Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-04-17

q Gales face was whiter than hers now, but she disregarded him. "He can play with me. but nothing more. and when he Is gone another one can have me. and then another and another and another"
 That's all internal rot" he said. There's fifty good men in this camp would marry you tomorrow"
 Bah! mean real men, not miners. l want to be lasy. don't want to pull hand sled and wear moccasins all my life and raise children for men with whiskers. I want to be loved--I want to be loved! want to marry a gentleman"
 "Burrellv said Gale.
 No" sheE fiared up-''not him nor anybody in particular. but somebody like him. some man with clean finger nails"
 He found nothing humorous or gro tesque in her measure of gentleman, for he realized that she was stung to pitch of unreason and unnatural ex- citement and that she was In terrible earnest.
 The old man hesitated. "I'll own was wrong" he said finally. staring out into the sunshine with an odd ex- pression. Tt was thoughtless and wrong. dead wrong, but I've loved you better than any daughter was ever loved in this wide world. and I've worked and starved and froze and saved. and so has Alluna, so that you might have something to live on when I'm gone and be different from us. It won't be long now. l guess. I've given you the best schooling of any girl on the river, and I'd have sent you out to a convent In the States. but 1 couldn't let you go so far away. l loved you too much for that. couldn't do 1t, girl. I've tried. but you're all I've got, and I'm selfish man, I reckon"
 No, no, You're not" his daughter cried impulsively. You're everything that's good and dear, but you've lived different life from other men, and you see things differently. It was mean of me to talk as l did" She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. But I'm very unhappy. dad"
 Don't you aim to tell what started this?" he said gently. caressing her with his great. hard hand as softly as mother. But she shook her hea6.. and he continued, "Ill take the first Goat down to the mission and marry your ma if you want me to-"
 '"That wouldn't do any good" said she. Wed better leave things as they are" Then she drew away and smiled at him brayely from the door I'm very bad to act this way Scuses."
 He nodded, and she went out.
 Necia was In restless mood, and, remembering that Alluna and the chil- dren had gone berrying on the slopes behind the Indian village. she turned her way thither. All at once a fear of seeing Meade Burrell came upon her She wanted to think this out, to find where she stood, before he had word with ker. She had been led to observe herself from a strange angle and must verify her vision, as it were. What if he had changed now that he was alone and had had time to think? It would kill her if she saw any differ ence in him, and she knew she would be able to read it in his eyes.
 As she went through the main street of the camp she saw Stark occupied near the water front, where he had bought building lot. He spoke to her as she was about to pass.
 "Gocd morning, miss. Are you rest cd from your trip;'
 She answered that she was and would have continued on her way, but he stopped her.
 T don't want you to think that min ing matter was my doing" he said. i've got nothing against you. Your old man hasn't wasted any affection on me. and I can get along without him, all right. but I don't make trou- ble for girls if can help it."
 The girl believed that he meant what he said. His words rang true, and he spoke seriously. Moreover, Stark was known already in the canp as a man who did not go out of his way to make friends or to render an accounting of his deeds. so 1t was natural that when he made her q show of kindness Necia should treat him with less coldness than might have been expected. The man had exercised an occult influence upon her from the time she first saw him at Lees cabin, but 1t was too vague for definite feeling, and she had been too strongly swayed by Poleon and her father fin their attitude toward him to be conscious of it.
 I'm going to build a big dance hall and saloon here" said Stark, showing her the stakes that he had driven. 'As soon, as the rush to the creek is over I'll hire gang of men to get out a lot of house logs. I'll finish it in a week and be open for the stampede"
 Do you think this will be big town?' she asked.
 Nobody can tell. but I'll take a chance. If it proves to be a false alarm I'll move on"
 You've been in a great many camps,