Chapter Fifteen
_The Girl Thief_
Before that death sentence had been passed on him Ronicky Doone stoodbefore the door of his room, with the trembling girl beside him.
"Wait here," he whispered to her. "Wait here while I go in and wake himup. It's going to be the greatest moment in his life! Poor Bill Gregg isgoing to turn into the richest man in New York City--all in one moment!"
"But I don't dare go in. It will mean--"
"It will mean everything, but it's too late to turn back now. Besides,in your heart of hearts, you don't want to turn back, you know!"
Quickly he passed into the room and hurried to the bed of Bill Gregg.Under the biting grip of Doone's hand Bill Gregg writhed to a sittingposture, with a groan. Still he was in the throes of his dream and onlyhalf awakened.
"I've lost her," he whispered.
"You're wrong, idiot," said Ronicky softly, "you're wrong. You've wonher. She's at the door now, waiting to come in."
"Ronicky," said Bill Gregg, suddenly awake, "you've been the finestfriend a man ever had, but, if you make a joke out of her, I'll wringyour neck!"
"Sure you would. But, before you do that, jump into your clothes andopen the door."
Sleep was still thick enough in the brain of Bill Gregg to make him obeyautomatically. He stumbled into his clothes and then shambled dizzily tothe door and opened it. As the light from the room struck down the hallRonicky saw his friend stiffen to his full height and strike a handacross his face.
"Stars and Stripes!" exclaimed Bill Gregg. "The days of the miraclesain't over!"
Ronicky Doone turned his back and went to the window. Across the streetrose the forbidding face of the house of John Mark, and it threatenedRonicky Doone like a clenched hand, brandished against him. The shadowunder the upper gable was like the shadow under a frowning brow. In thathouse worked the mind of John Mark. Certainly Ronicky Doone had won thefirst stage of the battle between them, but there was more to come--muchmore of that battle--and who would win in the end was an open question.He made up his mind grimly that, whatever happened, he would first shipBill Gregg and the girl out of the city, then act as the rear guard tocover their retreat.
When he returned they had closed the door and were standing back fromone another, with such shining eyes that the heart of Ronicky Dooneleaped. If, for a moment, doubt of his work came to him, it wasbanished, as they glanced toward him.
"I dunno how he did it," Bill Gregg was stammering, "but here itis--done! Bless you, Ronicky."
"A minute ago," said Ronicky, "it looked to me like the lady didn't knowher own mind, but that seems to be over."
"I found my own mind the moment I saw him," said the girl.
Ronicky studied her in wonder. There was no embarrassment, no shame tohave confessed herself. She had the clear brow of a child. Suddenly, itseemed to Ronicky that he had become an old man, and these were twochildren under his protection. He struck into the heart of the problemat once.
"The main point," he said, "is to get you two out of town, as quick aswe can. Out West in Bill's country he can take care of you, but backhere this John Mark is a devil and has the strength to stop us. Howquick can you go, Caroline?"
"I can never go," she said, "as long as John Mark is alive."
"Then he's as good as dead," said Bill Gregg. "We both got guns, and, nomatter how husky John Mark may be, we'll get at him!"
The girl shook her head. All the joy had gone out of her face and lefther wistful and misty eyed. "You don't understand, and I can't tell you.You can never harm John Mark."
"Why not?" asked Bill Gregg. "Has he got a thousand men around him allthe time? Even if he has they's ways of getting at him."
"Not a thousand men," said the girl, "but, you see, he doesn't needhelp. He's never failed. That's what they say of him: 'John Mark, theman who has never lost!'"
"Listen to me," said Ronicky angrily. "Seems to me that everybody standsaround and gapes at this gent with the sneer a terrible lot, without apile of good reasons behind 'em. Never failed? Why, lady, here's onenight when he's failed and failed bad. He's lost you!"
"No," said Caroline.
"Not lost you?" asked Bill Gregg. "Say, you ain't figuring on going backto him?"
"I have to go back."
"Why?" demanded Gregg.
"It's because of you," interpreted Ronicky Doone. "She knows that, ifshe leaves you, Mark will start on your trail. Mark is the name of thegent with the sneer, Bill."
"He's got to die, then, Ronicky."
"I been figuring on the same thing for a long time, but he'll die hard,Bill."
"Don't you see?" asked the girl. "Both of you are strong men and brave,but against John Mark I know that you're helpless. It isn't the firsttime people have hated him. Hated? Who does anything but hate him? Butthat doesn't make any difference. He wins, he always wins, and that'swhy I've come to you."
She turned to Bill Gregg, but such a sad resignation held her eyes thatRonicky Doone bowed his head.
"I've come to tell you that I love you, that I have always loved you,since I first began writing to you. All of yourself showed through yourletters, plain and strong and simple and true. I've come tonight to tellyou that I love you, but that we can never marry. Not that I fear himfor myself, but for you."
"Listen here," said Bill Gregg, "ain't there police in this town?"
"What could they do? In all of the things which he has done no one hasbeen able to accuse him of a single illegal act--at least no one hasever been able to prove a thing. And yet he lives by crime. Does thatgive you an idea of the sort of man he is?"
"A low hound," said Bill Gregg bitterly, "that's what he shows to be."
"Tell me straight," said Ronicky, "what sort of a hold has he got overyou? Can you tell us?"
"I have to tell you," said the girl gravely, "if you insist, but won'tyou take my word for it and ask no more?"
"We have a right to know," said Ronicky. "Bill has a right, and, mebeing Bill's friend, I have a right, too."
She nodded.
"First off, what's the way John Mark uses you?"
She clenched her hands. "If I tell you that, you will both despise me."
"Try us," said Ronicky. "And you can lay to this, lady, that, when agent out of the West says 'partner' to a girl or a man, he means it.What you do may be bad; what you are is all right. We both know it. Theinside of you is right, lady, no matter what John Mark makes you do. Buttell us straight, what is it?"
"He has made me," said the girl, her head falling, "a thief!"
Ronicky saw Bill Gregg wince, as if someone had struck him in the face.And he himself waited, curious to see what the big fellow would do. Hehad not long to wait. Gregg went straight to the girl and took herhands.
"D'you think that makes any difference?" he asked. "Not to me, and notto my friend Ronicky. There's something behind it. Tell us that!"
"There is something behind it," said the girl, "and I can't say howgrateful I am to you both for still trusting me. I have a brother. Hecame to New York to work, found it was easy to spend money--and spentit. Finally he began sending home for money. We are not rich, but wegave him what we could. It went on like that for some time. Then, oneday, a stranger called at our house, and it was John Mark. He wanted tosee me, and, when we talked together, he told me that my brother haddone a terrible thing--what it was I can't tell even you.
"I wouldn't believe at first, though he showed me what looked likeproofs. At last I believed enough to agree to go to New York and see formyself. I came here, and saw my brother and made him confess. What itwas I can't tell you. I can only say that his life is in the hand ofJohn Mark. John Mark has only to say ten words, and my brother is dead.He told me that. He showed me the hold that Mark had over him, andbegged me to do what I could for him. I didn't see how I could be of useto him, but John Mark showed me. He taught me to steal, and I havestolen. He taught me to lie, and I have lied. And he has me still in thehollow of his hand, do you see? An
d that's why I say that it's hopeless.Even if you could fight against John Mark, which no one can, youcouldn't help me. The moment you strike him he strikes my brother."
"Curse him!" exclaimed Ronicky. "Curse the hound!" Then he added:"They's just one thing to do, first of all. You got to go back to JohnMark. Tell him that you came over here. Tell him that you seen BillGregg, but you only came to say good-by to him, and to ask him to leavetown and go West. Then, tomorrow, we'll move out, and he may think thatwe've gone. Meantime the thing you do is to give me the name of yourbrother and tell me where I can find him. I'll hunt him up. Maybesomething can be done for him. I dunno, but that's where we've got totry."
"But--" she began.
"Do what he says," whispered Bill Gregg. "I've doubted Ronicky before,but look at all that he's done? Do what he says, Caroline."
"It means putting him in your power," she said at last, "just as he wasput in the power of John Mark, but I trust you. Give me a slip of paper,and I'll write on it what you want."