusion of all else. Will'spassionate eyes held her, and for some moments she could not speak.Then, with an effort, she released his hands and defensively turnedher eyes away.

  "I--I want to speak to you about--Jim," she said at last, a littlehesitatingly.

  And the fire in the man's eyes abruptly died out.

  "He was here this morning, and--he was a little strange."

  Will propped himself against the table, and his face, strangely pale,was turned to the window. Nor did he see the snow-capped hills whichbounded the entire view. Guilty thoughts filled his mind and crowdedout everything else.

  "Well?" he demanded, as Eve waited for him to speak.

  "You are such friends, dear, that I wanted to ask you--Do you know whyhe came to see me?"

  Will shook his head. Then a smile struggled round his clean shavenmouth.

  "Maybe the same reason that makes most fellows crowd round a prettygirl."

  It was a wistful smile that accompanied the girl's denial.

  "I would like to think it was only that," she said. "Do you know I amvery, very fond of Jim. No, no, not in the way you mean," sheexclaimed hastily, as the man turned on her, hot with the jealousywhich was so much a part of his Celtic nature. "I have always beenfond of Jim. He's so generous; so kind and self-sacrificing. Do youknow, Will, I believe he'd give up anything to you. It is myconviction that his first thought in life is for your welfare andhappiness. And somehow, it--it doesn't seem right. No, I don't meanthat you don't deserve it, but that--well, don't you think a manshould fight every battle in which he finds himself on his ownaccount? Don't you think, you who are so capable, that the strugglesthat every man must encounter in life demand the whole of hisenergies to bring them to a successful end? I do. It's not a matter ofself exactly, but we are all so full of weaknesses that this unselfishway of dividing our energies is apt to weaken our own defenses. Thusthe scheme for our own uplifting, our own purification, rathersuffers. You see, I think we are here on this earth for the purpose ofbettering ourselves and preparing for that future, which--I know whatI am saying sounds selfish, but really, really, I don't think it is.Do you know, Jim came to ask me to marry him? I know he did. I avoidedhis direct question, and told him that you asked me last night, andthat I had given you my promise. Well, he accepted it as though, asthough he had no business to want what you wanted. And his onlycomment was that you were a 'good boy,' and that he thought you'd makeme a good husband. Now, don't laugh"--the man showed not the slightestinclination to do so. His face was livid; there was something likehorror in his eyes--"but if I'd been a man in his place I should havebeen just mad. Do you think I'd have said that? No, Will; my thoughtswould have been murderous. But with him it was otherwise, I'm sure.Yet he loved me, and he was hurt. I could see it--oh, I could see it.The agony in his eyes nearly broke my heart. Will, I think we owe Jimsomething. I know we can't ever repay it. But we owe him surely. Youdo, even more than I. I can't bear to think of his hurt."

  The girl ceased speaking. Will had made no attempt to stop her, yetevery word she had spoken lashed him to a savage self-defense.

  "I--I didn't know he loved you," he lied. Then he stopped with asickening impulse. But in a moment he went on. He had taken theplunge, and his selfish nature came to his aid. "Poor Jim," he said,with apparent feeling. "It's hard luck--mighty hard luck. But, then,Eve, a feller can't expect a man to stand by where a woman'sconcerned. Not even a brother. You see, dear, I love you so bad. I'dlose anything but you, yes, even my life." He drew nearer to her, butthe girl made no response. "Jim's got to take his 'medicine.' Same asI'd have taken mine, if you'd loved him. If Jim squeals, he'snot----"

  "Oh, don't be afraid of that," Eve exclaimed, with some warmth. "Jimwon't 'squeal.' It's not in him to 'squeal.' He'll take his 'medicine'with any man. I'm not thinking of that. It's--oh, I don't know--only Ithink you're lucky to have such a friend, and I--oh, I wish we coulddo something for him."

  Eve did not know how to express all she felt, and Will did not helpher. He displayed no sympa
thy, but seemed absolutely indifferent, andshe almost felt angry with him.

  "There's nothing to be done." Then something prompted the man, and hewent on harshly. "It was a fair fight and no favor. I love you, Eve;God knows how I love you. And I wouldn't give you up or lose you forfifty Jims. If Jim stood in the way between us I'd--I'd--push him outat--any cost."

  "Will!" There was horror in the girl's exclamation. Then the woman inher rose at the contemplation of the man's love and passion for her.How could it be otherwise? She came to him, and was hugged in armsthat almost set her gasping.

  "I love you, Eve. I love you! I love you!"

  Their lips met, and the woman clung to him in the rush of herresponsive passion.

  "Oh, Will," she cried at length. "It's good to be loved as you love.It's so good. Kiss me, dear, kiss me again. I am all yours."

  The man needed no bidding. He had wronged his friend; had lied, liedin the worst way a man can lie, to make sure of her. He appreciatedthe cost, and its value made those moments all the more precious.

  But he had no real regret for the wrong he had committed. And this wasan unerring index to his nature. He would stand at nothing where hisown desires were at stake.