"For Heaven's sake, man, you don't mean this for a fact, do you?"
It was Mark who spoke; he sat alone in his tent with Texas late that evening, and Texas was telling him the story of Mary Adams and what she had done during the day.
"And did she tell you to tell me this?" Mark continued, in amazement.
"No," said Texas; "she didn't want me to a bit. I couldn't make her out 't all. She wanted you to know it, but she didn't want me to tell it."
"I'm afraid," laughed the other, "that you haven't a very delicate sense of propriety. I'm afraid you're no ladies' man, Texas."
"That's all right," answered Texas. "I think I managed this yere affair right well. Now, what I want to know is, what you're goin' to do 'bout it?"
"That's just what I want to know," said his friend. "I'm as puzzled as you. Why, I hadn't the least idea the poor girl felt that way about me."
"Don't you care for her?"
[Pg 242]"Why, of course, man. I like her well enough, from what I know of her. But I don't want any of that sickly, sentimental business in mine, and especially about a girl like her. I'm afraid of her, and I don't know what on earth to say to her. I wish to gracious, old man, you hadn't said a word to me about it."
Texas gazed at Mark with a grieved expression. That was a nice thing to say to a man who was just priding himself on having managed a delicate affair so nicely. And Texas arose to his feet.
"Well," said he, "I'm sorry you don't like it. An' ef that's all I git, I'll keep out of it."
With which he bounced out of the tent and strode away. Mark also left the tent for a walk a moment later, still thinking.
The girl was sincere, that was certain. And he knew it all, and so did she. The question was, what could Mark do without hurting her feelings. She was wildly jealous of Grace. Now Mark had not the remotest idea of dropping Grace Fuller, his "angel"; he did not like even to think of her in connection with this girl. He knew in his heart it would be best to let Mary Adams alone from this time on. But what would she think then?
Mark was weighing this question as he went. He was not noticing, meanwhile, where he was going. It was within half an hour or so of tattoo he knew, and a dark,[Pg 243] cloudy night. He had taken the path down through "Flirtation Walk," heeding no one; he had strolled to the other end, and turned to retrace his steps when suddenly he halted in surprise. A dark figure was hurrying past him, and as he gazed at it and recognized it, he exclaimed aloud:
"Miss Adams!" he cried. "You here!"
The girl turned and faced him, pushing aside the shawl she wore and disclosing her face in all its passionate beauty.
"Mr. Mallory!" she cried, in just as much surprise; and then gazed at him trembling.
"Miss Adams," said Mark, quietly, after a moment's thought. "I want to have a talk with you, if you please. May I?"
"Yes," she cried. "Yes, but not here. I want to see you alone."
She turned, and Mark followed her, almost having to run to keep up with the girl's excited pace. They descended the hill at the end of the path, and then on they went almost to the Hudson's shore. It was a dark, deserted spot, and there the girl halted. Mark stopped too, and she turned about and gazed at him.
"Now, then," said she.
Mark said nothing at first; he was watching her features, admiring them and at the same time wondering at[Pg 244] the emotion they showed. Her cheeks became red as fire under his gaze.
"Mr. Powers has told you all?" she demanded at last. "He has; I can see it!"
Mark started as he noticed the tone of her voice; he had never heard her speak that way before. Usually her voice was soft and melodious, a voice with a hidden, musical charm. Now it was cold and harsh, and Mark knew at once what that meant.
The girl was angry already. She saw that he was about to cast her aside, after all her passionate, humiliating confession. And she was putting a bold, brazen front upon it.
"I can see!" she cried, suddenly. "I can see it all in your face. You do not care for me!"
"Miss Adams," he began, quietly; the girl shook her head impatiently.
"Call me Mary or Moll!" she exclaimed. "Call me Mary and be done with it. They all do."
Mark was puzzled. He did not wish to call her Mary, he did not wish to indicate any familiarity. He saw on the other hand that to refuse would be to cut her to the quick; but he chose the latter course.
"I shall call you Miss Adams," he said, decisively. "And I want to explain to you——"
The girl stamped her foot upon the ground.
[Pg 245]"There is no need for you to explain!" she cried. "I know! I know it all! I have watched you, followed you, dreamed of you, and you have flung me off."
As she spoke, the girl had been striding about the spot. As she finished she bowed her head and broke into a passion of tears.
"But, Miss Adams," expostulated Mark, "you will not let me explain."
"'Explain!'" The girl raised her head and tossed her dark hair in anger, while her eyes flashed. "I do not want you to explain! Your explanations are simply honeyed words to hide the facts. I know the facts. You want to tell me why. I know why! It is because of her, of her! I hate her, the yellow-haired creature. And I hate you! Yes, I hate you! You have treated me as if I were a puppet, as if I had no right to live. And I do not want to live. I have no use for life. I wish I were dead!"
The girl had raised her hands to the sky, a weird figure; she gazed about her despairingly as she finished.
"I wish I were dead!" she cried, again.
The wind whistled through the lonely trees as she spoke, and made a strange accompaniment to her impassioned voice. A steamboat, plying the river, was softly churning little waves that lapped against the shore and made a low, gurgling sound upon the rocks. The[Pg 246] girl gazed over the steep, dark bank as she cried out in her wretchedness, and the next instant she sprang forward.
The thought had flashed over Mark at the same moment. He saw the girl move, and seized her. She turned upon him with the fury of a tiger, a tiger she was, with all a tiger's passions. For a moment they struggled and wrestled, the girl crying out all the time. And then she tore herself loose with one mighty effort—Mark had only one free hand—and lunged down, down into the darkness.
Mark heard a splash and a gurgle of the black invisible waters. And then all was silent as the grave.
Mark Mallory hesitated, hesitated for the first time in his life. One arm was bound tight in a sling and helpless. He was weak and faint yet from his maltreatment. Still he could not see her die without trying to save her. His hesitation gone, he took a step forward, but he was too late.
There was a quick noise behind him; he heard the word "coward!" hissed in his ear, and a white figure shot past him and dived out into the darkness.
Mark gasped with relief; and quick to act, he turned, and helpless though he was, clambered down around the side to reach the spot. He heard sounds of a struggle out beyond him; he heard some whispered words, and a[Pg 247] moment later the figure of the rescuer arose out of the water and confronted him, bearing the girl in his arms.
It was Bull Harris!
Mark started back instinctively; and Bull sneered as he saw it.
"Coward!" he repeated. "Coward! The corps shall know of this!"
Mark knew that expostulation and explanation were useless and unnecessary. He said not a word, but saw the girl safely brought to shore. And then, sad and heavy at heart, he turned and walked back toward the camp.
Bull Harris stayed, to reap the fruit of his labors. He held the half-fainting, half-hysterical girl in his arms and wiped her straying hair from her face and sought to calm her. He seemed to like his task, for when she was better he made no move to stop.
"Did he push you over?" inquired Bull, insinuatingly.
"No," cried the girl, with fierceness. "He did not. But I hate him!"
"You might say he did then!" the yearling whispered softly.
Mary Adams glanced at him with a sharp look.
"I might," she said, "if I chose. And I may. What's that to you?"
"To me!" cried Bull clinching the girl's hand in his[Pg 248] until she cried out. "To me! I hate him! I could kill him!"
"You were rude to me once," she muttered.
"Yes," exclaimed Bull. "I was. You liked him, and I hated you for it."
That was a lie, but the girl did not choose, for some reason, to say so.
"Come," she said, striving to arise. "Help me home."
"One moment!" cried Bull, holding her back. "Promise me one thing, one thing before you go."
"What is it?"
"I know the whole story, Mary," he said. "I know how he has treated you, how he has cast you off, made a puppet of you, and all for that Grace Fuller! You say you hate him. So do I. Promise me, promise me to be revenged if you have to die for it."
"I will!" cried she, furiously.
"Will you give me your hand on it?"
"I will."
Bull took her home that night, though he was in no hurry about it. He came in after taps, for he thought it would do him good to hand in his explanation that he had been saving a girl's life, and restoring her to consciousness. A girl; perhaps a girl upon whom murder had been attempted.
[Pg 249]He evaded all details, however, and went to his tent chuckling triumphantly at his evil work that night.
He had laid a foundation for trouble, but would success follow?
Only the future could tell.