"To win back the cowboys" treasure. My heart is touched," he declared, boldly. Mrs. Keap smiled.
"I believe the latter, but are you sure you can win?"
"Abso-blooming-lutely."
"I didn"t know you were a sprinter."
Speed shrugged his shoulders.
"Have you had experience?"
"Oceans of it!"
Mrs. Keap mused for a moment. "Tell me," said she, finally, "at what intercollegiate game did you run last?"
"I didn"t run last; I ran first." It was impossible to resent the boy"s smile.
"Then at what game did you last run? I hope I"m not too curious?"
"Oh no, not at all!" Speed stammered.
"Or, if it is easier, at what college games did you first run?"
Mrs. Keap was laughing openly now.
"Why the clear, ringing, rippling laughter?" asked the young man, to cover his confusion.
"Because I think it is very funny."
"Oh, you do!" Speed took refuge behind an att.i.tude of unbending dignity, but the young widow would have none of it.
"I know all about you," said she. "You are a very wonderful person, of course; you are a delightful fellow at a house-party, and a most suitable individual generally, but you are not an athlete, in spite of those beautiful clothes in your trunk."
"Who told you?"
"Culver Covington."
"I didn"t know you two were acquainted."
Mrs. Keap flushed. "He told me all about you long ago. You wear all the athletic clothes, you know all the talk, you have tried to make the team a dozen times, but you are not even a subst.i.tute. You are merely the Varsity cheer-leader. Culver calls you "the head-yeller.""
"Columbus has discovered our continent!" said Speed. "You are a very wise chaperon, and you must have a corking memory for names, but even a head-yeller is better than a glee-club quarter-back."
He nodded toward the bunk-house, whence they had come. "You haven"t told anybody?"
"Not yet."
""Yet,"" he quoted. "The futurity implied in that word disturbs me. Suppose you and I keep it for a little secret? Secrets are very delightful at house-parties."
"Don"t you consider your action deceitful?"
"Not at all. My motto is "We strive to please.""
"Think of Helen."
"That"s it; I can"t think of anything else! She"s mad about athletics, and I had to do something to stand off this weight- lifting tenor."
"Is it any wonder a woman distrusts every man she meets?" mused the chaperon. "Helen might forgive you, I couldn"t."
"Oh, it"s not that bad. I know what I"m doing."
"You will cause these cowboys to lose a lot more money."
"Not at all. When Culver arrives--"
"Oh, that is what I want to talk over with you," Mrs. Keap broke in, nervously.
"Then it isn"t about the foot-race? You are not angry?" Speed brightened amazingly.
"I"m not exactly angry; I"m surprised and grieved. Of course, I can"t forgive deceit--I dare say I am more particular than most people."
"But you won"t tell?" Mrs. Keap indicated in some subtle manner that she was not above making terms, whereupon her companion declared, warmly: "I"m yours for life! Ask me for my watch, my right eye, anything! I"ll give it to you!"
"I a.s.sure you I sha"n"t ask anything so important as that, but I _shall_ ask a favor."
"Name it and it is yours!" Speed wrung the hand she offered.
"And perhaps I can do more than keep silent--although I don"t see what good it will do. Perhaps I can help your suit."
"Gracious lady, all I ask is that you thrust out your foot and trip up Berkeley Fresno whenever he starts toward her. Put him out of the play, and I shall be the happiest man in the world."
"Agreed."
"Now, in what way can I serve you?"
Mrs. Keap became embarra.s.sed, while the same shadowy trouble that had been observed of late settled upon her.
"I simply hate to ask it," she said, "but I suppose I must. There seems to be no other way out of it." Turning to him suddenly, she said, in a low, intense voice: "I--I"m in trouble, Mr. Speed, such dreadful trouble!"
"Oh, I"m so sorry!" he answered her, with genuine solicitude.
"You needn"t have made any conditions. I would have done anything I could for you."
"That"s very kind, for I don"t like our air of conspiracy, but"-- Mrs. Keap was wringing her slender hands--"I just can"t tell the girls. You--you can help me."
Speed allowed her time to grow calm, when she continued:
"I--I am engaged to be married."
"Felicitations!"
"Not at all," said the young widow, wretchedly. "That is the awful part of it. I am engaged to _two_ men!" She turned her brown eyes full upon him; they were strained and tragic.