Page:Hard-pan; a story of bonanza fortunes (IA hardpanbonanza00bonnrich).pdf/36

24 be read by every casual comer. Even the practised eye of the man of much worldly experience was baffled by the quiet reserve of this young girl who was nearly half his age.

"I have n't seen Maroney for nearly eight or nine years," continued the colonel. "The last time it was in the lobby of the Palace. He was with some capitalists from England, with a millionaire or two from New York thrown in. He saw me and looked uncomfortable, but he shook hands and introduced me. I got away as quickly as I could. I did n't want to embarrass him."

"Why should you embarrass him?" asked Viola.

The colonel looked at Gault, and gave the forbearing laugh of the man who treats with good-humored tolerance the ignorance of the woman.

"Why, he was always uneasy for fear I 'd give away the fact that it was I who made his money for him. But, God bless my soul!" said the old man, throwing back his head and going off into a sonorous laugh, "he need n't be afraid. I would n't rob him of any of his glory. Only I took it pretty hard, when Mrs. Maroney was here last winter, that she did n't go out of her way to be kind to you."

Viola gave a little exclamation, Gault could