art for the door.

"Yes, Mrs. Hardesty--she came in last night. That lady that wore the
tiger skin."

"Oh!" said Mary and something in her voice seemed to stab him in the
back as he fled.

"Say, what do you mean?" he demanded, coming angrily back, "you speak
like something was wrong. Can't a man look twice at some other woman
without your saying: 'Oh!' I want you to understand that this Mrs.
Hardesty is just as good as you are. And what's more, by grab, she's
got stock in our Company and we ought to be treating her nice. Yes,
she bought it from Stoddard; and if I could just pull her over----

"How much stock?" asked Mary, reaching suddenly for a book, and Rimrock
fidgeted and turned red.

"Two thousand shares!" he said defiantly. "She's got as much as you
have."

"Oh!" murmured Mary as she ran through the book, and Rimrock flew into
a fury.

"Now for the love of Mike!" he cried, striding towards her, "don't
always be pulling that book! I know you know where every share is, and
just who transferred it to who, but this Mrs. Hardesty has told me
she's got it and that ought to be enough!"

"Why, certainly!" agreed Mary, instantly closing the book. "I just
didn't recall the name. Is she waiting for you now? Then don't let me
detain you. I'll be starting East to-night."

Rimrock rocked on his feet in impotent anger as he groped for a fitting
retort.

"Well, go then!" he said. "What do I give a damn?" And he rushed
savagely out of the room.

CHAPTER XVII

AN AFTERTHOUGHT

It was part of the violent nature of Rimrock that his wrath fell upon
both the just and the unjust. Mary Fortune had worsted him in their
passage at arms and left him bruised from head to heels. She had
simply let him come on and at every bludgeon stroke she had replied
with a rapier thrust. Without saying a word against the character of
Mrs. Hardesty she had conveyed the thought that she was an adventuress;
or, if not exactly that, then something less than a lady. And the sure
way in which she had reached for that book was proof positive that the
stock was not recorded. But the thing that maddened him most, and
against which there was no known defense, was her subtle implication
that Mrs. Hardesty was at the bottom of his plan to go East. And so,
with the fury still hot in his brain, he made poor company on the road
to the Tecolote.

Since Mrs. Hardesty had come, as a stockholder of course, to look over
the Compa