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"He said that, did he?" Allie's voice was sharp. "N-not exactly, but " "He asked 'em to be nice to me he fixed it all up. Is that it? I got lots of money; some man 'll make love to me and I'll I'll fall in love with him. Is that what he said?" "He didn't put it that way. What he said was more " Allegheny rose with an exclamation of anger. "Well, I won't meet 'em.
So Allie Lee listened to all sounds, particularly to all footsteps, waiting for that one which was to make her heart stand still. Some one had entered the room adjoining hers and was now fumbling at the rude door which had always been barred from the other side. It opened. Stitt, the mute who attended and guarded her, appeared, carrying bundles. Entering, he deposited these upon Allie's bed.
When she opened them, at a touch, Ancliffe stood beside her and the Mexican lay quivering. Ancliffe held the bloody knife; he hid it under his coat. "Come," he said. His voice seemed thin. "But Hough! We must " Ancliffe's strange gesture froze Allie's lips. She followed him clung close to him. There were voices near and persons. All seemed to fall back before the Englishman. He strode on.
Some one in the canvas house was talking to Durade, who apparently must have been in Allie's room and at her window. "See hyar, Greaser, we ain't harborin' any of your outfit, an' we'll plug the fust gent we see," called a surly voice. Durade's staccato tones succeeded it. "Did you see them?" "We heerd them gettin' out the winder." Durade's voice rose high in Spanish curses.
"My name is Place Hough," he said, speaking rapidly and low. "I am a gambler but gentleman. I've heard strange rumors about you, and now I see for myself. Are you Allie Lee?" Allie's heart seemed to come to her throat. She shook all over, and she gazed with piercing intensity at the man.
"Where?" exclaimed Ned, turning around with a suddenness which made him lose his balance, as he sat on the rail, and sent him rolling over backwards to the ground. He was on his feet again in a twinkling, and tore away up the street to meet his guest, and, usurping Allie's place as escort, bring him back to the steps in triumph.
"It's just a little worse than that," cut in Dinky-Dunk, meeting my astonished gaze with a sort of Job-like exultation in his own misery. I promptly asked him what he meant. He sat down again, before speaking. "I mean that I've lost Allie's money along with my own," he very slowly and distinctly said to me.
Wha'd you ?" Allie's voice failed her completely, she groped at her throat, uttering unintelligible, animal-like sounds. "Why, Allie, you're mad! And after all he done for me an' you," Mrs. Briskow cried, accusingly. "You oughter be ashamed." "Sure! Didn't he make us twenty-four thousan' dollars, where we wouldn't of got nothin'? An' us rich as we are, an' him broke? I'm supprised at you."
For an instant, Allie's gaze was fixed on a distant opening between the buildings, where three boyish figures were scurrying along as fast as their feet could carry them. Then she roused herself, and turned to the lad before her, as if she had not heard her father's question. "Didn't you have a good time on the way out here, Cousin Charlie?" she inquired hastily.
"Maybe so," said Howard scornfully, while he flattened his nose against the ticket-office window, in a vain endeavor to see the clock. "Girls always like a new face, and Allie's just like all the rest of them." "No," said Allie judicially, as she pulled the collar of her fur jacket more closely about her ears.
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