CHAPTER II
THE SHOTGUN WIDOW
The Widow Huff was burdened with a tray and her eye sought wildly forVirginia but when she glimpsed Wiley moving swiftly towards the door sheset down his dinner with a bang. The disrespectful epithet which he hadapplied to her had been lost in the clatter of plates, but the momentthe Widow came into the room she sensed the hair-trigger atmosphere.
"Here!" she ordered, taking command on the instant. "Come back here,young man, and pay me for this dinner! And Virginia Huff, you go outinto the kitchen--how many times do I have to speak to you?"
Virginia started and stopped, her resentful eyes on Wiley, a thin smileparting her lips.
"He said----" she began, and then Wiley strode back and slapped down adollar on the table.
"Yes, and I meant it, too," he answered fiercely. "There's your pay--andyou can keep your mine."
"Why, certainly," responded the Widow without knowing what she wastalking about, "and now you eat that dinner!"
She pointed a finger to the tray of food and looked Wiley Holman in theeye. He wavered, gazing from her to the smiling Virginia, and then hedrew up his chair.
"I'll go you," he said and showed his teeth in a grin. "You can't hurtmy feelings that way."
He lifted the T-bone steak from the platter and transferred it swiftlyto his plate and then, as he fell to eating ravenously, the Widowcondescended to smile.
"When I go to the trouble of cooking a man a steak," she announced withthe suggestion of a swagger, "I expect him to stay and eat it."
"All right," mumbled Wiley, and glancing fleeringly at Virginia, he wentahead with his meal.
The Widow looked over her shoulder at her daughter and then back at thestranger, but as she was about to inquire into the cause of theirquarrel she spied his diamond ring. She approached him closer underpretext of pouring out some water and then she sank down into a chair.
"That is a very fine ring," she stated briefly. "Worth fifteen hundreddollars at the least. Haven't I seen you somewhere, before?"
"Very likely," returned Wiley, not venturing to look up, "my businesstakes me everywhere."
"I thought I recognized you," went on the Widow ingratiatingly; "you'rea mining man, aren't you, Mister--er----"
"Wiley," he answered, and at this bold piece of effrontery Virginiacaught her breath.
"Ah, yes, I remember you now," said the Widow. "You knew my husband, ofcourse--Colonel Huff? He passed away on the twentieth of July; but therewas a time, not so many years ago, that I wore a few diamonds myself."She fixed her restless eyes on his ring and heaved a discontented sigh."Virginia," she directed, "run out into the kitchen and clean up thatskillet and all. I declare, you do less and less every day--are you amarried man, Mr. Wiley?"
Without awaiting the answer to this portentous question, Virginia flungout into the kitchen and, left alone, the Widow drew nearer and hermanner became suddenly confidential.
"I'd like to talk with you," she began, "about my husband's mine. Ofcourse you've heard of the famous Paymaster--that's the mill right overeast of town--but there are very few men that know what I do about thereasons why that mine was shut down. It was commonly reported thatColonel Huff was trying to get possession of the property, but the truthof the matter is he was deceived by old John Holman and finally leftholding the sack. You see, it was this way. My husband and John Holmanhad always been lifelong friends, but Colonel Huff was naturallygenerous while Holman thought of nothing but money. Well, my husbanddiscovered the Paymaster--he was led to it by an Indian that he hadsaved from being killed by the soldiers--but, not having any money, hewent to John Holman and they developed the mine together. It turned outvery rich and such a rush you never saw--this valley was full of tentsfor miles--but it was so far from the railroad--seventy-four miles toVegas--that the work was very expensive. The Company was reorganized andMr. Blount, the banker, was given a third of the promotion stock. Thenthe five hundred thousand shares of treasury stock was put on the marketin order to build the new mill; and when the railroad came in there wassuch a crazy speculation that everybody lost track of the transfers. Myhusband, of course, was generous to a fault and accustomed to livinglike a gentleman--and he invested very heavily in real estate, too--butthis Mr. Blount was always out for his interest and Honest John wouldskin a dead flea."
"Honest John!" challenged Wiley, looking up from his eating with an uglyglint in his eye, but the Widow was far away.
"Yes, Honest John Holman," she sneered, without noticing his resentment."They called him Honest John. Did you ever know one of these 'HonestJohn' fellows yet that wasn't a thorough-paced scoundrel? Well, old JohnHolman he threw in with Blount to deprive Colonel Huff of his profitsand, with these street certificates everywhere and no one recordingtheir transfers, the Colonel was naturally deceived into thinking thatthe selling was from the outside. But all the time, while they wereselling their stock and hammering down the price of Paymaster, they weretelling the Colonel that it was only temporary and he ought to supportthe market. So he bought in what he could, though it wasn't much, as hewas interested in other properties, and then when the crash came he wasleft without anything and Blount and Holman were rich. The great paniccame on and Blount foreclosed on everything, and then Mr. Huff fell outwith John Holman and they closed the Paymaster down. That was ten yearsago and, with the litigation and all, the stock went down to nothing.The whole camp went dead and all the folks moved away--but have you everbeen through the mine? Well, I want you to go--that ground has hardlybeen scratched!"
Wiley Holman glanced up doubtfully from under his heavy eyebrows and theWidow became voluble in her protests.
"No, sir," she exclaimed, "I certainly ought to know, because theColonel was Superintendent; and when he had been drinking--the town wasawful, that way--he would tell me all about the mine. And that was hisphrase--he used it always: 'That ground has hardly been scratched!' Butwhen he fell out with old John Holman he--well, there was an explosionunderground and the glory-hole stope caved in. They cleaned it outafterwards and hunted around, but all the rich ore was gone; but I'mjust as certain as I'm sitting here this minute the Colonel knew wherethere was more! He never would admit it--he was peculiar, that way, henever would discuss his business before a woman. But he wouldn't denyit, and when he had been drinking--well, I know it's there, that's all!"
She paused for her effect but Mr. Wiley, the mining man, was singularlyunimpressed. He continued eating in moody silence and the Widow triedthe question direct.
"Well, what do you think about it?" she demanded bluffly. "Would youlike to consider the property?"
"No, I don't think so," he answered impersonally. "I'm on my way upnorth."
"Well, when you come back, then. Since my husband is gone I'm so sickand tired of it all I'll consider any offer--for cash."
"Nope," he responded, "I'm out for something different." Then to stemthe tide of her impending protest, he broke his studious silence. "I'mlooking for molybdenum," he went on quickly, "and some of these otherrare metals that are in demand on account of the war. Ever find anyvanadium or manganese around here? No, I guess they're all furthernorth."
He returned to his meal and the Widow surveyed him appraisingly with herbold, inquisitive eyes. She was a big, strapping woman, and handsome ina way; but the corners of her mouth were drawn down sharply in a sulky,lawless pout.
"Aw, tell me the truth," she burst out at last. "What have you gotagainst the property?"
A somber glow came into his eyes as he opened his lips to speak, andthen he veiled his smouldering hate behind a crafty smile.
"The parties that I represent," he said deliberately, "are looking for a_mine_. But the man that puts his money into the Paymaster propertyis simply buying a lawsuit."
"What do you mean?" demanded the Widow, rousing up indignantly inresponse to this sudden thrust.
"I mean, no matter how rich the Paymaster may be--and I hear the wholedistrict is worked out--I wouldn't even go up the hill to lo
ok at ituntil you showed me the title was good."
The Widow sat and glowered as she meditated a fitting response and thenshe rose to her feet.
"Well, all right, then," she sulked, "if you don't want to considerit--but you're missing the chance of your life."
"Very likely," he muttered and reached for his hat. "Much obliged forcooking my dinner."
He started for the door, but she flew swiftly after him and snatched himback into the room.
"Now here!" she cried, "I want you to listen to me--I've got tired ofthis everlasting waiting. I waited around for ten years on the Colonel,to settle this matter up, and now that he's gone I'm going to settle itmyself and get out of the cussed country. Maybe I don't own the mine,but I own a good part of it--I've got two hundred thousand shares ofstock--and I could sell it to-morrow for twenty thousand dollars, so youdon't need to turn up your nose. There must be something there after allthese years, to bring an offer of ten cents a share; but I wouldn't takethat money if it was the last act of my life--I just hate that HonestJohn Holman! He cheated my husband out of everything he had--and yet hedid it in such a deceitful way that the Colonel would never believe it.I've called him a coward a thousand times for tolerating such an outragefor an instant, and now that he's gone I'm going to show Honest Johnthat he can't put it over _me_!"
She shook her head until her heavy black hair flew out like Medusa'slocks and then Wiley laughed provokingly.
"All right," he said, "but you can't rope me in on your feuds. If youwant to give me an option on your stock in the company for five or tencents a share I may take a look at your mine. But I'll tell you onething--you'll sign an agreement first to leave the country and nevercome back. I'm a business man, working for business people, and theseshotgun methods don't go."
"Well, I'll do it!" exclaimed the Widow, passing by his numerous insultsin a sudden mad grab at release. "Just draw up your paper and I'll signit in a minute--but I want ten cents a share!"
"Ten cents or ten dollars--it makes no difference to me. You can put itas high as you like--but if it's too high, my principals won't take it.I can't stop to inspect it now, because I'm due up north, but I'll tellyou what I'll do. You give me an option on all your stock, with awritten permission to take possession, and if the other two big ownerswill do as much I'll come back and consider the mine. But get thisstraight--the first time you butt in, this option and agreement is off!"
"What do you mean--butt in?" demanded the Widow truculently, and thenshe bit her lip. "Well, never mind," she said, "just draw up yourpapers. I'll show you I'm business myself."
"Huh!" he grunted and, whipping out a fountain pen, he sat down andwrote rapidly at a table. "There," he said tearing the leaf from hisnotebook and putting it into her hands, "just read that over and if youwant to sign it we'll close the deal, right here."
The Widow took the paper and, turning it to the light, began a laboredperusal.
"Memorandum of agreement," she muttered, squinting her eyes at hishandwriting, "hmm, I'll have to go and get my glasses. 'For and inconsideration of the sum of ten dollars--to me in hand paid by M. R.Wiley,' and so forth--oh well, I guess it's all right, just show mewhere to sign."
"No," he said, "let me read it to you--you ought to know what you'resigning."
"No, just show me where to sign," protested the Widow petulantly, "andwhere it says ten cents a share."
"Well, it says that here," answered Wiley, putting his finger on theplace, "but I'm going to read it to you--it wouldn't be legalotherwise."
He wiped the beaded sweat from his brow and glanced towards the kitchendoor. In this desperate game which he was framing on the Widow the luckhad all come his way, but as he cleared his throat and commenced to readVirginia came bounding in. She was carrying a kitten, but when she sawthe paper between them she dropped it on the floor.
"Virginia!" cried her mother, "go and hunt my glasses. They're somewherein my bedroom."
"All right," she responded, but when she came back she glancedinquiringly at the paper.
"You can go now," announced the Widow, adjusting her glasses, butVirginia threw up her head.
"Do you know who that is?" she demanded brusquely, pointing an accusingfinger at Wiley.
"Why--er--no," returned the Widow, now absorbed in the agreement.
"Well, all right," she said after a hasty perusal, "but where's that sumof ten dollars? Now you hush, Virginia, and go--into--the--_kitchen_!Now, it says right here--oh, where is that place? Oh yes, 'the receiptwhereof is hereby acknowledged'! _Virginia!_"
She stamped her foot, but Virginia's blood was up and she made a grab atthe paper.
"Now, _listen!_" she screamed, stopping her mother in her rush."That man there is Wiley Holman! Yes--Holman! Old Honest John's son!What's this you're going to sign?"
She backed away, her eyes fixed on the agreement, while the Widow stoodastounded.
"Wiley _Holman_!" she shrieked, "why, you limb of Satan, you saidyour name was Wiley!"
"It is," returned Wiley with one eye on the door, "the rest of my nameis Holman."
"But you signed it on this paper--you wrote it right there! Oh, I'llhave the law on you for this!"
She clutched at the paper and as Virginia gave it to her mother sheturned an accusing glance upon Wiley.
"Yes, that's just like you, Mr. M. R. Wiley," she observed withscathing sarcasm. "You were just that way when you were a kid here inKeno--always trying to get the advantage of somebody. But if I'dthought you had the nerve----" She glanced at the paper and gasped andWiley showed his teeth in a grin.
"Well, she crowded me to it," he answered with a swagger. "I'm strictlybusiness--I'll sign up anybody. You can just keep that paper," he noddedto the Widow, "and send it to me by mail."
He winked at Virginia and slipped swiftly out the door as the Widowmade a rush for her gun. She came out after him, brandishing adouble-barreled shotgun, just as he cranked up his machine to start.
"I'll show you!" she yelled, jerking her gun to her shoulder. "I'lllearn you to get funny with _me_!"
She pulled the trigger, but Wiley was watching her and he ducked downbehind the radiator.
_Clank_, went the hammer and with a wail of rage the Widow snappedthe other barrel.
"You, Virginia!" she cried in a terrible voice, "have you been monkeyingwith my shotgun?"
The answer was lost in a series of explosions that awoke every echo inKeno, and Wiley Holman leapt into his machine. He jerked off his brakeand stepped on the foot throttle but as he roared off up the street hewaved a grimy hand at Virginia.