CHAPTER XXVII
A CLEVER WOMAN AND A MISUNDERSTANDING
I met the train at The Tanks and drove the party to the ranch. Therewere Mr. and Mrs. Prouty, a colorless pair, and the young man Peckaforementioned. I think Prouty had once been Horne's financial backer.When we arrived at headquarters, everybody was on the steps to welcomethem, with the big hospitality of cowland. Hetty was there, too, moreradiant than I had ever seen her.
It is true that her dress suffered considerably by comparison with Mrs.Vining's, but she had advantages which that expert lady would have givenall her aids to possess. Young Peck looked in Hetty's direction justonce, and gravitated there as by natural laws. He had met many womenlike Mrs. Vining. She tried all her wiles on him and he responded gaily,with a poise equal to her own, and then went on about his business. Thisbusiness appeared to concern Hetty.
Shame on the graceless woman!--she had not been married five months andhere she was giving open encouragement to a man who had seen too manysides of life for anybody's good. Yet Mrs. Horne did not chide her.Indeed, she watched the progress of events with undisguised pleasure.
The same cannot be said for Lafe. First he seemed at a loss, then dazed.After that he sulked. It was noticeable that he was absentminded nowwhen Mrs. Vining cooed to him, and appeared to give ear more to whatHetty was saying to the mining man at the other side of the room. Peck'smanner was joyous and eager. There was much merriment in their corner.
The boss was very gloomy as he helped me at the stables that night. Itwould appear that Mrs. Horne planned a ride to the Wolf place on themorrow and he grumbled that he supposed it would be just his luck todraw Mrs. Vining for the entire day. It was not for me to remind him hehad seemed sufficiently satisfied with this arrangement on otheroccasions.
By dint of maneuvering her horse next morning, Mrs. Vining enticed Peckto her assistance. However, on perceiving that Hetty was riding off withme, Mr. Peck utilized his privileges of guest to call out to Lafe: "Isay, Johnson, you know more about these things than I do? Will you fixthis girth for Mrs. Vining?" Upon which he loped away after Hetty.
Throughout that ride I kept far ahead of the procession, driving apack-mule that carried our provisions. The brute was stubborn and gavetrouble, persisting in efforts to scrape off its burden under everytree; but they were troubles more easily handled than those I suspectedMr. Johnson to have laid up for himself.
The Wolf place is a heavenly retreat in a brown, stern land. The day waswarm, and old man Horne, who thought a good deal of his comfort,proposed that we wait until sundown before starting for home. Everybodywas agreeable except, perhaps, Lafe, and he said nothing. He spent theentire afternoon in wake of Mrs. Vining--such a very evident victim,though, that she gave up in disgust and went to sit beside Mrs. Horneand the Proutys. Lafe affected not to watch Hetty and Peck, who weregathering wild flowers and behaving like two children released fromschool.
It was dark when we went home. As before, I was assigned to the mule.Next came old man Horne and Mrs. Prouty, his wife and Mr. Prouty; thenMrs. Vining and Lafe; and last--very far behind--rode the miningengineer and Hetty. We had gone about five miles when Lafe mumbled someexcuse to Mrs. Vining and went back.
It happened that Peck had just reached out to take a flower from Hetty'shand. They had been tossing them about all evening. I grant you therewas no occasion for this move, but these are the facts. Let us assumethat Hetty never divined his purpose. He seized her wrist and wasdrawing her towards him when Lafe arrived. Hetty jerked free. Pecklaughed.
"Go ahead with Miz Horne," Lafe ordered. It was the primal man speakingto the woman who belonged to him. "You wait here, Peck. We'll settlethis thing right now."
"Don't be an ass--"
"Lafe!" Hetty protested. She was flurried and much frightened, for neverbefore had she seen him really angry. She brought her horse against his,so that they could see each other plainly. There must have been signs ofweakening in him, for she suddenly flicked her reins upon his ridingboot and said: "Perhaps this'll teach you."
"Teach me what?" asked Lafe uncertainly.
"Never mind. You ask Mrs. Horne. She'll tell you all about it."
Peck had drawn near. He entertained fears for Mrs. Johnson, but none forhimself. When he heard this, he laughed. He was disappointed, but he hadseen a lot of the world.
"So that's it," said Peck. "You little rascal."
He pinched Hetty lightly on the cheek, but Lafe did not object. Instead,he looked rather sheepish and drew alongside his wife in properhumility. At a word from her they galloped to the front, passed theothers of the party, and took charge of the pack-animal. Peck lighted acigar and joined Prouty. He was smiling and seemed not at all put out.
I fell back to ride with old man Horne. Hetty and Lafe were far in thelead, going at a long lope and beating the mule joyously with a rope-endwhen it lagged in its pace. She threw a flower at him and he caught itand stuck it inside the bosom of his shirt.
Old man Horne departed at dawn on some cow business, and when his wifewent to bed that night, she left injunctions that she was on no accountto be disturbed before eleven in the morning. Yet at midnight she waswakened by a knock at her door.
"Wha-what--who's there?" she cried.
Mrs. Vining padded into the room in her bare feet and crawled into bedbeside her friend, snuggling against her shoulder. It was black in theroom and the older woman winked solemnly at the wall. She waited withpatience for the other to speak her mind.
"I couldn't sleep," said Mrs. Vining.
"I could."
"Martha, I've been so catty."
"Yes, you have," said Mrs. Horne stoutly.
"Well, you needn't tell me like that. I'm sure there was nothing to makeall this--"
"Don't let's go over all that again, Judy. Why did you do it? That'swhat I want to know. The whole thing was ridiculous."
"Because I did--that's why. And one has to have _some_ amusement outhere."
"Well! that _is_ nice."
"You know I didn't mean it that way, Martha."
There was silence, so long that Mrs. Horne thought her friend must besleeping. Gradually she became aware that she was crying.
"Judy, what's the matter, dear?" She drew the younger woman closer andpatted her in motherly fashion.
"No-nothing. She's--she's so pretty and I'm getting--getting old.Martha, it's lonely. I can't stand it. I'm only thirty-four and allalone. I'm afraid to look ahead. Think of all the dreadful years. Youcan't blame me for--sometimes I think I'll--"
Mrs. Horne comforted her as she would have comforted a daughter. She wasthinking intently as she soothed. Presently she asked: "Judy, have youever heard from Harry?"
"Never."
"Don't you know where he is?"
She felt Mrs. Vining's body stiffen.
"No--that is--no, I'm not sure. I don't know."
Mrs. Horne cleared her throat and offered the sort of consolation we areapt to accord our friends.
"You know, Judy, dear, what everybody said when Harry left. Of course, Iknew it was all his own fault and his drinking. I never did believe whatpeople said--"
"No, of course you didn't," said Mrs. Vining, with a trace ofbitterness.
They fell silent again. At last Mrs. Vining moved.
"She's so sweet," she murmured. Shortly afterwards she kissed Mrs. Horneand rose to go to her own room.
"Stay here, Judy. You won't bother me."
"No, but you'll bother me. You snore dreadfully."
"Judy, that's a lie," Mrs. Horne cried after her.
By Hetty's orders, Lafe accompanied us to The Tanks when Mrs. Viningdeparted. A truly womanly stab, this, in victory. And the Burro expressbore Mrs. Vining away, the conductor winking at Lafe from the platformof the last car, his countenance sad and composed. We watched him takehis cap off in order to mop his brow and Mrs. Vining waved her glove atus. Then we turned our horses about. Mrs. Horne shed a few tears andinstructed Manuel to whip the team, lest she be late home
for supper.
The Burro express crawled away up the valley. At a point six miles fromThe Tanks, an unkempt man with matted hair flung a stone through thewindow of the last car. Later I came on him on a mesa and he wascounting the tops of the hills.