“Yes,” answered Wiley, trying vainly to seem polite, “I just stopped off to say good-by!”
He offered her his hand, but the Widow ignored the hint and took the conversation to herself.
“Well, I’m real glad you came,” she went on sociably, “because I wanted to see you on a matter of business. In fact, I’ve been kind of waiting, on the chance that you might come through. Oh, I know that I don’t count, but you can see Virginia afterwards; and I wanted to consult you about my stock. Yes, I know,” she hastened on, as his face turned grim, “I haven’t treated you fairly at all. I should have taken your offer, when you said you’d give ten cents for every share of stock that I had. But I took them to that Blount and he gave me next to nothing, and now he’s holding the stock. But what I wanted to ask was: Isn’t there some way we can arrange it to get it back and sell it to your father?”
“No, I don’t think so,” answered Wiley, putting down the kitten, “and–well, I guess I’d better go.”
He rose up reluctantly, but the Widow would not hear to it and Virginia beckoned him to stay.
121“Well, now listen,” persisted the Widow. “That stock certainly must be worth something.”
“Not to you,” returned Wiley. “I saw Blount only yesterday and he says it belongs to him.”
“Well, it does not!” declared the Widow, but as no one contradicted her, she took a different tack. “Are you coming back?” she asked, smiling brightly. “Are you going to open up the mine?”
Wiley’s face fell for a moment.
“What gave you that idea?” he inquired bluffly, but the Widow pointed a finger and laughed roguishly.