"What do you expect me to say; you make it so hard for me! Why do you tell me this?"
"Because I could not rest till I had spoken. For a long time I thought you were bound to Lawson, and since then I"ve tried to keep silent because of my poverty and--no one knows better than I the unreason of it all--I do not ask you to speak except to say, "I am sorry." When I found you were still within reach, the desire to let you know my feeling overcame every other consideration. I can"t even do the customary thing and ask you to wait, for my future is as uncertain as my present, but if you could say you loved me--a little--" he paused abruptly, as though choked into silence by a merciless hand.
Elsie remained silent, with her eyes turned towards the window, her hands in her lap, and at last he went on:
"If your father is a true prophet, I shall be ordered back to my regiment. That will hurt me, but it won"t ruin me exactly. It would be a shameful thing if the department sacrificed me to expediency; but politicians are wonderful people! If you were not so much an artist and Andrew Brisbane"s daughter, I would ask you to come to me and help me do my work, but I can"t quite do that--yet; I can only say you are more to me now than any other soul in the world. I do this because I can"t keep from it," he repeated, in poor ending.
"I"ve heard that the best way to make a woman love a man is to persecute the man," she replied, smiling a little, though her eyes were wet.
"When you were apparently triumphant I hated you--now--" she hesitated and a sudden timidity shook her.
He sprang up. "Can you carry out the figure? I dare you to finish the sentence. Do you care for me a little?" His face, suddenly illuminated, moved her powerfully.
"I"m afraid I do--wait, please!" She stopped him with a gesture. "You mustn"t think I mean more than I do. My mind is all in a whirl now; it isn"t fair to hurry me; I must take time to consider. Your being poor and an Indian agent wouldn"t make any difference to me if I--But I must be sure. I respect you--I admire you very much--and last night when I said good-bye I felt a sharp pain here." She put her hand to her throat.
"But I must be sure. There are so many things against it," she ended, covering her eyes with her hand in piteous perplexity.
His eyes were alight, his voice eager. "It would be such a glorious thing if you could join me in my work."
The mention of his work stung her. "Oh no! It is impossible. I should die here! I have no sense of duty towards these poor vagabonds. I"m sorry for them--but to live here--no, no! You must not ask it. You must go your way and I will go mine. You are only torturing me needlessly."
"Forgive me," he pleaded. "I did not mean to do so."
She continued, wildly: "Can"t you see how crazy, how impossible, it is?
I admire you--I believe in your work--it is magnificent; but I can"t live your life. My friends, my art, mean too much to me."
There was a tremulous, pa.s.sionate pleading which failed of finality: it perplexed her lover; it did not convince him.
"You are right; of course you are right," he said again; "but that does not help me to bear the pain of your loss. I can"t let you go out of my life--utterly--I can"t do it--I will not--Hark! What is that?"
A faint, far-off, thundering sound interrupted him. A rushing roar, as of many hors.e.m.e.n rapidly approaching. Hastening to the window, Curtis bent his head to listen. "It sounds like a cavalry charge. Here they come! Cowboys--a mob of them! Can it be Yarpe"s gang? Yes; that is precisely what it is. Yarpe leading them into some further deviltry."
Whooping and cursing, and urging their tired horses with quirt and spur, the desperadoes, somewhat thinned of ranks, pouring by in clattering, pounding rush--as orderless as a charging squad of Sioux warriors--turned up a side street and disappeared almost before any one but Curtis was aware of them.
"They are bent on mischief," said the soldier as he turned upon the girl, all personal feeling swept away by the pa.s.sing mob. "They have followed me in to force the jail and hang Cut Finger." He caught up his cap. "I must prevent it!"
"No! No!" cried Elsie, seizing his arm. "You must not go out in the street to-night--they will kill you--please don"t go--you have done your duty. Now let the mayor act, I beg of you!"
"Dear girl, I _must_ thwart this lynching party. I would be disgraced!
Don"t you see? They have seized the moment when the citizens are all in the hall away from the jail to do this thing. I must alarm the town and prevent them."
Even as he pleaded with her the tumult in the hall broke forth again, roared for a moment in wild crescendo, and then ceased instantly, strangely. A moment"s silence followed, and a confused murmur arose, quite different from any sound which had hitherto emanated from the hall. A powerful voice dominated all others, and through the open windows the words of command could be distinctly heard. "_Keep back there! Keep your seats!_"
"The meeting is breaking up!" exclaimed Curtis. "Some one has alarmed them. See, they are pouring out to prevent this crazy mob from carrying out its plan."
The shouting ceased, but the trample of feet and the murmur of voices thickened to a clamor, and Elsie turned white with a new fear. "They are rushing across the square! Perhaps they are coming for _you_!"
"I don"t think so; they would not dare to attack me--they hate me, but--"
Her over-wrought nerves gave way. A panic seized her. "Hide! Hide! They will kill you!" she cried out, hoa.r.s.ely.
"No; I am going to help them defend the jail."
"For my sake!" she pleaded, "don"t leave me! Listen! they are coming!"
she whispered. The sound of many feet could be heard in the lobby below, the roar of a hundred voices came up the stair-way, but even the excited girl could now detect something hushed and solemn in the sound--something mournful in the measured footsteps up the stairs.
"It is father!" she cried, with a flash of divination. "Something has happened to him!" And with this new terror in her face she hurried out into the hall.
Curtis reached her side just as the head of the procession topped the stair-way.
Brisbane, up-borne by Lawson and a tall young stranger, first appeared, followed by a dozen men, who walked two and two with bared heads and serious faces, as if following a hea.r.s.e. The stricken man"s face was flushed and k.n.o.bby, and his eyelids drooped laxly like those of a drunkard. He saw nothing, and his breathing was labored.
"Father, what has happened?" called Elsie. "Tell me--quick!"
"A touch of vertigo," answered Lawson, soothingly. "The doctor says nothing serious."
"Are you the doctor?" she turned to the young man.
"Yes. Don"t be alarmed. The Senator has over-taxed himself a little, that is all, and needs rest. Show me his bed, and we will make him comfortable."
Elsie led the way to the bedroom, while Curtis stood helplessly facing the crowd in the hall. Lawson relieved the situation by coming out a few moments later to say:
"Gentlemen, the doctor thanks you, and requests you to leave the Senator to rest as quietly as possible."
After this dismissal had dispersed the on-lookers, Lawson turned to Curtis. "The old man"s work as a speaker is done. Rather tragic business, don"t you think? He was a.s.sailing you with the utmost bitterness. His big, right fist was in the air like a hammer when he fell; but it was his last effort."
Curtis seized his hand and said: "I envy you your chance to go with her and serve her." His voice changed. "The mob! Did you hear Yarpe and his men pa.s.s?"
"No; when?"
"Not ten minutes ago. I fear some mischief."
The doctor appeared. "Mr. Lawson, a moment."
As Lawson hurried into the sick-room a far-off, faint volley of pistol-shots broke the hush that had settled over the square. Distant yells succeeded, accompanied by a sound as of some giant hammering. The young soldier lifted his head like a young lion listening to a battle-call. "They are beating in the gates!" he said. For a moment he hesitated, but only for a moment. "She is safe!" he thought, with a glance towards Elsie"s door. "My man and the poor little wife are not,"
and he rushed down the stair-way and out into the street with intent to find and defend his faithful men.
x.x.xIII
ELSIE CONFESSES HER LOVE
As he paused on the steps to the hotel, a gust of bitter rage swept over him. "What can I do against this implacable town? Oh, for a squad of the boys in blue!"
The street and square were filled with men all running, as to a fire, from left to right--a laughing, jesting throng. Along the hitching-poles excited and jocular cowboys were loosing their ponies and leaping to their saddles. Some excitable citizen had begun to ring the fire-bell, and women, bareheaded and white with fear, were lining the sidewalks and leaning from windows. The town resembled an ant-hill into which a fleeing bison has planted a foot.
"Oh, sir!" cried one young mother as she caught sight of Curtis, "are the Injuns coming?"