Evening star., 1907-05-03
CHAPTER vi.
"To Be or Not to Be"

ITO BE or MOI 20 BE-
They were seated rather close together
upon the steep hillside, gazing silently down
upon squalid Glencaid. At such considerable
distance all the dull shabbiness of the min
ing town had disappeared, and 1t seemed
almost ideal, viewed against the natural
background of brown rocks and green
trees. All about them was the clear, in
vigorating air of the uplands, through
which the eyes might trace for miles the
range Of irregular rocky hills, while just
above, seemingly almost within touch of
the extended hand. dropped the blue circling
sky. unlocked by cloud. Everywhere was
loneliness, no sound telling of the labor of
man reached them, and tie few scattered
buildings far below resembling mere doll
houses.
They had conversed only upon the con-
stantly 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,
gazing far off along the valley, the man
watching her curiously, and wondering how
best to approach his task. For the first time
he began to realize the truth which had
been partially borne in upon him the pre-
vious evening by Wynkoop that this was no
mere child with whom he dealt but young
girl upon the verge of womanhood. Such
knowledge began to reveal much that came
before him as new, changing the entire ma
ture Of their present relationship, as we'll
as the scope Of his own plain duty. 1t was
his wont to look things squarely in the face
and unpleasant and unwelcome as was the
task now confronting him. during the long
night hours he had settled 1t once for all
the preachers words were just.
Observing her now, sitting thus In total
Inconsistencies Of his scrutiny Hampton
made no attempt to analyze the depth Of
drifting into his life. He did not in the
least comprehend why she should have
touched his heart with generous impulses
nor did he greatly care The fact was far
the more important, and that fact he no
longer questioned. He had been q lonely,
unhappy, discontented man for many long
year, Stunned by his own sex. who feared
him. never long seeking the society OF the
other. and retaining little real respect for
himself Under such conditions reaction
was not unnatural, and, short as the time
had been since their first meeting, this odd,
straightforward chit of a girl had found an
abiding place in his heart, had furnished
him distinct motive in life before un-
known.
Even to his somewhat prejudiced eyes she
was not an attractive creature, for she pos
sessed no clear conception of how to render
apparent those few feminine charms she
possessed. Negligence and total uncon-
sciousness Of self, coupled with lack of
womanly companionship and guidance, had
left her altogether in the rough. He mark
ed now the coarse ragged shoes, the cheap
patched skirt, the tousled auburn hair, the
sunburnt cheeks with suggestion Of freck-
les plainly visible beneath the eyes, and
some Of the fastidiousness of earlier days
caused him to shrug his shoulders. Yet un-
derneath the tan there was the glow Of
perfect young health; the eyes were frank,
brave, unf1tnching; while the rounded chin
held world Of character in 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 "She's got it in her." he
thought, silently land, by thunder! I'm
here to help her get 1t out"
Kid he ventured at last, turning over
a broken fragment of rock between his rest
less fingers, but without lifting his eyes,
"you were talking while we came up the
trail about how we'd do this and that after
a while. You don't suppose I'm going to
have any useless girl like you hanging
around on to me, do your"
She glanced quickly about at him, as
though such unexpected expressions start
led her from pleasant reverie. Why,
II thought that was the way you planned
it yesterday" she exclaimed, doubtfully.
"Oh. yesterday! Well, you see. yesterday
I was sort of dreaming; today 1 am wide
awake, and I've about decided, 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 unrestrained
glow of a passion which had never known
control. "Oh, you have, have you, Mister
Bob Hampton? You have oout decided!
Well why don't you altogether decide?
don't think I'm down on my knees begging
you for mercy. Good Lord! 1 reckon can
get along all right without you'll did be-
fore. Just what happened to give you such
a change Of hearth"
II made the sudden discovery he said,
affecting a laziness he was very far from
feeling, that you were too near being a
young woman to 80 traipsing around the
country with me. living at shacks. and hav-
ing no company but gambling sharks. and
that class of cattle"
"Oh, did you? What else?"
"Only that our tempers don't exactly
seem to jibe and the two Of US can't be
bosses in the same ranch"
She looked at him contemptuously, swing
ing her body farther around on the rock,
and sitting stif1y. the color on her cheeAs
deepening through the sunburn. Now see
and you know it! Didn't understand ex-
actly who you was and what was your busi-
ness? Didn't I know you was a gambler,
and bad manT Didn't tell you plain
enough out wonderland her voice faltered
slightly-"just what I thought about you?
Good Lord! I haven't been begging to stick
with you, have IL I just didn't know which
way to turn, or who to turn to, after dad
was killed, and you sorter hung on to me-
and let it go the way supposed you want
ed 1t. But I'm not particularly stuck on your
style, let me tell you, and 1 reckon there's
plenty of ways for me to get along. Only
tie game is. You don't throw down your
hand like tHat without some reason"
Hampton, sat up, spurred into instant ad-
miration By such independence of spirit.
You grow rather good-looking, Kid. when
you get hot, but you go at things half
cooked, and you've got to get over it. That's
the whole trouble-you've never been train
ed, and I wouldn't make much of a trainer