"I've been writing a letter to Mr. Morse, dad, thanking him for not having
me arrested."
Lee shot at her a glance of quick alarm.
"Does he know about it, honey?"
"Yes. Jack Flatray found out the whole thing and told him. He was very
insistent on dropping it, Mr. Flatray says."
"You say Jack found out all about it, honey?" repeated Lee in surprise.
He was seated in a big chair on the porch, and she nestled on one arm of
it, rumpled his gray hair as she had always done since she had been a
little girl, kissed him, and plunged into her story.
He heard her to the end without a word, but she noticed that he gripped
the chair hard. When she had finished he swept her into his arms and broke
down over her, calling her the pet names of her childhood.
"Honey-bird ... Dad's little honey-bird ... I'm that ashamed of myse'f.
'Twas the whisky did it, lambie. Long as I live I'll nevah touch it again.
I'll sweah that befo' God. All week you been packin' the troubles I
heaped on you, precious, and afteh you-all saved me from being a
criminal...."
So he went on, spending his tempestuous love in endearments and caresses,
and so together they afterward talked it out and agreed to send the letter
she had written.
But Lee was not satisfied with her atonement. He could not rest to let it
go at that, without expressing his own part in it to Bellamy. Next day he
rode up to the mine, and found its owner in workman's slops just stepping
from the cage. If Bellamy were surprised to see him, no sign of it reached
his face.
"If you'll wait a minute till I get these things off, I'll walk up to the
cabin with you, Mr. Lee," he said.
"I reckon you got my daughter's letter," said Lee abruptly as he strode up
the mountainside with his host.
"Yes, I got it an hour ago."
"I be'n and studied it out, Mr. Morse. I couldn't let it go at that, and
so I reckoned I'd jog along up hyer and tell you the whole story."
"That's as you please, Mr. Lee. I'm quite satisfied as it is."
The rancher went on as if he had not heard. "'Course I be'n holding a
grudge at you evah since you took up this hyer claim. I expect that
rankles with me most of the time, and when I take to drinking seems to me
that mine still belongs to me. Well, I heerd tell of that shipment you was
making, and I sets out to git it, for it ce'tainly did seem to belong to
me. Understand, I wasn't drunk, but had be'n settin' pretty steady to the
bottle for several days. Melissy finds it out, no matter how, and
undertakes to keep me out of trouble. She's that full of sand, she nevah
once thought of the danger or the consequences. Anyhow, she meant to git
the bullion back to you afteh the thing had blown over."