The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-27

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t.But 4 didn't want yolr ana there
! was look Of positive dislike In heEi
fRidely opened eyes.
\ Didn't want me?r Heecho ed these,
unexpected words In tone of COM
| plete5surprise. Surely you could mot
desire to be left here Rlone1 Why
didn't You want me?'
Because / know who you are!s Her
voice seemed to catch ID her throat
@He told me. You're the man who
shot Jim Eberly.'
Mr. Hampton was never Of . pro-
nounced emotional nature, nor was he
q person easily disconnected, yet he
flushed at the sound Of these 1mpul-
slye words, and the confident smile de
serted his lips. For moment they
sat thus, the dead body lying between,
and looked at each other When the
man finally broke the constrained ST.
lence a deeper information had crept
into his voice.
"My girl" he said graVely, and not
without suspicion Of pleading, this
is no place for me to attempt any de-.
tense Of a shooting affrayin a gambling
house, although might plead with
some justice that Eberly enjoyed the
honor Of shooting tirst I was. not
aware Of your personal feeling in the.
matter, or might have permitted
some one else to come here in my
stead. Now 1t Is too late / have
never spoken to you before, and do 80
at this time merely from a~sincere de-
sire to be Of some assistance"
There was that in bis manner OF
grave courtesy which served to steady
the girl. Probably never before In all
her rough frontier experience had she
been addressed thus formally. Her
closely compressed lips twitched ner-
yously, but her questioning eyes re-
manned uncovered.
"You may stay" she asserted, so
berly. "only don't touch me-"
No one could ever realize how much
those words hurt him. Not until he
had completely conquered his first un-
wise impulse to retort angrily, did he
venture again to speak.
81 hope to aid you in getting back
beside the others, where you will be
less exposed"
"Will you take him?"
"He Is Dead" Hampton said, sober
ly, "and can do nothing to aid him.
But there remains a chance for you
to escape"
"Then won't co." she declared.
positively.
Hampton's gray eyes looked for a
long moment fixeGly into her darker
ones, while the two took mental stock
Of each other. He realized the utter
futillty Of any further argument, while
she felt instinctlvely the cool. domt.
mating strength of the man. Neither
was composed Of that poor fiber which
bends.
Every well, my young LADY," he said,
easily, stretching himself out more
comfortably in the rock shadow. Then
I will remain here with YOU; it makes
small Odds"
Excepting for one hasty, puzzled
glance, she did not delgn to look again
toward him, and the man rested mo-
tlonless upon his back, staring up at
the sky. Finally, curiosity overmas-
tered the actor in him, and he turned
partially upon one side, so as to bring
her profile within his range of vision.
Her dark, glowing eyes we're lowered
upon the white face Of the dead man,
vet Hampton noted how clear, in spite
OF sun.tan, were those tints Of health
upon the rounded cheek, and how soft
and glossy shone her wealth OF rum
pled hair. Even the tlnge of color, so
distasteful in the full glare Of the sun,
appeared to have darkened under
the shadow, It's shade framing the
downcast face into a penslye fairness.
Then he observed how dry and
parched her lips were.
"Take drink Of this" he insisted
heartily, holding out toward her as he
spoke his partially filled canteen.
She started at the unexpected sound
Of his voice, yet upllfted the welcome
water to her mouth, while Hampton,
observing it all closely, could but re-
mark the delicate shapeliness Of her
hand.
"If that old fellow was her father"
he reflected soberly, Il should like to
have seen her mother"
Thank YOU" she said simply, hand
ing back the eanteen, but without lift
ing her eyes again to his face. Il was
so thirsty" Her low tone, endeavor-
ing to be- polite enough, contained no
note OF encouragement.
"Was ellis your father? the man
questioned, determined to make her
recognize his presence.
s"I suppose so; / don't know"
"You don't know? Am I to under.
stand you are actually uncertain
whether this man was your father or
not?"
"That Is about what | said, wasn't
It? Not that 1t is any Of your bust
ness, so far as know, Mr.. Bob Hamp-
ton, but 1 answered you all right. He
brought me up, and called him dad
about as far back as l can remember,
but I don't reckon as he ever told me
no MAO NV father. so you can under.