Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-12-25
CHAPTER Vi.-continued.


Il reckon I'd rather try it alone,
she announced stubbornly. Maybe
might have stood it with you, Bot
Hampton, but woman is the limit"
Il expect it will go rather hard al
first, Kid" he admitted craftily, "but
think you might try it while just tc
sort of please me-"
'Who-who is she?" doubtfulIy.
Mrs. Herndon, wife of the super.
intendent of the Golden Rule mine
and he waved his hand toward the dis
tant houses. They tell me she's a
mighty fine woman"
"Oh, they do? Then somebody
been stirring you up about me, have
they? I thought that was about the
way Of it. Somebody wants to reform
me, reckon. Well, maybe won't be
reformed. Who was it, Bob?"
The Presbyterian missionary" he
confessed reluctantly, "a nervy little
chap named Wynkoop; he came in to
see me last night while you were
asleep" He faced her open scorn I'm.
shrinkingly, his mind fully decided
and clinging to one thought with all
the tenacity of his nature.
"a preacher!" her voice vibrant with
derision, "a preacher! Well, of all
things, Bob Hampton! You led around
by the nose in that way! Did he want
you to bring me to Sunday school? A
preacher! And 1 suppose the fellow
expects to turn me over to one of his
flock for religious instruction. He'll
have you studying theology inside of a
year. A preacher! Oh, Lord, and you
agreed! Well, l won't go; so there!"
"As l understand the affair."" Hamp-
ton continued, as she paused for
breath, ''it was Lieut.. Brant who sug.
gested the idea of his coming to me.
Brant knew ellis, and remembered
you, and realizing your unpleasant sit
uation, thought such an arrangement
would be for your benefit"
"Brant!" she burst forth in renewed
anger; he did, did he! The putty.
faced dandy! 1 used to see him at
Bethune, and you can bet he never
bothered his head about me then. No,
ana he didn't even know me out yon-
der, until after the sergeant spoke up.
What business has that fellow got
planning what 1 shall do?"
Hampton made no attempt to an
swer 1t was better to let her indigna-
ton die out naturally, and so he asked
question. What is this Brant doing
at Bethune? There is no cavalry sta
toned there"
She glanced up quickly, interested
by the sudden change in his voice. "I
heard dad say he was kept there ON
some special detail. His regiment is
stationed at Fort Lincoln. somewhere
farther north, He used to come down
and talk with dad evenings, because
daddy saw service in the Seventh
when it was first organized after the
war"
Did you-did you ever hear either
OF them say anything about Mai. Alfred
Brant? He must have been this lads
father"
No, / never heard much they said,
Did you know him."
The father, yes, but that was wears
ago. Come, Kid, all this is ONLY an.
cient history, and just as we'll forgot
ten. Now, you are a sensible girl
when your temper don't get away with
you, and am simply going to leave
this matter to your better Judgment
VIII you go to Mrs. Herndon's and
ind out how you like it? You needn't
stop there an hour if she isn't good r.
you, but you ought not to want to re-.
main with me. and grow up like a
rough boy"
"You-you really want me to 60
don't your"
Yes, want you to go. It's a chance
Tor you, Kid, and there isn't a bit of
show in the kind of life l lead.
never have been in love with myself
and only took to it in the first place
because the devil happened to drive
me that way. The Lord knows dom,
want to lead any one else through
such a muck. So it is a try?"
The look of defiance faded SLOWLY
out OF her face as she stood gravely
regarding him. The man was in dead.
~ earnest, and she felt the quiet in.
sistence Of his manner.
You bet, If you put it that way -
she consented, simply, but / reckon
that Mrs. Herndon is likely to wish
hadn't"
together. yet scarcely exchangins
another word. the two retraced their
steps slowly down the steep trail lead
ing toward the little town in the val
ley