"Yes, I picked her out of a snow-drift." "Is this a riddle?""If it is, I don't know the answer, Steve.But it is a true one, anyhow, not made to order merely to astonish you.""True that you picked Simon Harley's wife out of a snow-drift and kicked him around?""I didn't say kicked, did I?" inquired the other, judicially."But I rather think I did knee him some.""Of course, I read all about his marriage two weeks ago to Miss Aline Hope.Did he bring her out here with him for the honeymoon?""If he did, I euchred him out of it.She spent it with me alone in a miner's cabin," the other cried, malevolence riding triumph on his face.
"Whenever you're ready to explain," suggested Eaton helplessly."You've piled up too many miracles for me even to begin guessing them.""You know I was snow-bound, but you did not know my onlycompanion was this Aline Hope you speak of.I found her in the blizzard, and took her to an empty cabin near.She and her husband were motoring from Avalanche to Mesa, and the machine had broken down.Harley had gone for help and left her there alone when the blizzard came up.Three days later Sam Yesler and the old man broke trail through from the C B Ranch and rescued us."It was so strange a story that it came home to Eaton piecemeal."Three days--alone with Harley's wife--and he rescued you himself.""He didn't rescue me any.I could have broken through any time I wanted to leave her.On the way back his strength gave out, and that was when I roughed him.I tried to bullyrag him into keeping on, but it was no go.I left him there, and Sam went back after him with a relief-party.""You left him! With his wife?"
"No!" cried Ridgway."Do I look like a man to desert a woman on a snow-trail? I took her with me.""Oh!" There was a significant silence before Eaton asked the question in his mind."I've seen her pictures in the papers.Does she look like them?"His chief knew what was behind the question, and he knew, too, that Eaton might be taken to represent public opinion.The world would cast an eye of review over his varied and discreditable record with women.It would imagine the story of those three days of enforced confinement together, and it would look to the woman in the case for an answer to its suspicions.That she was young, lovely, and yet had sold herself to an old man for his millions, would go far in itself to condemn her; and he was aware that there were many who would accept her very childish innocence as the sophistication of an artist.
Waring Ridgway put his arms akimbo on the table and leaned across with his steady eyes fastened on his friend.
"Steve, I'm going to answer that question.I haven't seen any pictures of her in the papers, but if they show a face as pure and true as the face of God himself then they are like her.You know me.I've got no apologies or explanations to make for the life I've led.That's my business.But you're my friend, and I tell you I would rather be hacked in pieces by Apachesthan soil that child's white soul by a single unclean breath.There mustn't be any talk.Do you understand? Keep the story out of the newspapers.Don't let any of our people gossip about it.I have told you because I want you to know the truth.If any one should speak lightly about this thing stop him at once.This is the one point on which Simon Harley and I will pull together.
Any man who joins that child's name with mine loosely will have to leave this camp--and suddenly.""It won't be the men--it will be the women that will talk.""Then garble the story.Change that three days to three hours, Steve.Anything to stop their foul-clacking tongues!""Oh, well! I dare say the story won't get out at all, but if it does I'll see the gossips get the right version.I suppose Sam Yesler will back it up.""Of course.He's a white man.And I don't need to tell you that I'll be a whole lot obliged to you, Stevie.""That's all right.Sometimes I'm a white man, too, Waring," laughed Steve.Ridgway circled the table and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder affectionately.Steve Eaton was the one of all his associates for whom he had the closest personal feeling.
"I don't need to be told that, old pal," he said quietly.
