“Yes. And Andy McFardell has discovered Jim’s hiding-place here, and hopes to regain his place in the Police by betraying it to them. Even now he’s working to send Jim down to the penitentiary.”
The girl sat up in her chair.
“But he won’t succeed—you won’t let him succeed?” Molly cried, in an agitation she made no effort to conceal. “It’s just too crazy that he can get away with it. Andy? Oh, no, no! Tell me it won’t be. Tell me Jim’s too clever. Tell me, promise me, you—you won’t let that wretched man succeed. It’s—it’s awful.”
Blanche shook her head. And her confidence was reassuring.
“Now, don’t scare yourself, dear. There’s no Police could get Jim in this valley. There’s a hundred ways of making a getaway. Nature didn’t set up these mountains for a trap for folk like Jim. I’ve a big conviction that Andy McFardell can’t get away with this play. If I didn’t feel that way I wouldn’t be sitting around with you now without a worry. I trust Jim as I never trusted any human creature in my life. I—— But here he is himself, coming along up on the rush from the barns. Maybe he’s located who’s sitting around.”
Blanche rose from her seat and waved a greeting to the hurrying man, and Molly remained where she was, a victim of an overwhelming return of that panic which Blanche had done so much to dispel.
Jim bared his white head as he came. His smile was one of frank delight.
At that moment Molly’s one desire was for flight. She yearned that the earth might open and swallow her up. Never in her life had her shame seemed so great a thing. This good man, it seemed to her, could have nothing but contempt for a creature like herself. And yet his eyes were smiling, the clean-shaven mouth was so generous, and his whole expression so tremendously kind. Then his voice as he greeted her!
“At last,” he cried. “Why, this is great!” He laughed delightedly. “You know, Molly, Sis here has been all sorts of a terror to us fellers. The best we could get out of her was you were going on right. Larry implored and even threatened her. I—why, I’d have promised her anything in the wide world for a sight of you. But——”
“Promised, yes,” Blanche laughed.