“José spoiled it. Honest, I wasn’t going to lie down, ’Lissie.”
Again the days followed each other uneventfully. Bellamy himself never came for his mail now, but sent one of the boys from the mine for it. Melissy wondered whether he despised her so much he did not ever want to see her again. Somehow she did not like to think this. Perhaps it might be delicacy on his part. He was going to drop the whole thing magnanimously and did not want to put upon her the obligation of thanking him by presenting himself to her eyes.
But though he never appeared in person, he had never been so much in her mind. She could not rid herself of a growing sympathy and admiration for this man who was holding his own against many. 165 A story which was being whispered about reached her ears and increased this. A bunch of his sheep had been found poisoned on their feeding ground, and certain cattle interests were suspected of having done the dastardly thing.
When she could stand the silence no longer Melissy called up Jack Flatray on the telephone at Mesa.
“You caught me just in time. I’m leaving for Phoenix to-night,” he told her. “What can I do for you, Miss Lee?”
“I want to know what’s being done about that Fort Allison stage hold-up.”
“The money has been recovered.”
“I know that, but—what about the—the criminals?”
“They made their getaway all right.”
“Aren’t you looking for them?”