CHAPTER XXVI
THE FINE PRINT
A week passed by, and Wilhelmina rode into Blackwater and mailed aletter to the County Recorder; and a week later she came back, toreceive a letter in return and to buy at the store with gold. And thenthe big news broke--the Sockdolager had been found--and there was astampede that went clear to the peaks. Blackwater was abandoned, andswarming again the next day with the second wave of stampeders; and theday after that John C. Calhoun piled out of the stage and demanded tosee Wilhelmina. He hardly knew her at first, for she had bought a newdress; and she sat in an office up over the bank, talking business withseveral important persons.
"What's this I hear?" he demanded truculently, when he had cleared theroom of all callers. "I hear you've located my mine."
"Yes, I have," she admitted. "But of course it wasn't yours--andbesides, you said I could have it."
"Where is it at?" he snapped, sweating and fighting back his hair, andwhen she told him he groaned.
"How'd you find it?" he asked, and then he groaned again, for she hadfollowed his own fresh trail.
"Stung!" he moaned and sank down in a chair, at which she dimpledprettily.
"Yes," she said, "but it was all for your own good. And anyway, youdared me to do it."
"Yes, I did," he assented with a weary sigh. "Well, what do you want meto do?"
"Why, nothing," she returned. "I'm going to sell out to Mr. Eellsand----"
"To Eells!" he yelled. "Well, by the holy, jumping Judas--how much is hegoing to give you?"
"Forty thousand dollars and----"
"_Forty thousand!_ Say, she's worth forty _million_! Forcripes' sake--have you signed the papers?"
"No, I haven't, but----"
"Well, then, _don't_! Don't you do it--don't you dare to signanything, not even a receipt for your money! Oh, my Lord, I just gothere in time!"
"But I'm going to," ended Wilhelmina, and then for the first time henoticed the look in her eye. It was as cold and steely as agun-fighter's.
"Why--what's the matter?" he clamored. "You ain't sore at me, are you?But even if you are, don't sign any papers until I tell you about thatmine. How much ore have you got in sight?"
"Why, just that one vein, where it goes under the black rock----"
"They's two others!" he panted, "that I covered up on purpose. Oh, myLord, this is simply awful."
"Two others!" echoed Wilhelmina, and then she sat dumb while a scaredlook crept into her eyes. "Well, I didn't know that," she went on atlast, "and of course we lost everything, that other time. So when Mr.Eells offered me forty thousand cash and agreed to release you from thatgrubstake contract----"
"You throwed the whole thing away, eh?"
He had turned sullen now and petulantly discontented and the fireflashed back into her eyes.
"Well, is that all the thanks I get? I thought you _wanted_ thatcontract!"
"I did!" he complained, "but if you'd left me alone I'd've got it awayfrom him for nothing. But forty thousand dollars! Say, what's yourdoggoned hurry--have you got to sell out the first day?"
"No, but that time before, when he tried to buy us out I held on until Ididn't get anything. And father has been waiting for his road solong----"
"Oh, that road again!" snarled Wunpost. "Is that all you think about?You've thrown away millions of dollars!"
"Well, anyway, I've got the road!" she answered with spirit, "and that'smore than I did before. If I'd followed my own judgment instead oftaking your advice----"
"Your judgment!" he mocked; "say, shake yourself, kid--you've pulled thebiggest bonehead of a life-time."
"I don't care!" she answered, "I'll get forty thousand dollars. And ifFather builds his road our mine will be worth millions, so why shouldn'tI let this one go?"
"Oh, boys!" sighed Wunpost and slumped down in his chair, then roused upwith a wild look in his eyes. "You haven't signed up, have you?" hedemanded again. "Well, thank God, then, I got here in time!"
"No you didn't," she said, "because I told him I'd do it and we'vealready drawn up the papers. At first he wouldn't hear to it, to releaseyou from your contract; but when I told him I wouldn't sell without it,he and Lapham had a conference and they're downstairs now having itcopied. There are to be three copies, one for each of us and one foryou, because of course you're an interested party. And I thought, if youwere released, you could go out and find another mine and----"
"Another one!" raved Wunpost. "Say, you must think it's easy! I'll neverfind another one in a life-time. Another Sockdolager? I could sell thatmine tomorrow for a million dollars, cash; it's got a hundred thousanddollars in sight!"
"Well, that's what you told me when we had the Willie Meena, and nowalready they say it's worked out--and I know Mr. Eells isn't rich. Hehad to send to Los Angeles to get the money for this first payment----"
"What, have you accepted his _money_?" shouted Wunpost accusingly,and Wilhelmina rose to her feet.
"Mr. Calhoun," she said, "I'll have you to understand that I own thismine myself. And I'm not going to sit here and be yelled at like aMexican--not by you or anybody else."
"Oh, it's yours, is it?" he jeered. "Well, excuse me for living; but whocame across it in the first place?"
"Well, you did," she conceded, "and if you hadn't been always braggingabout it you might be owning it yet. But you were always showing off,and making fun of my father, and saying we were all such_fools_--so I thought I'd just _show_ you, and it's no usetalking now, because I've agreed to sell it to Eells."
"That's all right, kid," he nodded, after a long minute of silence. "Ireckon I had it coming to me. But, by grab, I never thought that littleBilly Campbell would throw the hooks into me like this."
"No, and I wouldn't," she returned, "only you just treated us like dirt.I'm glad, and I'd do it again."
"Well, I've learned one thing," he muttered gloomily; "I'll never trusta woman again."
"Now isn't that just like a man!" exclaimed Wilhelmina indignantly. "Youknow you never trusted anybody. I asked you one time where you got allthat ore and you looked smart and said: 'That's a question. If I'd tellyou, you'd know the answer.' Those were the very words you said. And nowyou'll never trust a woman again!"
She laughed, and Wunpost rose slowly to his feet, but he did not get outof the door.
"What's the matter?" she taunted; "did 'them Los Angeles girls' foolyou, too? Or am I the only one?"
"You're the only one," he answered ambiguously, and stood looking at herqueerly.
"Well, cheer up!" she dimpled, for her mood was gay. "You'll findanother one, somewhere."
"No I won't," he said; "you're the only one, Billy. But I never lookedfor nothing like this."
"Well, you told me to get onto myself and learn to play the game, andfinally I took you at your word."
"Yes," he agreed, "I can't say a word. But these Blackwater stiffs willsure throw it into me when they find I've been trimmed by a girl. Thebest thing I can do is to drift."
He put his hand on the door-knob, but she knew he would not go, and heturned back with a sheepish grin.
"What do the folks think about this?" he inquired casually, andWilhelmina made a face.
"They think I'm just _awful_!" she confessed. "But I don'tcare--I'm tired of being poor."
"Don't reckon there'll be another cloudburst, do you, about the time youget your road built?"
She grew sober at that and then her eyes gleamed.
"I don't care!" she repeated, "and besides, I didn't steal this. Youtold me I could have it, you know."
"Too fine a point for me," he decided. "We'll just see, after you buildyour new road."
"Well, I'm going to build it," she stated, "because he'll worry himselfto death. And I don't care what happens to me, as long as he gets hisroad."
"Well, I've seen 'em that wanted all kinds of things, but you're thefirst one that wanted a road. And so you're going to sign this contractif it loses you a million dollars?"
"Yes, I am," sh
e said. "We've drawn it all up and I've given him myword, so there's nothing else to do."
"Yes, there is," he replied. "Tell him you've changed your mind and wanta million dollars. Tell him that I've come back and don't want thatgrubstake contract and that you'll take it all in cash."
"No," she frowned, "now there's no use arguing, because I've fully madeup my mind. And if----" She paused and listened as steps came down thehall. "They're coming," she said and smiled.
There was a rapid patter of feet and Lapham rapped and came in, bearingsome papers and his notary's stamp; but when he saw Wunpost he stoppedand stood aghast, while his stamp fell to the floor with a bang.
"Why, why--oh, excuse me!" he broke out, turning to dart through thedoor; but the mighty bulk of Eells had blocked his way and now it forcedhim back.
"Why--what's this?" demanded Eells, and then he saw Wunpost and his lipdropped down and came up. "Oh, excuse me, Miss Campbell," he burst outhastily, "we'll come back--didn't know you were occupied." He started toback out and Wunpost and Wilhelmina exchanged glances, for they hadnever seen him flustered before. But now he was stampeded, though whythey could not guess, for he had never feared Wunpost before.
"Oh, don't go!" cried Wilhelmina; "we were just waiting for you to come._Please_ come back--I want to have it over with."
She flew to the door and held it open and Eells and his lawyer filed in.
"Don't let me disturb you," said Wunpost grimly and stood with his backto the wall. There was something in the wind, he could guess thatalready, and he waited to see what would happen. But if Eells had beenstartled his nerve had returned, and he proceeded with ponderousdignity.
"This won't take but a moment," he observed to Wilhelmina as he spreadthe papers before her. "Here are the three copies of our agreementand"--he shook out his fountain pen--"you put your name right there."
"No you don't!" spoke up Wunpost, breaking in on the spell, "don't signnothing that you haven't read."
He fixed her with his eyes and as Wilhelmina read his thoughts she laiddown the waiting pen. Eells drew up his lip, Lapham shuffled uneasily,and Wilhelmina took up the contract. She glanced through it page bypage, dipping in here and there and then turning impatiently ahead; andas she struggled with its verbiage the sweat burst from Eells' face andran unnoticed down his neck.
"All right," she smiled, and was picking up the pen when she paused andturned hurriedly back.
"Anything the matter?" croaked Lapham, clearing his throat and hoveringover her, and Wilhelmina looked up helplessly.
"Yes; please show me the place where it tells about that contract--theone for Mr. Calhoun."
"Oh--yes," stammered Lapham, and then he hesitated and glanced across atEells. "Why--er----" he began, running rapidly through the sheets, andJohn C. Calhoun strode forward.
"What did I tell you?" he said, nodding significantly at Wilhelmina andgrabbing up the damning papers. "That'll do for you," he said to Lapham."We'll have you in the Pen for this." And when Lapham and Eells bothrushed at him at once he struck them aside with one hand. For they didnot come on fighting, but all in a tremble, clutching wildly to get backthe papers.
"I knowed it," announced Wunpost; "that clause isn't there. This is onetime when we read the fine print."