"Time will tell," replied Houston, who had his own plans.

CHAPTER XIX.

Houston had been called away to the office at Silver City, a telegram coming one afternoon for him to come down by the next train.

Rutherford was at that time expecting to leave in a few days, to continue his pleasure trip to the coast, having already prolonged his stay among the mountains far beyond his first intentions; but at Houston's request, he agreed to remain over until the latter's return, which he expected would be in about ten days.

A few days after Houston's departure, Lyle started out one afternoon for the little cabin, at an hour a little later than she went to pursue her studies, or for reading. She knew that at this time, Jack usually came off his shift, as he and Mike were expert miners, and always completed their task some time in advance of the others.

She had not seen Jack since the visit of the party from the east, although she was at the cabin but a few evenings preceding that event, and had explained her long absence. Now she had special reasons for wishing to meet him, and she hastened on, hoping to find him alone.

When she reached the cabin, Jack had just come from the mine, and Mike, fortunately, had gone down to the Y for needed supplies, and would not return for some hours.

After talking a little while, Lyle skillfully brought the conversation around to Mr. Houston, and stated that he was in Silver City.

"What is he doing there?" asked Jack, in a tone of surprise, "Is he going to remain there?"

"No, he has gone over temporarily to a.s.sist the company in that office, as he said they needed extra help; he thought he would be back in about ten days."

"He seems to make a very efficient clerk for the mining company," said Jack, with a peculiar emphasis which Lyle did not understand, but in which she detected a flavor of sarcasm.

"He seems efficient in whatever he undertakes," she replied with a light laugh, "clerking, fighting or love-making, he is successful in all."

"How has he succeeded in love-making?" asked Jack quickly.

"Ask Miss Gladden," was Lyle's smiling rejoinder.

"Is he really in love with her, do you think?"

"Judging by indications, it is a case of genuine love on both sides, which, contrary to the old proverb, does run smoothly so far. I think they are engaged."

"And you are left out in the cold?" asked Jack kindly, but watching her keenly.

"You would not think so, if you could know how kind they are to me,"

Lyle answered, "you and they are the only friends I have ever known."

"How about Mr. Rutherford? Isn't he a friend of yours, too?"

"Mr. Rutherford is a gentleman," she replied slowly, "he always treats me with respect, and we have very pleasant times together, but he never forgets that I belong to one station in life, and he to another.

He is altogether unlike Mr. Houston and Miss Gladden; I wish you could know them, Jack, and that they could know you."

"They probably have no desire to form my acquaintance, and I have no need to form theirs. It is rather late in the day for me to make friends now."

"But Jack," said Lyle, in almost a pleading tone, "Miss Gladden wishes to meet you, and has repeatedly asked me to inquire if she might come and see you."

"What is her motive for wishing to see me?"

"I think because I have often spoken of you as my friend; then she said recently, that she would like, if possible, to take me east with her, and give me a musical education, and she would like to talk with you about it."

"Has she or Mr. Houston heard you sing?"

"Yes."

"What did they say of your voice?"

"Miss Gladden seems to think I have a wonderful voice, and Mr. Houston said he had heard but one like it in all his life."

Jack had risen, and was looking out of the window, his back toward Lyle; after a few moments he spoke, in an unusually gentle tone.

"You can say to Miss Gladden, that if she wishes to see me regarding you, she is welcome to come. Though I seldom receive callers, and have no wish to meet strangers, I am willing to meet a true friend of yours."

"Then, under those conditions," said Lyle, with almost a tone of triumph in her voice, "you would meet Mr. Houston."

"Why?" asked Jack, quickly, turning toward her.

"Because he is my friend."

Jack shook his head, and began pacing the room. "No," he said, as gently as ever, but very firmly, "I would rather not meet him."

Lyle looked troubled. "Jack," she said earnestly, "you have always appeared rather peculiar regarding Mr. Houston; tell me candidly, are you his friend, or his enemy?"

"Why!" he exclaimed in surprise, stopping before her, and looking into her earnest face, with a smile, "How should I be either? Am I not perfectly neutral? Are we not strangers?"

Lyle shook her head decidedly. "I cannot say whether or not you are strangers, but you are not neutral toward him; I have seen all along that you have some strong feeling toward him, but whether of kindness or enmity, I cannot tell, but I must know."

"Why must you know?" he asked, resuming his walk.

"Perhaps I can tell you later," she replied, "but, as you are my friend, I must know whether you are, or will be, his friend, or his enemy."

For some moments Jack was silent, and when he spoke his voice was full of some strong emotion:

"My dear child, I have no reason for any enmity toward him, and if he is the true, honorable man that you think he is, G.o.d knows I would stand by him, even to death itself."

"Then, if he was in difficulty or danger, and needed help, you would help him, would you not?" asked Lyle eagerly.

"My child," he answered gravely, "you must explain yourself; you certainly can trust me. I promise you this, I will not harm him or betray him, whatever may be the difficulty."

"You are sure there is no one to hear us?"

"I will make sure," he answered briefly, and bidding the collie guard the outside door, he then closed the door between the two rooms, and sat down near Lyle.

"You remember," she began, "the evening you pa.s.sed our house?" He nodded. "Well, among the strangers there that night, were an English expert, Mr. Lindlay, and a Mr. Van Dorn, who, they said, was an inventor of some mining machinery. A little while after you pa.s.sed, I took a book and went out by the lake to read, sitting down behind a thick group of small evergreens. I read as long as I could see, and then sat for some time, thinking, and watching the reflection of the moon in the lake. Then the moon went behind that tall peak, you know, across the lake, and it was quite dark; but I remained there thinking so deeply that, although for a few minutes I heard low voices talking, I paid no attention to it, supposing it was simply some people going up the mountain, till suddenly I was aroused by Mr. Houston's voice, only a few feet from me, saying in a low tone, 'There may be considerable danger ahead of us, but you are just the one I need, and you will be well compensated,' and Mr. Van Dorn answered, 'Hang compensation! if I can help you get the best of these rascals, I'm going to do it, just for the gratification of the thing,' and then I heard the Englishman, with his peculiar accent, saying something I couldn't quite catch, but it seemed to be to the effect that he would help Mr. Houston against what he called the 'domned scoundrels.'

"At first, I wanted to leave, but I couldn't without their seeing me, and having to make explanations, and making it embarra.s.sing all round; and then the thought flashed through my mind that Mr. Houston was a good friend of mine, and perhaps if I stayed, I might be able to help him if he should be in any danger later, as he spoke of, so I remained there.

"I haven't time to tell you all I heard, but this is what I learned: He is not a clerk at all, but is out here in the interest of some rich company in the east, with which an uncle of his is connected. This eastern company have for some time suspected crooked work on the part of the company here, and he has come out in the capacity of bookkeeper and clerk to get all the information he can against them. He has obtained all the proofs he can get in this office, and said he was going over in a few days to the main office at Silver City,--and that is where he is now,--to see what he can find against them there. When he returns he is going to examine the mines that this eastern company own, as fast as he can get opportunities, and it seems this Mr. Van Dorn is a mining expert himself, though no one out here knows it, and when Mr. Houston is ready, he is to come out here with some of his mining machinery that he is going to set up in the mills, to show the company his new method of reducing ores, but his real object in coming will be to help Mr. Houston carry on his investigations against the company. Then, when they have obtained all the information and proof they need, they will telegraph Mr. Houston's uncle,--Mr. Cameron, I think was his name,--and he and the English expert will come out together, unexpectedly to the company, and I think they said they would prosecute the officers of the company for fraud."