Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-09-20
CHAPTER vi.
"To Be or Not to Be-"


They were seated rather close togeth-
Or upon the steep hillside, gazing silent
y down upon squalid Gleneaid At such
considerable distance all the dull shah
biness Of the mining town had disap-
peared, and 1t seemed almost ideal,
Viewed against the natural background
OF brown rocks and green trees. Every
where was loneliness, no sound telling
Of the labor of man reached them,
and the few scattered buildings far
below resembling mere doll-houses.
They had conversed only upon the
constantly changing beauty Of the
scene, or of incidents connected with
their upward climb, while moving
slowly along the trail through the
fresh morning sunshine. Now they
sat In silence, the young girl, with
cheeks flushed and dreamy eyes aglow,
gazed far of along the valley, the
man watching her curiously, and won
dering how best to approach his task.
Observing her now, sitting thus in
total Inconsistencies of his scrutiny,
Hampton made no attempt to analyze
the depth of his interest for this waif
who had come drifting into his life.
Even to his somewhat prejudiced
eyes she was not an attractive crea.
ture, for she possessed no clear con-
ception of how to render apparent
those few feminine charms she pos
sessed. Negligence and total uncon-
} Sciousness of self, coupled with lack
OF womanly companionship and guild
ances had left her altogether in the
rough. He marked now the coarse
ragged shoes, the cheap patched skirt,
the tousled auburn hair, the sunburnt
acheeks with a suggestion of freckles
plainly visible beneath the eyes, and
some OF the fastidiousness of early
days caused him to shrug his shout.
ders. Yet underneath the tan there
was the glow Of perfect young health;
the eyes were frank, brave, unfinch-
Ing; while the rounded chin held a
world Of character n its firm con-
tour. Somehow the sight of this
brought back to him that abiding
faith in her dead gameness" which
had first awakened his admiration.
kid" he ventured at last, you
were talking while we came I'D the
trail about how we'd do this and that
after awhile. You don't suppose I'm
going to have any useless girl like
you hanging around on to me, do
you?"
She glanced quickly about at him.
as though such unexpected expressions
startled her from a pleasant reverie.
why, II thought that was the way
you planned it yesterday" she ex-
claimed, doubtfully.
.0h, yesterday! Well, you see, yes
terday | was sort Of dreaming; to-day
/ am wide awake, and I've about de.
cided, Kid, that for your own good,
and my comfort, I've got to shake
you"
A sudden CLEAN of fierce resentment
leaped into the dark eyes, the IN
restrained glow of a passion which
had never known control. "Oh, you
have, have you, Mr.. Bob Hampton
You have about decided! Well, why
Cont you altogether decide? don't
think I'm down on my knees begging
you for mercy. Good Lord! | reck.
on can get along all right without
you'll did before. Just what hap.
pened to give you such a change Of
hearth"
Il made the sudden discovery" he
said affecting laziness he was far
from feeling, that you we're too near
being young woman to go traipsing
, around the country with me, living at
shacks, and having no company but
gambling sharks, and that class OF
cattle"
"Oh, did you? What else?"
} "only that our tempers don't ex.
Sactly seem to jibo, and the two OF