West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-02-07

The necessary change Of stage lines
had forced him 10 stay overnight at
Billy Knapp hotel.
The messenger seized his bag and
softly ran along through the canvas
partitlonsd rooms wherein Billy slept
TO a narrow window which he had al
ready noticed gave out almost directly
into the pirc woods. The window was
OF oiled paper. and It's catch baHied
him. lie knew II should slide back.
but II refused to slide for him. He
did not dare to break the paper be-
cause OF the cracking noise. A voice
ut his shoulder startled him.
I'm show you.'' whispered the red
checked girl.
She was wrapped loosely In n blan-
ket. her hair failing about her shoulder
and her bare feet showing beneath her
coverings. The little man suffered at
once m agony OF embarrassment I'm
which the thought OF his GRAND was
lost. II was recalled to him by the
girl.
There you arc" she whispered,
showing him the open window.
THANK YOU" lac stammcred painful.
~. 81 assure you'll wish
Tho girl laughed under her breath.
That's all right" she said heartily.
81 owe you that for calling old whisk-
ers OF his bronze" md she kissed him.
The messenger, trembling with self
consciousness. climbed hastily through
tho window, ran the broad loop OF the
satchel up his arm and, Instead OF
dropping to the ground. as the girl had
expected, swung himself lightly Into
the branches OF n rather large scrub
oak that grew near. She listened TO
the rustic of the leaves for n moment
as he neared the trunk and then, u n
able longer TO restrain her curiosity In
regard TO the dolngs below, turned TO
the stairway.
AS she did so two men mounted.
They examined the rooms OF the upper
story hastily, but carefully. paying
scant attention to her, and departed
swearing. In n few moments they re-
turned for the strangers trunk. Nell
followed as far MS the stairway. There
she heard and saw things. and fed In
bitter dismay to the back OF the house,
when Billy Knapp was overpowered.
At the window she knelt, clasping
her hands and placing her head be-
tween her bare arms. Women I'm the
west. ut least women like Nell. do not
weep. But she came nea II. Suddenly
she raised her head. A voice next her
EAR had addressed her.
She looked here and there and
around. but could discover nothing.
Here, outside came the low, guard
ed voice. "In the tree"
Then she saw that the little stranger
had not stirred from his first sighting
place.
beg your pardon, ma'am. for star
Ting you or for addressing you at NIL.
which | shouldn't, but
"Oh, never mind that!' cried the girl
Impatiently, shaking back her hair. SO
leprecating and timid were the tones
that. almost without an effort OF the
imagination, she could picture the little
mans bushes md his half Siding
method of delivery. At this supreme
moment his littleness and lack Of self
assertion Jared on her mood. what
you doin' there1 Thought you'd va
moosed."
ut was safest here" explained the
stranger. IL left no trail"
She nodded comprehension OF the
common sense Of this.
But, ma'am. / took the liberty of
speakln' to you because you seems 20
be In trouble. or course / amt got no
right to ask. an II you don't care to
tell me-
They're goln' to kill Billyr broke in
Nell with a sob.
what forI"
II don't jest rightly make out.
They're after some one. and they thinks
Billy's cachein' him. I reckon it's you.
Billy amt cachein' nothln', but they
thinks he Is"
Its me they's after all right enough.
Now you knows where I am, why don't
you tell them an save Bllly?"
The girl started, but her keen west
ern mind saw the difficulty at once.
They thinks Billy p~ertects you Jest
the same"
do you love him?' asked the stran-
ger.
God knows I'm purity tough" con-
fessed Nell. sobblng, but l Jest do
THAR And she dropped her head
again.
The Invisible stranger I'm the gloom
fell silent. considering.
I'm n purity rank proposition my
SELF" said he at last as II to himself,
and l got a job on hand which same
1 oughta put through without givin' at
tention on anything else. As a usual
L yr,.. F.Tf-. N.-Fa ..-. - - =
don't care much for folks, women es-
pccial. They drives me plumb tired. l
reckon 1 don't stack up very high on
the blue chips when II ID to cash
in In with that sex anyhow, but In
general they gives me as much notice
as they lavishcs on a doodle bug. I
amt carln'. you understand. nary
bit. but Onct In a dogs age / kind OF
bankers for n decent look from one OF
them. ! amt never had no women
folks Of my own-never. Sometimes /
thinks II would be some scrumptious
20 know n little gals waltin' for me
somewheres. They amt none. They
never VIII be. I Amt built that way.
You treated mc white tonight. You're
the first woman that ever kissed me OF
her own accord"
The girl heard q faint scramble, then
the sOlt pat OF some one landing on
hls feet. pcerlng from the window,
she made out n faint shadowy form
stealing around the corner OF the no
tel She put her hand 10 her heart
1Ul listened Her understanding OF
tle Changers motives was vague. but
.' bad caught bis confession that her
Kiss bad meant much 90 him and even
iu her anxiety she felt an inclination
20 llu-h She had bestowed that caress
~ alo would have kissed the cold end
Of n 1o.'s nose.