The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-02-14

ing a three days siege. Hampton aud
the girl only, escape from the Indians
They fall exhausted on the plains. A
company of the Seventh cavalry, Lieut..
Brant in command, find them. Hampton
and the girl stop ATT the er0 MiHeFs Home In
CHAPTER V%.-continued.
There was no response, but the
speaker moistened his lips and pro-
ceeded firmly. 1T was that of a pro-
fessional gambler, utterly devoid of
mercy toward his victims; a reckless
fighter, who shot to kill Upon the least
pr%ovocation; a nan without moral
character, and from whom any good
action was impossible. That was what
was said about you. Is the tale true?'
Hampton laughed unpleasantly, his
eyes grown hard and ugly.
81 presume it must be-" he admitted,
with a quick side glance toward the
closed door, "for the girl out yonder
thought about the m A most ex-
cellent reputation to establish with
only ten years Of strict attendance to
business"
Wynkoop's grave face expressed his
%disapproval.
We'll, in my present judgment that
report was not altogether true" he
went on clearly and with greater con-
fidence. 81 did suppose you exactly
that sort of a man when l first came
into this room. l have not believed
so, however, for a single moment
since. Nevertheless, the naked truth
is certainly bad enough, without any
necessity for our resorting to romance.
You may deceive others by an assump-
ton of recklessness, but l feel con-
WINGED your true nature is not evil. 1t
has been warped through some cause
which is one of my business. Let us
deal alone with facts. You are a gam
bier, a professional gambler, with all
that that implies; your life is, of neces-
sity, passed among the most vicious
and degrading elements Of mining
camps, and you do not hesitate even
to take human life when in your judg-
ment it seems necessary to preserve
your own. Under this veneer of law.
l%essness you may, indeed, possess a
warm heart, Mr.. Hampton; 0 may
be a good fellow, but o are certain.
,iy not a model character, even accord
ing to the liberal code of the border
Extremely kind of you to enter my
rooms unlimited, and furnish me with
this list of moral deficiencies" &C
knowledged the other with affected
~carelessness. But thus far you have
failed to tell me anything strikingly
new. Am I to understand you have
some particular object in this ex
change of amenities"
Most assuredly. 1t Is to ask If such
person a you practically confess
yourself to be-homeless, associatins
only with the most despicable anG
vicious characters, and leading so un
certain and ~disreputable a life-can bt
fit to assume charge of a girl, almos
a woman, and mould her future?"
For a long, breathless momen'
Hampton stared in%credulously at hi
questioner, crushing his cigar between
his teeth. Twice he started to speak
but literally choked back the bite
words burning his lips, while an un
comfortable admiration for the other
boldness began to overcome his frs
fierce anger.
"By God!" he exclaimed at last, ris
ing to his feet and pointing toward tn,
door. 81 have shot men for less. &C
before l forget your cloth. You littl
i%mpudent fool! See here-I save,
that girl from death, or worse;
plucked her from the very mouth @
He'll; l like her; she's got sand; so ia
as l know there is not a single sou
for her to turn to for help in all thi
wide world. And you, you miserable
snivelling hypocrite, you little Greer
ing Presbyterian parson, you want m
to shake her! What sort of a will
beast do you suppose 1 amp"
Wynkoop had taken one hasty ste
backward, impelled to it by the fierc
anger blazing from those stern, gra
eyes. But now he paused, and, fo
the only time on record, discovere
the conventional language of polite 81
ciety inadequate to express his need
IL think" he said, scarcely realizin
his own words, you are a damne
fool"
Into Hampton's eyes there leaped
light upon which other men had locke
before they died,-the strange ma
CLEAN n sometimes sees in fightin
animals, or amid the fierce charges
war. His hand swept instinctivel
backward, closing upon the butt Of
revolver beneath his coat, and for on
second he who had dared such ute
ance looked on death. Then the hal
lines about the mans mouth softene
the fingers clutohing the weapon r
Taxed. and Hampton laid one opene
hand upon the minister's shrinkir
shoulder.
"Sit down." he said, his voice u
steady from 81 sudden q reactio
"Perhaps-perhaps I don't exactly u
,dersiand."
For a full minute they sat thus loo