Some of the company laughed, but others of them had tears in their eyes; and I noticed that in the midst of the merriment the fellow Hamby got up and slipped out of the room.  Not long after that the company began to disperse for various reasons.  Karlin explained that his old horse had been working all day, and had had no supper.  Colver was uneasy, not for himself, but for his friend, and I saw him start every time the door was opened.  Also, T-S was having some night-scenes taken, and he and Mary were to see the work.  Finally Carpenter dismissed the Company, with the statement that he wished to retire to Comrade Abell’s private office to pray; and Abell and his friend Lynch and the young Mexican said they would watch and wait for him.  The rest of us took our departure, not without misgivings and sorrow in our hearts.

LIII

Now, you may find it hard to believe a confession which I have put off making—­the fact that at this time I was engaged to be married.  There was a certain member of what is called the “younger set,” whom I had given reason to expect that I would think about her at least once in a while.  But here for precisely three days I had been chasing about at the skirts of a prophet fresh from God, getting my name into the newspapers in scandalous fashion, and not daring even to call the young lady on the telephone and make apologies.  That evening there was a dinner-dance at her home, and I supposed I was supposed to be there; but no one had bothered to invite me, and as a matter of fact I would not have known of the affair if I had not seen the announcement in the papers.  I was too late for the dinner, but I got myself a taxicab, and drove to my room and changed my clothes, and hurried in my own car to the dance.

You would not be interested in the fact that when I arrived I was treated as an unwelcome guest, and Miss Betty even went so far as to remind me that I had not been invited.  But after I had pleaded, she consented to dance with me; and so for an hour or two I tried to forget there were any people in the world who had anything to do but be happy.  Just as I was succeeding, the butler came, calling me to the telephone, and I answered, and who should it be but Old Joe!

My surprise became consternation at his first words:  “Billy, your friend Carpenter is in peril!”

“What do you mean?”

“They are going to get him tonight.”

“Good God!  How do you know?”

“It’s a long story, and no time to tell it.  Somebody’s tipped me off.  Where can I meet you?  Every minute is precious.”

“Where are you?” I asked, and learned that he was at his home, not far away.  I said I would come there, and I hurried to Betty and had another scene with her, and left her weeping, vowing that she would never see me again.  I ran out and jumped into my car—­and I would hate to tell what I did to the speed laws of Western City.  Suffice it to say that a few minutes later I was in Old Joe’s den, and he was telling me his story.