Then he was let alone. Finally, as time went on, always courteous, even considerate of the women who happened in his way, but blind and cold to the meaning of their looks and words, he was at last respected and admired.
There was always a game in the big gambling-place, and in fact the greatest stakes were played for by gamblers like Hough, pitted against each other. But most of the time was reserved for the fleecing of the builders of the U. P. R., the wage-earners whose gold was the universal lure and the magnet. Neale won money in those games in which he played with Place Hough. His winnings he scattered or lost in games where he was outpointed or cheated.
One day a number of Eastern capitalists visited Benton. The fame of the town drew crowds of the curious and greedy. And many of these transient visitors wanted to have their fling at the gambling-h.e.l.ls and dancing-halls. There was a contagion in the wildness that affected even the selfish. It would be something to remember and boast of when Benton with its wild life should be a thing of the past.
Place Hough met old acquaintances among some St. Louis visitors, who were out to see the road and Benton, and perhaps to find investments; and he a.s.sured them blandly that their visit would not be memorable unless he relieved them of their surplus cash. So a game with big stakes was begun. Neale, with Hough and five of the visitors, made up the table.
Eastern visitors worked upon Neale"s mood, but he did not betray it. He was always afraid he would come face to face with some of the directors, whom he did not care to meet in such surroundings. And so, while gambling, he seldom looked up from his cards. The crowd came and went, but he never saw it.
This big game attracted watchers. The visitors were noisy; they drank a good deal; they lost with an equanimity that excited interest, even in Benton. The luck for Neale seesawed back and forth. Then he lost steadily until he had to borrow from Hough.
About this time Beauty Stanton, with Ruby and another woman, entered the room, and were at once attracted by the game, to the evident pleasure of the visitors. And then, unexpectedly, Larry Red King stalked in and lounged forward, cool, easy, careless, his cigarette half smoked, his blue eyes keen.
"Hey! is that him?" whispered one of the visitors, indicating Larry.
"That"s Red," replied Hough. "I hope he"s not looking for one of you gentlemen."
They laughed, but not spontaneously.
"I"ve seen his like in Dodge City," said one.
"Ask him to sit in the game," said another.
"No. Red"s a card-sharp," replied Hough. "And I"d hate to see him catch one of you pulling a crooked deal."
They lapsed back into the intricacies and fascination of poker.
Neale, however, found the game unable to hold his undivided attention.
Larry was there, looking and watching, and he made Neale"s blood run cold. The girl Ruby stood close at hand, with her half-closed eyes, mysterious and sweet, upon him, and Beauty Stanton came up behind him.
"Neale, I"ll bring you luck," she said, and put her hand on his shoulder.
Neale"s luck did change. Fortune faced about abruptly, with its fickle inconsistency, and Neale had a run of cards that piled the gold and bills before him and brought a crowd ten deep around the table. When the game broke up Neale had won three thousand dollars.
"See! I brought you luck," whispered Beauty Stanton in his ear. And across the table Ruby smiled hauntingly and mockingly.
Neale waved the crowd toward the bar. Only the women and Larry refused the invitation. Ruby gravitated irresistibly toward the cowboy.
"Aren"t you connected with the road?" inquired one of the visitors, drinking next to Neale.
"Yes," replied Neale.
"Saw you in Omaha at the office of the company. My name"s Blair. I sell supplies to Commissioner Lee. He has growing interests along the road."
Neale"s lips closed and he set down his empty gla.s.s. Excusing himself, he went back to the group he had left. Larry sat on the edge of the table; Ruby stood close to him and she was talking; Stanton and the other woman had taken chairs.
"Wal, I reckon you made a rake-off," drawled Larry, as Neale came up.
"Lend me some money, pard."
Neale glanced at Larry and from him to the girl. She dropped her eyes.
"Ruby, do you like Larry?" he queried.
"Sure do," replied the girl.
"Reddy, do you like Ruby?" went on Neale.
Beauty Stanton smiled her interest. The other woman came back from nowhere to watch Neale. Larry regarded his friend in mild surprise.
"I reckon it was a turrible case of love at fust sight," he drawled.
"I"ll call your bluff!" flashed Neale. "I"ve just won three thousand dollars. I"ll give it to you. Will you take it and leave Benton--go back--no! go west--begin life over again?"
"Together, you mean!" exclaimed Beauty Stanton, as she rose with a glow on her faded face. No need to wonder why she had been named Beauty.
"Yes, together," replied Neale, in swift steadiness. "You"ve started bad. But you"re young. It"s never too late. With this money you can buy a ranch--begin all over again."
"Pard, haven"t you seen too much red liquor?" drawled Larry.
The girl shook her head. "Too late!" she said, softly.
"Why?"
"Larry is bad, but he"s honest. I"m both bad and dishonest."
"Ruby, I wouldn"t call you dishonest," returned Neale, bluntly.
"Bad--yes. And wild! But if you had a chance?"
"No," she said.
"You"re both slated for h.e.l.l. What"s the sense of it?"
"I don"t see that you"re slated for heaven," retorted Ruby.
"Wal, I sh.o.r.e say echo," drawled Larry, as he rolled a cigarette. "Pard, you"re drunk this heah minnit."
"I"m not drunk. I appeal to you, Miss Stanton," protested Neale.
"You certainly are not drunk," she replied. "You"re just--"
"Crazy," interrupted Ruby.
They laughed.
"Maybe I do have queer impulses," replied Neale, as he felt his face grow white. "Every once in a while I see a flash--of--of I don"t know what. _I_ could do something big--even--now--if my heart wasn"t dead."
"Mine"s in its grave," said Ruby, bitterly. "Come, Stanton, let"s get out of this. Find me men who talk of drink and women."
Neale deliberately reached out and stopped her as she turned away. He faced her.