“Joe, you forged it?”

“Don’t bother sayin’ pretty things about me and my pen,” said Rix modestly.  “This is nothin’!  But if you want to help me, Nelly—­”

His voice faded partly out of her consciousness as she fought against a tigerish desire to spring at the throat of the little fat man.  But gradually it dawned on her that he was asking her to write out that note herself.  Why?  Because it was possible that Donnegan might have seen her handwriting and in that case, though the imitation had been good enough to deceive Nelly herself, it probably would not for a moment fool the keen eyes of Donnegan.  But if she herself wrote out the note, Donnegan was already as good as dead.

“That is,” concluded Joe Rix, “if he really loves you, Nell.”

“The fool!” cried Nelly.  “He worships the ground I walk on, Joe.  And I hate him for it.”

Even Joe Rix shivered, for he saw the hate in her eyes and could not dream that he himself was the cause and the object of it.  There was a red haze of horror and confusion in front of her eyes, and yet she was able to smile while she copied the note for Joe Rix.

“But how are you going to work it?” she asked.  “How are you going to kill him, Joe?”

“Don’t bother your pretty head,” said the fat man, smiling.  “Just wait till we bring you the good news.”

“But are you sure?” she asked eagerly.  “See what he’s done already.  He’s taken Landis away from us; he’s baffled Nick himself, in some manner; and he’s gathered the mines away from all of us.  He’s a devil, Joe, and if you want to get him you’d better take ten men for the job.”

“You hate him, Nell, don’t you?” queried Joe Rix, and his voice was both hard and curious.  “But how has he harmed you?”

“Hasn’t he taken Nick away from me?  Isn’t that enough?”

The fat man shivered again.

“All right.  I’ll tell you how it works.  Now, listen!”

And he began to check off the details of his plan.

40

The day passed and the night, but how very slowly for Nelly Lebrun; she went up to her room early for she could no longer bear the meaning glances which Joe Rix cast at her from time to time.  But once in her room it was still harder to bear the suspense as she waited for the noise to die away in the house.  Midnight, and half an hour more went by, and then, at last, the murmurs and the laughter stopped; she alone was wakeful in Lebrun’s.  And when that time came she caught a scarf around her hair and her shoulders, made of a filmy material which would veil her face but through which she could see, and ventured out of her room and down the hall.

There was no particular need for such caution, however, it seemed.  Nothing stirred.  And presently she was outside the house and hurrying behind the houses and up the hill.  Still she met nothing.  If The Corner lived tonight, its life was confined to Milligan’s and the gambling house.