“Oh, ’t’s all right. I was mad then, but we’re better off ’thout ’em—they et more’n they was wuth. An’ mebbe ye done right to crack Nat when he come for ye. He don’t mean no harm, Nat don’t, but he—he’s kind o’ funny—he gits spells when he ain’t his own self, like.” She looked worriedly around again. “I wisht I knowed what’s ’come o’ him. He ain’t been to home all night.”
Douglas eyed her, remembering what Lou had said—that Snake had been here until late last night. But then, feeling that the jealous woman might have been utterly mistaken in her statement, he kept his thought to himself. As for Nat, he probably was drunk somewhere. He turned to Marion.
“Miss Marion, I’ve heard something which I think you ought to know,” he plunged. “Er—well, a certain woman up yonder thinks you and Snake Sanders are too friendly to suit her. It’s absurd, of course, but still—folks get queer ideas, and sometimes they do queer things, and—maybe you’d better—er—keep your eyes open——”
He floundered to a stop, reddening under the steady gray gaze, in which he read mounting scorn. Humiliated already by his position, he squirmed at her drawling answer.
“So that’s where you’ve been to. Ain’t Snake to home yet? You’re takin’ big chances, seems like. But that ain’t anything to me. You needn’t worry for me, Mister Hampton—I can take pretty good care of my own self. But you can tell your friend, when you see her the next time, if she’ll jest bust Snake’s head so he won’t never come to, I’ll be much ’bliged.”
Before he could retort, her mother’s voice broke in.
“That ’ere Lou’s a bigger fool ’n Snake, ’n’ he’s crazy ’nough. I ast him only yestiddy, says I, ‘Ye mizzable idjit, how d’ye think ye’d ever git Marry when ye got Lou already? I’ve told ye time an’ time to keep outen here——’”
She checked herself suddenly, as if regretting her outburst. The blond man’s eyes were on hers again, boring like gimlets.
“So Snake was here last night,” he said. “And where was Nat?”
“Nat—he was here—it warn’t last night—’twas in the aft’noon. Then they went away, an’ Nat ain’t back. I wisht I knowed——”