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〃Who said it was for ME？ Wot you talkin' about？ Lemme go！〃 gasped
the boy； with the short intermittent breath of mingled fear and
passion。
〃Bob；〃 said Mr。 Hamlin； in a singularly colorless voice which was
very rare with him； and an expression quite unlike his own； 〃what
is your little game？〃
The boy looked down in dogged silence。
〃Out with it！ Who are you playing this on？〃
〃It's all among my own folks； it's nothin' to YOU；〃 said the boy；
suddenly beginning to struggle violently； as if inspired by this
extenuating fact。
〃Among your own folks； eh？ White Violet and the rest； eh？ But
SHE'S not in it？〃
No reply。
〃Hand me over that package。 I'll give it back to you again。〃
The boy handed it to Mr。 Hamlin。 He read the letter； and found the
inclosure contained a twenty…dollar gold…piece。 A half…
supercilious smile passed over his face at this revelation of the
inadequate emoluments of literature and the trifling inducements to
crime。 Indeed； I fear the affair began to take a less serious
moral complexion in his eyes。
〃Then White Violetyour sister Cynthia； you know；〃 continued Mr。
Hamlin； in easy parenthesis〃wrote for this？〃 holding the coin
contemplatively in his fingers； 〃and you calculated to nab it
yourself？〃
The quick searching glance with which Bob received the name of his
sister； Mr。 Hamlin attributed only to his natural surprise that
this stranger should be on such familiar terms with her； but the
boy responded immediately and bluntly：
〃No！ SHE didn't write for it。 She didn't want nobody to know who
she was。 Nobody wrote for it but me。 Nobody KNEW FOLKS WAS PAID
FOR PO'TRY BUT ME。 I found it out from a feller。 I wrote for it。
I wasn't goin' to let that skunk of an editor have it himself！〃
〃And you thought YOU would take it；〃 said Hamlin； his voice
resuming its old tone。 〃Well； GeorgeI mean Bob； your conduct was
praiseworthy； although your intentions were bad。 Still； twenty
dollars is rather too much for your trouble。 Suppose we say five
and call it square？〃 He handed the astonished boy five dollars。
〃Now； George Washington；〃 he continued； taking four other twenty…
dollar pieces from his pocket； and adding them to the inclosure；
which he carefully refolded； 〃I'm going to give you another chance
to live up to your reputation。 You'll take that package； and hand
it to White Violet； and say you found it； just as it is； in the
lock…box。 I'll keep the letter； for it would knock you endways if
it was seen； and I'll make it all right with the editor。 But； as
I've got to tell him that I've seen White Violet myself； and know
she's got it； I expect YOU to manage in some way to have me see
her。 I'll manage the rest of it； and I won't blow on you； either。
You'll come back to the hotel； and tell me what you've done。 And
now； George 〃 concluded Mr。 Hamlin； succeeding at last in fixing
the boy's evasive eye with a peculiar look； 〃it may be just as well
for you to understand that I know every nook and corner of this
place； that I've already been through that underbrush you spoke of
once this morning； and that I've got a mare that can go wherever
YOU can； and a dd sight quicker！〃
〃I'll give the package to White Violet；〃 said the boy； doggedly。
〃And you'll come back to the hotel？〃
The boy hesitated； and then said； 〃I'll come back。〃
〃All right； then。 Adios； general。〃
Bob disappeared around the corner of a cross…road at a rapid trot；
and Mr。 Hamlin turned into the hotel。
〃Smart little chap that！〃 he said to the barkeeper。
〃You bet！〃 returned the man； who； having recognized Mr。 Hamlin； was
delighted at the prospect of conversing with a gentleman of such
decidedly dangerous reputation。 〃But he's been allowed to run a
little wild since old man Delatour died； and the widder's got
enough to do； I reckon； lookin' arter her four gals； and takin'
keer of old Delatour's ranch over yonder。 I guess it's pretty hard
sleddin' for her sometimes to get clo'es and grub for the famerly；
without follerin' Bob around。〃
〃Sharp girls； too； I reckon； one of them writes things for the
magazines； doesn't she？Cynthia； eh？〃 said Mr。 Hamlin； carelessly。
Evidently this fact was not a notorious one to the barkeeper。 He；
however； said； 〃Dunno； mabbee； her father was eddicated； and the
widder Delatour； too； though she's sorter queer； I've heard tell。
Lord！ Mr。 Hamlin； YOU oughter remember old man Delatour！ From
Opelousas； Louisiany； you know！ High old sport French style；
frilled bosomopen…handed； and us'ter buck ag'in' faro awful！
Why； he dropped a heap o' money to YOU over in San Jose two years
ago at poker！ You must remember him！〃
The slightest possible flush passed over Mr。 Hamlin's brow under
the shadow of his hat； but did not get lower than his eyes。 He
suddenly HAD recalled the spendthrift Delatour perfectly； and as
quickly regretted now that he had not doubled the honorarium he had
just sent to his portionless daughter。 But he only said； coolly；
〃No；〃 and then； raising his pale face and audacious eyes； continued
in his laziest and most insulting manner； 〃no： the fact is； my mind
is just now preoccupied in wondering if the gas is leaking
anywhere； and if anything is ever served over this bar except
elegant conversation。 When the gentleman who mixes drinks comes
back； perhaps you'll be good enough to tell him to send a whisky
sour to Mr。 Jack Hamlin in the parlor。 Meantime； you can turn off
your soda fountain： I don't want any fizz in mine。〃
Having thus quite recovered himself； Mr。 Hamlin lounged gracefully
across the hall into the parlor。 As he did so； a darkish young
man； with a slim boyish figure； a thin face； and a discontented
expression； rose from an armchair； held out his hand； and； with a
saturnine smile； said：
〃Jack！〃
〃Fred！〃
The two men remained gazing at each other with a half…amused； half…
guarded expression。 Mr。 Hamlin was first to begin。 〃I didn't
think YOU'D be such a fool as to try on this kind of thing； Fred；〃
he said； half seriously。
〃Yes； but it was to keep you from being a much bigger one that I
hunted you up；〃 said the editor； mischievously。 〃Read that。 I got
it an hour after you left。〃 And he placed a little triumphantly in
Jack's hand the letter he had received from White Violet。
Mr。 Hamlin read it with an unmoved face； and then laid his two
hands on the editor's shoulders。 〃Yes； my young friend； and you
sat down and wrote her a pretty letter and sent her twenty dollars
which； permit me to say； was dd poor pay！ But that isn't your
fault； I reckon： it's the meanness of your proprietors。〃
〃But it isn't the question； either； just now； Jack； however you
have been able to answer it。 Do you mean to say seriously that you
want to know anything more of a woman who could write such a
letter？〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Jack； cheerfully。 〃She might be a devili