The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 108: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

104 “Miss ‘Travis! ” he called before she could pass out. “Well? ” she asked, pausing. So much feeling throbbed in his voice when he answered that the girl was startled. “¢ You are makisys my duty very hard for me.’ Could it be the phlegmatic, self-con- tained manager who had spoken in this way? For an instant Amy hesitated; then she gave a low, mirthless laugh. “ Hard!” she exclaimed : “for you? ” The next moment she was gone. CHAPTER XIV. AS FATE DECREED. For a space Whipple stood with his eyes on the door from which the slen- der, girlish form had vanished. Pres- ently he turned to one of the windows. The Mexicans, with gay laughter and much chattering in their own language, were scampering away from the tanks and the tailings piles. But he did not see them. What he saw was this side the win- dow—a vision of a rapt, prayerful face lifted above two folded hands. He passed his hand across his fore- head, then plunged it into his pocket. In a moment he withdrew the hand slowly, leaving the packet of rice-paper where it was. Going back to the chair, he sat down and bowed his head for- ward. “If she could know,” he thought, “ if she could only know what this is costing me!” A long time he sat there, the dusk falling outside and gleams from the dy- ing furnace fire leapmg across his bent form in flickering lines. When he was aroused it was by a voice at the door. “Seftor Whipple! ” He looked up with a start. A wom- an’s form was framed in the opening against the lighter background without. “ Ah!” he said. “ Is it you, Teresa? ” “Yes,” she replied, making as though she-would enter, but hesitating to cross the threshold. “ You are com- ing to supper? ”’ : “TI am busy, Teresa, without supper to-night.” and must do Gougle THE ARGOSY. “Tf you wish, senor, I will bring it.” <9 No.” Still hesitating, Teresa turned to go away. “Is Jeffries at the house, Teresa? ” Whipple called suddenly. “He ate his supper and went away, senor.” | “Very well, then.” “Shall I find him for you? Or per- haps Pablo ‘No, no, 1 do not want them.” Reluctantly the girl took her depart- ure. Whipple went outside after she was gone, and made a circuit of the building, casting sharp looks into the hovering shadows. Soon he was back in the office again, and had lifted a loose board in the floor. It was quite dark in the office now, the faint gleams from the furnace serv- ing only to accentuate the gloom. Groping his way to the canvas bag, he lifted it and carried it to the opening -3n the floor. Suddenly he fancied he beard a fall of hoofs, and went to the door and looked and listened. But he neither saw nor heard anything to confirm his sus- picions, and returned to the bullion bag. Unlocking it quickly, he took out the bars one by one and dropped them under the floor. This work completed, he replaced the board and got up. Near the furnace was a small heap of slag. He knew its exact location, and needed no light to guide him in finding it. . Piece after piece of the slag he put into the bag, pausing occasionally to hft it and weigh it carefully in his hand. At last the bag was sufficiently heavy to satisfy him. and he locked it, put it in the safe, and closed the broken safe door. By that time it was very late. The wavering cries of coyotes came down from the hills, but there were no other sounds to break the stillness that reigned everywhere about the camp. In leaving the safe, Whipple halted at the window overlooking the tanks. They stood out grimly in “the light of moon and stars, an unwieldy squad in GORMIGOOO (COL