Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-02
CHAPTER v-continued.

'sonly let the preacher part slide and say
| just what you have to say as man to man.
Wynkoop stifrened perceptibly In his
chair, his face paling somewhat. but his
eyes unwavering. Realizing the reckless
nature before him. he was one whom oppo-
sition merely inspired
II prefer to do So" he continued more
calmly. 1T will render my unpleasant task
much easier and yield US both a more d.
rect road for travel. l have been laboring
on this field for nearly three years. When
first came here you were pointed out to
me as a most dangerous man.. and ever
since then have constantly been RECALLED
by the stories of your exploits. I have
known you merely through such unfriendly
| reports. and came here strongly prejudiced
against you as q representative of every
evil I war against. We have never met
before because there seemed to be nothing
| in common between us-becauseI had been
led to suppose you to be an entirely differ
ent man from what I now believe you are"
Hampton stirred uneasily in his chair.
Shall paint in exceedingly PLATA words
the picture given me of you?
There was no response, but the speaker
moistened his lips and proceeded firmly.
1T was that of professional gambler,
utterly devoid Of mercy toward his vic
TINS; q reckless fighter. who shot to kill
! upon the least provocation; man without
moral character and from whom any good
action was impossible. That was what was
said about you. Is the tale true p
Hampton laughed unpleasantly, his eyes
grown hard and ugly.
II presume 1t must be-" he admitted with
q quick side glance toward the closed door.
''for the girl out yonder thought about the
] same. A most excellent reputation to es-
tablish with only ten years OF strict at
tendance to business"
70 10 IT,
approval.
"Well, In my present Judgment that re-
port was not altogether true" he went on
clearly and with greater confidence. II did
suppose you exactly that sort of man
when I first came into this room. I have
not believed so. however. for a single mo-
ment since. Nevertheless, the naked truth
| is certainly bad enough. without any neces-
sity for our resorting to romance. You
may deceive others by an assumption of
recklessness, but i feel convinced your true
nature is not evil. 1t has been warped
through some cause which Is none of my
business. Let US deal alone with facts.
You are gambler. professional gambler.
with all that that implies: your life Is, Of
necessity. passed among the most vicious
and degrading elements OF mining camps,
life when in your Judgment 1t seems neces-
sary to preserve your own. Under this
veneer of lawiessness you may. indeed, pos
sess warm heart, Mr.. Hampton; you may
pS d SOO0 lSllOW, Uul YOU dTc certainty uOl
a model character. even according to the
liberal code of the border"
Extremely kind of you to enter my
rooms unlimited and furnish me with this
the other with affected carelessness. But
thus far you have failed to tell ME any
thing strikingiy new. Am to understand
you have some particular object in this
exchange Of amenitiesT
Most assuredly. 1t is to ask II such q
person as you practically confess yourself
to be-homeless. associating only with the
most despicable and vicious characters and
leading SO uncertain and disreputable a life
can be fit to assume charge of girl. al
most woman. and mould her futurer'
For a long, breathless moment Hampton
stared incredulously at his questioner,
he started to speak. but literally choked
back the bitter words burning his lips.
while an uncomfortable admiration for the
others holiness began to overcome his first
fierce anger.
by -" he exclaimed at last, rising to
his feet and pointing toward the door. Il
have shot men for less. Go, before forget
your cloth. You little impudent fool! See
here-I saved that girl from death or worse;
[ plucked her from the very mouth OF hell;
like her; she's got sand; so far as know
there is not single soul for her to turn
to for help In all this wide world. And
YOU you miserable. sniyeiing hypocrite,
you little creeping Presbyterian parson. you
want me to shake her! What sort OF wild
beast do you suppose I ann"
Wynkoop had taken one hasty step back
ward impelled to 1t by the fierce anger
blazing from those stern gray eyes, but now
he paused, and, for the only time on record.
discovered the conventional language Of
polite society inadequate to express his
needs.
II think" he said. scarcely realizing hts
own words, ''you are d fool"
Into Hampton's eyes there leaped q light
upon which other men had looked before
they died-the strange. mad CLEAN one
sometimes sees in fighting animals or amid
the fierce charges OF war. His hand swept
instinctively backward. closing upon the
butt of a revolver beneath his coat and for
one second he who had dared such utter
ance looked on death. Then the hard lines
about the mans mouth softeneds the fingers
clutchfng the weapon relaxed and Hafnp-
ton laid one opened hand upon the minis
.'sit down." he said. his voice unsteady
from 60 sudden a reaction. "Perhaps-per-
haps don't exactly understand.
For a full minute they sat thus looking
at each other. through the fast. dimmtng
light. like two prize fighters meeting for
the first time within the ring and taking
mental stock before beginning their rhysi-
cal argument. Hampton. with touch Of
his old audacity of manner, was FIRST to
break the silence. - rstsl
so you think I am a d. fool. Well
we are in pretty fair accord as to that fact
although no one before has ever ventured
Perhaps you will kindly explainf''
The preacher wet his dry lips with his
tongue. forgetting himself when his
thoughts began to crystalline into express
sion.
II regret having spoken as did" he be-
gan. such language is not my custom.
/ was irritated because Of your haste in
rejecti2I my advances before hearing the
proposition ! came to submit. ! certainly
respect your evident desire to be Of assist
ance to this young woman. nor have the
slightest Intention of interfering between
you. Your act In preserving her life was
truly noble one, and your loyalty to her
interests since IL worthy Of all Christian
praise But believe 1 have a right to ask
what do you intend for the future? Keep
her with you? Drag her about from camp
to camp? Educate her among the con-
terminating poison OF gambling holes and
dance halls?. Is her home hereafter to be
the saloon and the rough frontier hotel?
Her ideal Of manhood the zquarrelsome
gambler and of womanhood painted har-
lot? Mr.. Hampton. yon are evidently q
man Of education. of early refinement: you
have known better things, and have como
to you seeking merely to aid you in decid-
ing this helpless young woman's destiny.
thought. l prayed, you would be at once in
terested in that purpose and would compre-
bend the reasonableness of my position.
Hampton sat silent. gazing out of the
window. his eyes apparently on the lights
I - If~~v ain In IT, Z -lo~.-