Joyce, a lover of luxury, usually had a roll and coffee in bed as a substitute for breakfast. Sometimes she varied this by appearing late at the table and putting the attendants to unnecessary trouble. This she always paid for with murmurs of apology and sweet smiles of thanks.
On the second morning after the announcement of her engagement to Dobyans Verinder she came down to find the dining-room empty except for the omnibus.
She opened wide eyes of surprise. "Dear me! Am I late?"
"Yes'm."
She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "How inconsiderate of me! I didn't realize the time. Would you mind calling a waiter?"
Meanwhile Joyce began on her grape fruit. Almost simultaneously a sound of voices reached her. Men were coming into the parlor that adjoined the breakfast room.
The high-pitched voice of her affianced lover was the first she recognized. "----to-night! Sure he said to-night?"
Joyce judged that the rough tones of the answer came from a workingman. "That's right. To-night, Bell said. He was to bring his wagon round to Kilmeny's at eleven and they were going to haul the ore to Utah Junction."
A third speaker, evidently Bleyer, the superintendent, cut in quietly. "Bell said it was to be a big shipment, didn't he?"
"Yep. Worth sixty or seventy thousand, he figured."
"Was Bell drunk?"
"I wouldn't say drunk. He had been drinking a good deal. Talkative like. He let it out as a secret, y'understand."
"Anyone there beside you?"
"A miner by the name of Peale."
"Know the man?"
It was Verinder that asked the question and Bleyer that answered.
"Yes. A bad lot. One of those that insulted the young ladies."
"Anyhow, he won't warn Kilmeny."
"Not after the mauling that young man gave him. He's still carrying the scars," Bleyer replied with a low laugh. He added briskly, after a moment, "What do you expect to get out of this, Rollins?"
The workman seemed to answer with some embarrassment. "Thought you might give me that lease in the Mollie Gibson I spoke to you about, Mr. Bleyer."
"It's yours--if this comes out as you say, my man. I'd give more than that to call the turn on Mr. Highgrader Kilmeny," Verinder promised.
"And, o' course, you won't give it away that I told."
"Certainly not."
The arrival of a waiter eliminated Joyce as a listener, for the first thing the man did was to close the door between the parlor and the dining-room.
But she had heard enough to know that Jack Kilmeny was in danger of falling into a trap that was being set for him. Verinder had him at last, just as he had promised that he would get him. No doubt they would have witnesses and would send him to prison as they had threatened.