Is it not bad enough that one of these people come courting myEttie, and that I dare not turn him down, but that I should haveanother for my boarder? Yes, indeed, you shall not sleep here afterto-night!”
McMurdo found himself under sentence of banishment bothfrom his comfortable quarters and from the girl whom he loved.
He found her alone in the sitting-room that same evening, andhe poured his troubles into her ear.
“Sure, your father is after giving me notice,” he said. “It’s littleI would care if it was just my room, but indeed, Ettie, though it’sonly a week that I’ve known you, you are the very breath of life tome, and I can’t live without you!”
“Oh, hush, Mr. McMurdo, don’t speak so!” said the girl. “I havetold you, have I not, that you are too late? There is another, and ifI have not promised to marry him at once, at least I can promiseno one else.”
“Suppose I had been first, Ettie, would I have had a chance?”
The girl sank her face into her hands. “I wish to heaven that youhad been first!” she sobbed.
McMurdo was down on his knees before her in an instant. “ForGod’s sake, Ettie, let it stand at that!” he cried. “Will you ruin yourlife and my own for the sake of this promise? Follow your heart,acushla! ‘Tis a safer guide than any promise before you knew whatit was that you were saying.”
He had seized Ettie’s white hand between his own strong brownones.
“Say that you will be mine, and we will face it out together!”
“Not here?”
“Yes, here.”
“No, no, Jack!” His arms were round her now. “It could not behere. Could you take me away?”
A struggle passed for a moment over McMurdo’s face; but itended by setting like granite. “No, here,” he said. “I’ll hold youagainst the world, Ettie, right here where we are!”
“Why should we not leave together?”
“No, Ettie, I can’t leave here.”
“But why?”
“I’d never hold my head up again if I felt that I had been drivenout. Besides, what is there to be afraid of? Are we not free folksin a free country? If you love me, and I you, who will dare to comebetween?”
“You don’t know, Jack. You’ve been here too short a time. You don’tknow this Baldwin. You don’t know McGinty and his Scowrers.”
“No, I don’t know them, and I don’t fear them, and I don’tbelieve in them!” said McMurdo. “I’ve lived among rough men, mydarling, and instead of fearing them it has always ended that theyhave feared me—always, Ettie. It’s mad on the face of it! If thesemen, as your father says, have done crime after crime in the valley,and if everyone knows them by name, how comes it that none arebrought to justice? You answer me that, Ettie!”
“Because no witness dares to appear against them. He wouldnot live a month if he did. Also because they have always theirown men to swear that the accused one was far from the sceneof the crime. But surely, Jack, you must have read all this. I hadunderstood that every paper in the United States was writingabout it.”
“Well, I have read something, it is true; but I had thought itwas a story. Maybe these men have some reason in what theydo. Maybe they are wronged and have no other way to helpthemselves.”
“Oh, Jack, don’t let me hear you speak so! That is how hespeaks—the other one!”
“Baldwin—he speaks like that, does he?”
“And that is why I loathe him so. Oh, Jack, now I can tell youthe truth. I loathe him with all my heart; but I fear him also. Ifear him for myself; but above all I fear him for Father. I knowthat some great sorrow would come upon us if I dared to say whatI really felt. That is why I have put him off with half-promises. Itwas in real truth our only hope. But if you would fly with me, Jack,we could take father with us and live forever far from the power ofthese wicked men.”
Again there was the struggle upon McMurdo’s face, and againit set like granite. “No harm shall come to you, Ettie—nor to yourfather either. As to wicked men, I expect you may find that I amas bad as the worst of them before we’re through.”
“No, no, Jack! I would trust you anywhere.”
McMurdo laughed bitterly. “Good Lord! how little you know ofme! Your innocent soul, my darling, could not even guess what ispassing in mine. But, hullo, who’s the visitor?”
The door had opened suddenly, and a young fellow cameswaggering in with the air of one who is the master. He was ahandsome, dashing young man of about the same age and build asMcMurdo himself. Under his broad-brimmed black felt hat, whichhe had not troubled to remove, a handsome face with fierce,domineering eyes and a curved hawk-bill of a nose looked savagelyat the pair who sat by the stove.
Ettie had jumped to her feet full of confusion and alarm. “I’mglad to see you, Mr. Baldwin,” said she. “You’re earlier than I hadthought. Come and sit down.”
Baldwin stood with his hands on his hips looking at McMurdo.
“Who is this?” he asked curtly.
“It’s a friend of mine, Mr. Baldwin, a new boarder here. Mr.
McMurdo, may I introduce you to Mr. Baldwin?”
The young men nodded in surly fashion to each other.
“Maybe Miss Ettie has told you how it is with us?” said Baldwin.
“I didn’t understand that there was any relation between you.”
“Didn’t you? Well, you can understand it now. You can take itfrom me that this young lady is mine, and you’ll find it a very fineevening for a walk.”
“Thank you, I am in no humour for a walk.”
“Aren’t you?” The man’s savage eyes were blazing with anger.
“Maybe you are in a humour for a fight, Mr. Boarder!”
“That I am!” cried McMurdo, springing to his feet. “You neversaid a more welcome word.”
“For God’s sake, Jack! Oh, for God’s sake!” cried poor, distractedEttie. “Oh, Jack, Jack, he will hurt you!”
“Oh, it’s Jack, is it?” said Baldwin with an oath. “You’ve come tothat already, have you?”
“Oh, Ted, be reasonable—be kind! For my sake, Ted, if ever youloved me, be big-hearted and forgiving!”
“I think, Ettie, that if you were to leave us alone we could get thisthing settled,” said McMurdo quietly. “Or maybe, Mr. Baldwin, youwill take a turn down the street with me. It’s a fine evening, andthere’s some open ground beyond the next block.”
