Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-01-18

fee. when the two soldiers entered
with their report. The sergeant step
ped aside, and the orderly, a tall. boy
ish looking fellow with pusnacious
chin. saluted stif1y.
Well, Bane' and the officer eyed
his trim appearance with manifest APP
prOva1, what did you succeed In learn
ing2''
The operator said this we're Muir
ply had never bin thar himself, sir,
but there wus several messages come
fer him. One got here this mornin'."
What becomes of them?"
They're called fer by another fell
Ter, SIR
oh, they are. Who?"
Red Slavin wus the name he give
me of thet other buck
When the two had disappeared,
Brant sat back thinking rapidly. There
was a mystery here, and such actions
must have a cause Something eth
er in or about Glencaid was COM
pelling Murphy to keep out of sight
but what2 Who? Brant was I'M
able to get it out of his head that
all this secrecy centered around Nadia.
Perhaps Hampton knew; at least he
might possess some additional scrap
of information which would help to
solve the problem. He looked at his
watch, and ordered his horse to be
saddled.
1t did not seem quite so simple now,
this projected interview with Hamp-
ton, as it had appeared the night be-
fore. In the clear light of day. he
began to realize the weakness of his
position, the fact that he possessed
not the smallest right to speak on be-
half of Nadia ellis. Nevertheless, the
die was cast, and perhaps, provided an
open quarrel could be avoided, the
meeting might result in good to all
concerned.
Hampton welcomed him with dis
tant but marked courtesy having evil
IDENTIFY thought out his own imme-
date plan of action, and schooled him
self accordingly. Standing there, the
bright light streaming over them from
/ the open windows, they presented two
widely contrasting personalities, yet
| each exhibited in figure and face the
evidences of hard training and iron
| discipline. Hampton was clothed in
| black, standing straight as an arrow,
| his shoulders squared, his head held
proudly erect, while his cool gray
| eyes studied the face of the other as
| his opponents at the card table. Brant
looked the picture of a soldier on
| duty, trim, well built. erect, his reso-
| lutte blue eyes never flinching from
| the steady gaze bent upon him, his
bronzed young face grave from the
seriousness of his mission. In both
minds the same thought fingered
| the vague wonder how much the 9th
er knew. The elder man, however, re-
| tanned a better self-control and was
| first to break the silence.
Miss ellis informed me of your
kindness to her last evening"" he
said, quietly, land in her behalf
sincerely thank you. Permit me to
offer you a chair
Brant accepted it and sat down,
feeling the calm tone of proprietorship
| in the words of the other as If they
had been a blow. His face flushed,
yet he spoke firmly. Possibly l mis-
construe your meaning" he said, with
some bluntness, determined to reach
the gist of the matter at once. Did
Miss ellis authorize you to thank me
for these c~urtesies?"
Hampton smiled with provoking
calmness, holding an unlighted cigar
between his fingers. why. really.
as to that 1 do not remember.
merely mentioned it as expressing the
natural gratitude of us BOTH
You speak as if you possessed full
authority to express her mind as well
as your own.
The other bowed gravely, his face
! impassive. My words quite naturally
| bear some such construction.
The officer hesitated, feeling more
doubtful than ever regarding his own
position. Chagrined, disarmed, he
| felt like a prisoner standing bound
| before his hooking captor. Then
! fear my mission here is useless
Entirely so, if you come for the
purpose 1 suspect said Hampton, sit
| ting erect in his chair, and speaking
with more rapid utterance. ITO lee
| ture me on morality, and demand my
| yielding up all influence over this girl
| ure 1 have listened with some de-
gree of calmness in this room already
| to one such address, and surrendered
| to it's reasoning. But permit me to
| say quite plainly, Lieut.. Brant, that
| you are not the person from whom l
| will quietly listen to another
81 had very little expectation that
| you would"
You should have had still less, and
| remained away entirely. However.
| now that you are here, and the sub
| ject preached, it becomes my turn
| tn saw something and to say it clear