"I heard fragments of a curious story at the settlement," he said. "There was trouble of some kind in which a professional gambler figured last Saturday night, and though nobody seemed to want to talk about it, I surmised4 that somebody from Silverdale was concerned in it."
He had perhaps spoken a trifle more loudly than he had intended, and there were a good many of the Silverdale farmers with a few of their wives and daughters whose attention was not wholly confined to the efforts of Mrs. Macdonald at the piano in the long room just then. In any case a voice broke through the silence that followed the final chords.
"Ferris could tell us if he liked. He was there that night."
Ferris, who had cause for doing so, looked uncomfortable, and endeavored to sign to the first speaker that it was not desirable to pursue the topic.
"I have been in tolerably often of late. Had things to attend to," he said.
The other man was, however, possessed6 by a mischievous7 spirit or did not understand him. "You may just as well tell us now as later, because you never kept a secret in your life," he said.
In the meantime, several of the others had gathered about them, and Mrs. Macdonald, who had joined the group, smiled as she said, "There is evidently something interesting going on. Mayn't I know, Gordon?"
"Of course," said the man who had visited the settlement. "You shall know as much as I do, though that is little, and if it excites your curiosity, you can ask Ferris for the rest. He is only anxious to enhance the value of his story by being mysterious. Well, there was a more or less dramatic happening, of the kind our friends in the old country unwarrantably fancy is typical of the West, in the saloon of the settlement not long ago. Cards, pistols, a professional gambler, and the unmasking of foul8 play, don't you know. Somebody from Silverdale played the leading role."
"How interesting!" said a young English girl. "Now, I used to fancy something of that kind happened here every day before I came out to the prairie. Please tell us, Mr. Ferris! One would like to find there is just a trace of reality in our picturesque9 fancies of debonair10 desperadoes and big-hatted cavaliers."
There was a curious expression in Ferris's face, but as he glanced around at the rest, who were regarding him expectantly, he did not observe that Maud Barrington and her aunt had just come in and stood close behind him.
"Can't you see there's no getting out of it, Ferris?" said somebody.
"Well," said the lad in desperation, "I can only admit that Gordon is right. There was foul play and a pistol drawn11, but I'm sorry that I can't add anything further. In fact, it wouldn't be quite fair of me."
"But the man from Silverdale?" asked Mrs. Macdonald.
"I'm afraid," said Ferris, with the air of one shielding a friend, "I can't tell you anything about him."
"I know Mr. Courthorne drove in that night," said the young English girl, who was not endued12 with very much discretion13.
"Courthorne," said one of the bystanders, and there was a momentary14 silence that was very expressive15. "Was he concerned in what took place, Ferris?"
"Yes," said the lad with apparent reluctance16. "Mrs. Macdonald, you will remember that they dragged it out of me, but I will tell you nothing more whatever."
"It seems to me you have told us quite sufficient and perhaps a trifle too much," said somebody.
There was a curious silence. All of those present were more or less acquainted with Courthorne's past history, and the suggestion of foul play coupled with the mention of a professional gambler had been significant. Ferris, while committing himself in no way, had certainly said sufficient. Then there was a sudden turning of heads as a young woman moved quietly into the midst of the group. She was ominously17 calm, but she stood very straight, and there was a little hard glitter in her eyes, which reminded one or two of the men who noticed it of those of Colonel Barrington. The fingers of one hand were also closed at her side. "I overheard you telling a story, Ferris, but you have a bad memory and left rather too much out," she said.
"They compelled me to tell them what I did, Miss Barrington," said the lad, who winced18 beneath her gaze. "Now there is really nothing to be gained by going any further into the affair. Shall I play something for you, Mrs. Macdonald?"
He turned as he spoke5 and would have edged away, but that one of the men at a glance from the girl laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be in a hurry, Ferris. I fancy Miss Barrington has something more to tell you," he said dryly.
The girl thanked him with a gesture. "I want you to supply the most important part," she said, and the lad, saying nothing, changed color under the glance she cast upon him. "You do not seem willing. Then perhaps I had better do it for you. There were two men from Silverdale directly concerned in the affair, and one of them at no slight risk to himself did a very generous thing. That one was Mr. Courthorne. Did you see him lay a single stake upon a card, or do anything that led you to suppose he was there for the purpose of gambling19 that evening?"
"No," said the lad, seeing she knew the truth, and his hoarse20 voice was scarcely audible.
"Then," said Maud Barrington, "I want you to tell us what you did see him do."
Ferris said nothing, and though the girl laughed a little as she glanced at the wondering group, her voice was icily disdainful.
"Well," she said, "I will tell you. You saw him question a professional gambler's play to save a man who had no claim on him from ruin, and, with only one comrade to back him, drive the swindler, who had a pistol, from the field. He had, you admit, no interest of any kind in the game."
Ferris had grown crimson21 again, and the veins23 on his forehead showed swollen24 high. "No," he said almost abjectly25.
Maud Barrington turned from him to her hostess as she answered, "That will suffice, in the meanwhile, until I can decide whether it is desirable to make known the rest of the tale. I brought the new song Evelyn wanted, Mrs. Macdonald, and I will play it for her, if she would care to try it."
She moved away with the elder lady, and left the rest astonished to wonder what had become of Ferris, who was seen no more that evening, while presently Winston came in.
His face was a trifle weary, for he had toiled26 since the sun rose above the rim22 of the prairie and when the arduous27 day was over and those who worked for him were glad to rest their aching limbs, had driven two leagues to Macdonald's. Why he had done so, he was not willing to admit, but he glanced around the long room anxiously as he came in, and his eyes brightened as they rested on Maud Barrington. They were, however, observant eyes, and he noticed that there was a trifle more color than usual in the girl's pale-tinted face, and signs of suppressed curiosity about some of the rest. When he had greeted his hostess he turned to one of the men.
"It seems to me you are either trying not to see something, Gordon, or to forget it as soon as you can," he said.
Gordon laughed at little. "You are not often mistaken, Courthorne. That is precisely28 what we are doing. I presume you haven't heard what occurred here an hour ago?"
"No!" said Winston. "I'm not very curious if it does not concern me."
Gordon looked at him steadily29. "I fancy it does. You see that young fool Ferris was suggesting that you had been mixed up in something not very creditable at the settlement lately. As it happened, Maud Barrington overheard him and made him retract30 before the company. She did it effectively, and if it had been any one else, the scene would have been almost theatrical
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