CHAPTER XVI
AND SOLVES A FASCINATING MYSTERY
Riding furiously with the fury of the storm as though swept onward withit, looking the very spirit of the wintry season that is made of blacknights and cold, bright days, a woman was hastening upon a jaded horsetoward the Echo Creek ranch house from the direction of El Toyon andthe railroad. She rode well, sitting straight in the heavy saddle, andshe rode hard. When the horse stumbled or floundered in the loose snowshe jerked angrily at the reins and cut sharply with her riding whip.
She entered the yard and rode up to the porch while Wanda was stilldeep in Wayne's letter, while Dart was forming his lips to a soft,silent whistle over a document which had passed from a drawer of thesafe into his caressing white fingers. The woman dismounted quicklybut a little stiffly as though from cold or fatigue, and fastening herhorse's reins with numb, gloved fingers hastened up the steps to theliving room door. She rapped loudly and Wanda, thinking that this wasbut a further evidence of the fact that one of Mr. Dart's names wasDelicacy, called out, "Come in."
It was with a little start of surprise that Wanda saw her. A youngwoman, twenty-five perhaps, of that rare sort of personality thatasserts itself in a flash. Exquisitely cloaked and furred, clad fromtiny boots to cap in black, her hair black, her eyes large and luminousand black. Furs and cloak failed to hide the erect gracefulness of theslender form, the poise of which as well as the carriage of the headindicated an imperious disposition. The woman was undeniablybeautiful, her loveliness the delicately featured, perfectly chiselledbeauty that is called classic. The fur cap upon the small head wassnow encrusted and sat upon her cold beauty like a coronet; under itthe escaping tendrils of jet black hair were fashioned by the cold intoa glistening mesh of silver threads.
"This is the Leland place, isn't it?" was her abrupt greeting.
"Yes," Wanda replied, not yet quite recovered from the surprise of thesudden vision.
"You are Wanda Leland, I suppose?" the cool, deep-throated voice wenton as the black eyes flashed critically from the girl's face to herhouse dress, her pumps, the letter in her hands, her face again.
"Yes," Wanda repeated quietly. She disliked the little air this womanhad about her, the subtle hint of patronage and superiority, but hernatural wish to be hospitable to a stranger driven hither by the stormmade her seek to ignore this first impression.
"I'm Claire Hazleton. I've just ridden in from El Toyon. My horse isdone up, I'm afraid, or I shouldn't have troubled you."
Wanda's quick, ready smile flashed out at this and she came forward,putting out her hand.
"I'm glad that you did come," she said cordially. "You must be tiredto death and simply frozen. If you'll come up to the fire and take offyour things I'll make some tea or coffee."
Claire Hazleton's slim gloved hand accepted Wanda's, touching itlightly.
"You are too kind," she began formally. "If it wouldn't be too muchbother--"
"Nonsense," laughed Wanda. "If you'll make yourself cozy at the fireI'll be back in a moment."
Hurrying out, Wanda had a glimpse of Willie Dart standing on the porch,his hands in his pockets, his big innocent eyes beaming approvingly atthe snow and the sky and the world in general. As she went on her wayto the kitchen, Mr. Dart, having in turn looked approvingly at her,shifted his gaze to the panting saddle horse standing with droopinghead at the steps, and then, putting his hands under his coat tails, hereturned to the living room. Claire Hazleton had just removed herouter wraps and was warming her hands at the fire. Mr. Dart, noticingthe cluster of rings on her fingers, flapped his coat tails up and downand closed the door behind him with his elbow.
"Say," he began pleasantly, "it's fierce outside, ain't it? Talk abouta slush party. Ain't this a ring tailed dandy?"
She turned upon him slowly and bestowed upon him a long stare, franklycurious. Then she laughed.
"It certainly is a ring tailed dandy," she admitted musically. "Youaren't Mr. Leland, are you?"
Dart laughed too, his amusement apparently as genuine as hers, andentirely unabashed by the unconcealed appraisal of her glance at him.
"You're joshing," he retorted, coming closer so that while he couldlook at her he could turn his coat tails to the fire. "There's as muchdifference between me and my old pal Mart as there is between you and apicture of a little country girl picking buttercups."
"You don't think I look the part?" she smiled.
"You?" He favoured her with the full measure of his supreme impudenceas he looked her over. "You're just built to play the queen's part ina tragedy show on Broadway. After the first night there'd be just onetheatre doing business."
She frowned quickly, her eyes darkening as they had when she struckwith her whip at her tired horse. Then she shrugged her shoulders andlaughed again.
"You're very flattering," she said in a way which made Dart look at hersharply and which for a very brief time left him a little uncertain.
"Me?" he said. "You wrong me, lady. Honest you do. I'm sired by agentleman who was a Baptist minister and who instilled in his only sonif you lie once you'll do it some more and then you'll get caught.Say, seeing Wanda ain't here to do the knockdown stunt, I'm Dart, Mr.Willie Dart, to command."
He bobbed her a bow, accompanied the ceremony with a little flap of thecoat tails, and all the while did not shift his round, inquisitive eyesfrom her face.
"Being acquainted now," he went on when a little pause assured him thatshe was not going to respond with an exchange of names, "just makeyourself to home, won't you? I'll duck in and tell Wanda you're here.And," merely as an afterthought, "what name will I say, lady?"
"Don't bother," she replied coolly. "She knows I'm here."
"Does she? She hasn't been expecting you, has she?"
"No." Miss Hazleton's interest in the little man had evidently died asudden death, and her one concern now seemed to get herself warm anddry.
"She's one great little kid, Wanda is, ain't she?" he ran on, totallyunaffected by the significance of the young woman's back whose gracefulcurves were not lost to his admiring eyes.
"If you say so she must be," came the calm answer. "I never saw herbefore to-day."
"And you don't know old Mart?" She did not know Wanda, he surmised,she had wondered if he were Leland, then it must be Mrs. Leland she hadcome to see. "Say," he continued, "maybe Wanda couldn't find MammaLeland! I'll just slip in and break the news. Gee, won't she betickled to see you, you coming unexpected like this?"
"Really, Mr. Dart," she told him crisply, "you needn't take thetrouble. Mrs. Leland wouldn't be the least bit glad to see me as shedoesn't know me. And if you haven't discovered the fact already Imight as well tell you that I am eminently capable of managing my ownaffairs."
Mr. Dart's silent whistle came very near being audible. But heanswered in a voice which was meant to assure her that his sensitivenature had not been hurt and that his admiration had merely beenstimulated.
"That's me," he said brightly. "Give me the dame every time that makesher own play and don't yell, 'Help' if she sticks a pin in her finger.Them doll-babies some guys go dippy over don't qualify for the finalswith me."
But Mr. Dart was puzzled. She had ridden here through this storm, shehad come all the way from El Toyon, for he had not been inattentivewhile he had been just outside the door before Wanda left the room, andshe did not know a single person on the ranch. The very reason for herpresence here was a challenge to Dart's peculiar temperament.
"Tell you what I'll do," he resumed, "I'll take that skate of yoursdown to the barn and throw some hay into him. He looks like it woulddo him good in case the shock don't undermine his system."
He made his hesitant way toward the door, his pride a little wounded atbeing defeated in the initial skirmish, his confident optimism lookingforward eagerly to a more skilful attack. And then a word from MissHazleton brought him back to the charge.
"Don't trouble to take the saddle off," she said wi
thout turning. "Ishall be riding on as soon as I have my tea."
Riding on? Where? The very course she had come pointed at one place.
"It's quite a ways to Red's," he said quickly. "You better take iteasy and rest up a bit."
"Red's?" she condescended to ask.
"Sure. Shandon's, you know. You're headed for the Bar L-M, ain't you?Say, I'm going back that way myself pretty soon. Suppose you comealong with me? I got a cart. It ain't much to look at but anyhow itbeats pounding saddle leather. We can lead your skate, if you want to."
And rather to Dart's surprise she answered promptly,
"Thank you. That will be better. But in any case don't unsaddle. Andwhen you come in will you bring the little bag strapped behind thesaddle?"
Wanda returned then, bringing the tea and a hastily prepared lunch.Dart winked at her as he went out. He led the shivering horse at atrot to the barn.
"Now," he grunted in a mournful tone that spoke of disappointment andhinted at disgust, "wouldn't you think, to look at her, that dame hadmore stuff in her head than to do a trick like that?"
For the little black bag was locked and the key was gone, and the lockwas a thing to make Mr. Dart sigh and shake his head as he had doneover Martin's safe.
"I'll get so used to turning baby tricks," he mused, "I won't be ableto do a real man's work. Well, it can't be helped when a man's puttingin time in a place like this. Now, Lady Clamshell, we'll take a peepand see if your baggage--"
The bag was open, its contents rifled by slim, white fingers thatseemed, each one, endowed with a brain of its own. In an incrediblyshort time various negligible feminine articles had been examined andreplaced very carefully and exactly, a handkerchief without so much asa laundry mark, a silver vanity set with no monogram, and then came thereward to Mr. Dart's curiosity. It was a card case half filled withcalling cards.
Mr. Dart did a thing he had rarely done in his life. He swore. Hesaid:
"Well, I'll be damned!"
And being alone, speaking confidentially to himself, he may have meantit. He looked as though he did.
"You are very kind, Miss Leland," the new-comer was saying quietly. "Ishould like to accept your hospitality further. It has been a pleasureto meet you, I am sure. But you will infer from my being abroad at allat a time like this that my errand is urgent. I must be goingimmediately."
Mr. Dart came in at this juncture, his expression void of all emotionexcept a deep, unhidden admiration which embraced the two women, bothof whom he felt honoured in including in the list of his friends.
"Miss Hazleton," began Wanda, "I didn't introduce you to Mr. Dart."
"He did," replied the other briefly.
"Sure," supplemented Dart. He handed the black bag to its owner andasked casually, "You're strong for hitting the pike right away?"
"If you are ready."
"Right-o, Miss Hazleton," he answered, pronouncing the name as thoughhe enjoyed the sound of it. "I came over on some hurry-up business,"with a sly look at Wanda that brought a little flush to her cheeks,"and I didn't unhook. Old Bots is pawing the earth and snorting hiseagerness to help out. Say the word and we're off."
Involuntarily Wanda showed her surprise at the arrangement. It was thefirst word she had had of their way lying together.
"The lady's going over to the Bar L-M," Dart remarked as he observedWanda's look. "She's a friend of Red's."
"Oh," said Wanda.
She strove immediately to act and speak as though there were nothingunusual in the situation. Miss Hazleton put on her coat and furs againwithout volunteering further information, while Dart hurried away forhis own cart and her horse. Wanda accompanied them to the porch, sawthem seated and starting and then returned to the house with a littlehurt feeling in her heart which she knew was foolish but which shecould not drive out. If Claire Hazleton and Wayne Shandon were uponsuch intimate terms that she made this trip to see him, it was a littlestrange that Wayne had never so much as mentioned her name to her.
"Wait a minute," cried Dart, jerking his horse up short before they hadgone fifty yards from the house. "I forgot my gloves."
He shoved the reins into his companion's hands, jumped down and runningback burst in bright faced and eager upon Wanda, startling her with thesudden unexpectedness of his return. With his finger upon his lips,his air surcharged with mystery, he came close to her.
"Have you wised up?" he whispered. "Got next to who the mysteriousfairy is?"
"She's Miss Claire Hazleton," said Wanda a little stiffly and a bitpuzzled.
"Rats!" grunted Mr. Dart putting much eloquence Into the monosyllable."That's a bum monniker out of a French love story. It's the Roosianprincess. It's Helga, that's who it is!"
He slipped a little engraved calling card into her hand, winked intoher amazed eyes, drew a pair of gloves out of his hip pocket, crumpledthem in his hand and hastened back to the cart.
Wanda stared a moment at the card. Then she flung it from her and withblazing eyes watched the flames in the fireplace lick at it.