"I mean what I say." He held Julia Dudley"s eyes with his own, without wavering an instant, as he went rapidly on. "Fate has taken a hand, and I am her instrument. This is no time for false att.i.tudes, hypocrisy, or make-believes. There come times in all lives when superficiality has to be shorn away, when we must look upon things as they really are and cast aside all pretence and the nice fabric which cloaks our everyday actions and affairs. It is in such times we find our real selves, and the pity of it is they are usually compelled by some distressing situation, some condition which of itself strips off all sham and leaves our true natures bare. A little more than twelve hours ago I did not know that either of you were in the land of the living. Chance, if we chose to call it that, brought me in your way, and I did you a service. Simple justice to a fellow being against whose worldly goods I overheard a vile conspiracy brought me to your home today. With what result? You are totally unprepared and unable to meet this crisis alone and unaided.
There is no one upon whom to call in this emergency. I am young, strong, and unafraid. I shall watch The Prince tonight!"
Julia put her palms over her face for the briefest moment, and when she took them down her eyes were shining adorably.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "We cannot accept that!"
A faint shadow of annoyance flashed over Glenning"s countenance. He feared that she had not understood fully, but in the swift moment which followed he knew that he was wrong, and that she did understand. She was aware that his motive was n.o.ble and impersonal, for the knowledge was written on her fare. The caller turned to Major Dudley.
"Will you accept my offer, sir? It is made simply as man to man; as two strangers might meet in the desert, one unarmed and threatened by a wild beast, the other armed, and ready and willing to do what he can. That is the situation, and it is very simple. I see no need to delay, or hesitate. It is an extremely plain proposition. What do you say, sir?"
The Major was grave, upright and dignified as he answered in his measured tones:
"This is the fust time in my life that I have asked or received aid from any man. But I find myself in a sore strait, from which, as far as I can see, there is only one escape. The Prince is almost as deah to me as a child, Doctor Glenning. He is the last of a strain of race hosses which have made Kentucky famous all over the United States, and I confess to you that his swiftness has never been equalled by any of his forebears.
To save myself, personally, I would tell you no. To save Julia and the colt, I say yes. It looks base, it looks brazen, it looks coa.r.s.e and common, but I trust, suh, you realize fully the peculiar position in which you find me, and from which it seems that no one but you can extricate me. My daughter, we accept Doctor Glenning"s magnanimous offer provisionally."
Julia merely bowed her head and remained silent. Her face had grown whiter and her eyes almost solemn.
"What restrictions do you wish to place upon me?" asked Glenning.
"Simply this. That you do not go on duty till midnight. There is absolutely no danger before that time, and Peter and I will share the watch. Again, you must promise to remain in shelter when you begin your vigil. The Prince"s new quarters will be the smoke-house. Peter is there now doing what"s necessary. It"s a stanch structure, solid as a block-house of pioneer days, and will withstand an a.s.sault. You must also agree not to fire upon anyone unless it should become necessary. I have no desire that any of these people should die. If compelled to shoot, shoot low, and let your aim be to cripple. These are my provisions, and I shall not swerve from them an inch."
The man by the window hesitated a moment only.
"All right," he said. "I agree, since I must, but I had rather go into this business unhampered." He smiled boyishly, and turned to Julia.
"We"ve over-ridden you, Miss Dudley. I hope you, also, will now agree to this little plan?"
"Ye-e-s, if father thinks it right I mustn"t be contrary. But you are unfit for such a thing just now, and it seems brutally cruel and unfeeling after what you did last night."
Glenning waved his hand deprecatingly.
"We"ve forgotten that, you know, and agreed to let it alone. See that you don"t trespa.s.s again. Tonight will be a lark, nothing else. Do you think I could be possibly frightened by that funny looking little hotel keeper?"
"Travers is an arrant coward, as well as a knave," broke in the Major, "but if Marston has any reason to doubt his project will miscarry, he may come, too. Then it"s time to keep your eyes open, for he"ll stop at nothing. I"m glad you have consented to my provisions, doctor, and now I"ve something else to say. I invite you to spend the afternoon with us, and take tea. Then you can return to town at twilight and retire early, in order to get some rest."
Involuntarily Glenning"s eyes went around to where the young mistress of the old home sat.
"Let me repeat father"s invitation," she said. "We shall be glad to have you stay. It will be pleasant for us, and will give you an opportunity to lay your plan of action for tonight. It will also save you an extra trip, if you have no other business on hand for the afternoon."
Glenning bowed.
"Nothing whatever. Tomorrow, perhaps, or the next day, I will establish an office down town, and incidentally desert the Union House. I have no desire whatever to remain the guest of our friend, Mr. Travers. He might put a.r.s.enic in my soup, or strychnine in my bread. But for the rest of this day I"m free, and I am delighted with your invitation, which I accept with pleasure."
Julia arose and went to the Major"s side again.
"This is the hour for father"s siesta," she said. "He has been accustomed to taking a nap this time of day ever since I can remember, and I know he especially needs it now." She bent down and whispered in the old gentleman"s ear, but Glenning caught the words. "Lie down and rest now, daddy dear. I"ll take care of our guest until you wake. And don"t worry. Everything will come out all right."
Major Dudley arose a little unsteadily. His present trouble, crowding the heels of last night"s occurrence, had told on him. His face was careworn, and there was the suggestion of a stoop in his shoulders. John had likewise risen.
"If you will pardon me, suh," spoke the Major, "I"ll lie down a while now. A lazy custom of mine for which there really is no excuse. But habit is strong, and grows stronger the more we humour it. I will be up and out in the course of an hour. My daughter will entertain you, suh."
He bowed in formal, old-fashioned courtesy, and made his way to a long, deep davenport across the room which Glenning had hitherto failed to notice.
The caller now followed Julia into the hall.
"It seems impossible for us to treat you as a stranger in any way," she said, in a low, musical voice, "or to make company of you. Shall we sit on the portico, or would you rather go out on the lawn? We can take chairs out, if you prefer."
"Am I to speak with perfect freedom? I believe that is the best and truest basis for friendship, and I hope we may grow to be friends."
The partly alarmed glance which she darted at him showed only the habitual expression, half-smiling, half-grave, wholly genuine.
"The truth, always, and straight from the shoulder," she answered.
"Deliver me from men or women who are constantly beating about the bush and perpetually feeling their way."
"Bravo!" he exclaimed, softly, and laughed--a chest laugh which thrilled her. "If everyone followed that maxim we would always know where our neighbours stood. Then this is the thing I wish now--to go have a look at The Prince"s new stable. It had best be done by daylight, and--"
"Why, certainly."
She took a sunbonnet from the hat-rack near by, and turned to the long side porch back of the hall.
"Come with me. It is not very far away."
They pa.s.sed the length of the porch side by side, silently. Some steps brought them to the ground, and as Glenning cast his eyes about he saw a portly figure in blue calico and bandana swathed head disappearing up another short flight of steps at the other end of the house.
"That"s Aunt Frances," explained Julia, smiling at the precipitate manner in which the old negress had sought the shelter of her kitchen.
"She is very shy for one of her age, and she is especially "jubus" of young men. I don"t know why, for I"m sure they are not near so critical as the young women. But she is faithful, and wonderfully watchful of me.
I love her devotedly. Yonder is her consort, Peter, hard at work."
The smoke-house was not over fifty yards from the mansion, and was reached along a walk of huge flat stones. The way to all the out-buildings was paved in this manner. Peter was evidently hung on the horns of a dilemma as the two young people came up. He removed his tattered hat deferentially, greeted them with two profound salaams, and plunged into a recital of his woes, using the saw he held in one hand by way of emphasis and ill.u.s.tration.
"De stable hit bu"n, "n" de Prince got to hab a home. Ma.s.sa "low de smoke-house wuz de only t"ing lef" fittin", "n" hyar I been all day tryin" to wuk out de riddle. Dar"s de do", "n" dar"s de Prince, hitched to dat freestone peach tree, "n" de question whut"s "plexin" my mind is, how I gwi" git "im thu dat do"!"
He ceased with his head on one side, and rheumy eyes which glared defiantly at the young man fronting him.
"What have you been doing with your saw?" asked Glenning, amused, but holding his face decorously straight.
"Cut a winder on de yon" side o" de house. Hit tuk me twel dinner-time.
Now comes dis pesky do", whut de Prince won" fit. Ef he had "nough gumption to stoop, he could go in, but he"s dat proud he won" bend a bit. "N" he got to git in hyar "fo" dahk, sho"."
"Let me take a look. Maybe I can offer you a suggestion."
John pa.s.sed through the low door. He found himself in a tall, dark room, odourous of cured meats and burned hickory f.a.gots. It was scantily lighted by a square window of diminutive size, for in making the opening Peter had been careful not to get it large enough to admit the body of a man. But Glenning thought it was just the right size to admit two arms, one holding a bull"s eye lantern and the other a revolver. By the aid of the light which streamed through the open door he could discern dimly the rows of blackened rafters overhead, from which broken bits of hempen strings hung desolately. There was not an ounce of meat in the smoke-house, and the man could not help wondering the least bit at this.
Could they really be poor! He remembered what Dillard had said to him--"They are in no position to entertain a well guest, let alone a sick one." His heart sank strangely at the thought, and pity filled his breast. He turned swiftly, and went out the door.
"Peter"s trouble is not as grave as it might be," he said, smiling at Julia as she stood patiently listening to the darky"s discourse. "There are two remedies; to cut up, or dig down. The floor, I notice, is perhaps six inches lower than the ground, or we could saw out the log above the lintel. Either is entirely practicable, and not difficult.
Which would you prefer, Miss Dudley?"
Julia did not know, as the perplexed look on her face showed, but Peter did. He broke in before she had time to formulate a reply.
"We"ll dig dat do"step up. I"ve heerd de Ma.s.sa say afo"time dat de rain"d run under dat do", "n" dat he gwi" hab it "tended to "kase it spile de meat. "Bleeged to yo", suh. I"ll git de pick "n" shev"l "n" fix dat d"reckly."