She faced him, hesitated an instant, and then said, without a trace of emotion in her voice:
"Tom, do you think Colonel Grand would be willing to buy out my share in the show?"
He stared. Then he laughed sardonically.
"What are you givin" us? Buy out your share? I should say not. He might buy you, but not your share."
"You are a beast, Tom Braddock," she said, the red mounting slowly to her pale cheek. "Why do you say that to me?"
"Say, don"t you suppose I know how it stands with you and him?" he retorted. "Come off, Mary. You"re both trying to freeze me out. I"m on to the little game."
"Don"t speak so loudly," she implored, clasping her hands.
"Oh, I"m not tellin" any secrets," he snarled. "It"s common property.
Everybody"s on. I should think you"d be ashamed to look Christine in the face."
"G.o.d forgive you, Tom Braddock," she cried, abject horror in her eyes.
"Say, I"ve got to have an understanding with you," he went on ruthlessly. "I"m going to find out just how I stand in this here arrangement. Grand"s taken charge of the money box. He says it"s you and him against me. He"s going to--"
"He lies! He lies!"
"Oh, let up--let up! I"m no fool."
"Tom Braddock, are you--are you _accusing me?_" she cried, all a-tremble.
He opened his lips to utter the words which would have ended everything between them. His eyes met hers and the words slipped back into his throat. The spark of manhood that was left in him revolted against this wanton a.s.sault upon the pure soul that looked out upon him.
His gaze was lowered. He began fumbling in his pocket for a cigar.
"Course not," he said reluctantly. He peered hard at the opaque sidewall uncomfortably conscious of the scornful look she bent upon him. Neither spoke for a long time.
"How much lower can you sink?" she asked in low tones.
"Don"t you turn against me like this," he returned sullenly.
"I have endured too long--too long," she said lifelessly.
"Now, shut up, Mary. Shut up your trap. I"m sick of having you whining all the time--"
"Whining!" she cried. "G.o.d in heaven!"
"Well, belly-achin", then." Her bitter laugh irritated him. "Say, I got to talk this business over with you. We"ve got to understand each other."
"We _do_ understand each other," she said, a note of decision in her voice. "You are ready to prost.i.tute me for the sake of worming money out of that horrid beast. I loathe him. You know it, and yet you force me to meet him. I am going to end it all. Either he leaves this show, or I do. I will not endure this unspoken but manifest insult a day longer. Do you understand me?"
"I"d like to know how you"re going to help it," he said, glaring at her with half-restored belligerence. "You can"t get out without losin" what you"ve got in the business, and he _won"t_ get out."
"Are you going to permit him to continue paying his odious attentions to me--to your wife?" she cried.
"I don"t care what he does," roared Braddock. "That"s his business. You don"t have to give in to him, do you? If he thinks you"ve got a price, that"s his lookout, not mine."
"Not yours?" she gasped. "Oh, Tom! Tom! What manner of man have you come to be?"
"Well, I"m just tellin" you, that"s all."
"You--you surely are not in your right mind."
"You bet I am! Now, you listen to me. You are going to stick right with this show--you and Christine. And you"re going to do what I tell you to do. You got to treat Bob Grand half-way decent. He"s liable to leave us in the lurch any time. How"d you suppose we"d get on without his help right now? Just as soon as we get on our feet I"ll put an end to his funny business. I"ll show him what"s what. He"ll get out of the show business a heap sight wiser man than he is now. But we need him now. We got to stand together, you and me. No flunking, see. We--"
"Stop!" She stood before him like an outraged priestess. This time he did not shrink, but glared back at her balefully. "This is the end! We have come to the parting of the ways. I will never call you husband again. If you even speak to me, Thomas Braddock, I shall ask any one of a dozen men here to beat you as you deserve. Oh, they will be only too happy to do it! Now, hear me: I am going to take Christine away from you--forever. Don"t curse me yet! Wait! I am not through. This very night I shall offer my share in this show to Colonel Grand. He may have it at his own price. If he will not buy, then I shall go forth and look for another purchaser. I--"
"You"re my wife. You can"t sell without my consent," he exclaimed.
"Then I will ask the court to give me the right. Now, go! I--"
"You can"t take Christine. She"s as much mine as she is--"
"I will hear no more. I have given you the last chance to be a man.
This ends it!"
She turned and walked away from him. He knew that it was all over between them.
Considerably shaken, he went over and sat down on a trunk near the wall. Suddenly he sprang to his feet with a curious half-laugh, half-sob. He glared at the flap through which she had disappeared. A cunning, malevolent expression came into his pop-eyes.
"Sell out, will you?" he muttered. "I"ll block that game. I"ll sell out to him myself. That"s what he wants."
He lifted the sidewall and pa.s.sed out into the open air, directing his footsteps toward the ticket-wagon. Colonel Grand was leaving it as he came up.
"h.e.l.lo, Brad," he said quite genially. "If I was a bit rough awhile ago, I apolo--"
"Say, I want to talk privately with you, right away. I"ve got a proposition to make. It"s final, too,--and it"s friendly, so don"t look as if you"re going to pull a gun on me. Come on to the hotel. Oh, I"m not as drunk as you think!"
"Mrs. Braddock expects me to escort her to the hotel--"
"No, she don"t," rasped the other. "She"s all right. Leave her alone.
Are you coming?"
Colonel Grand was struck by the man"s behavior. He shrewdly saw that something vital was in the air.
"All right," he said. "I"ll go with you."
They were soon closeted in the room back of the hotel bar, a bottle between them on the table. The door was locked. Their conversation lasted an hour. When Colonel Grand arose to depart he stood a little behind and to the left of Braddock"s chair, a soft, sardonic smile on his lips. He held a sheet of paper in his hand. Pen and ink on the table, alongside the more sinister bottle, told of an act of penmanship.
"We"ll have the night clerk and some one else witness the signatures,"
he said quietly.
"All right," said Braddock hoa.r.s.ely. He was staring at his fingers, which he twiddled in a nerveless, irresolute manner.