The Holly chieftain., 1909-04-23

about RurrelI this old man had taken
every occasion to talk With the girl.
and when he asked her this morning
about the reports concerning Lees
strike she told him of her "Trip and NIL
that had occurred
'.You see I'm mine owner now
she concluded. .'If 1t hadn't been a
secrer would have told you before
went. so you could have beel, one Of
the first.'
I'm goin' anyhow" he said. "f the
lieutenant will let me and II It's not too
late"
Then she told him Of the trail by
Black Rear creek which would save
him several t>5urs
$50 that's how yOu and he made 1t 2"
he observed. gazing at her shrewdly.
II supposed you went with your IA
ther?"
"Oh. no! We beat him in she said
and fell to musing at the memory of
those hours passed alone with Meade,
while her eyes shone and her cheeks
glowed. The corporal saw the look. and
1t bore out theory he had formed dur.
/. ing the past month. 30 as he fingered
he set about task that had lain In his
mind for some time. As a rule. he was
not q careful man In his speech. and
the delicacy of this manenver taxed his
ingenuity to the utmost for he loved
the girl and feared to say too much
'The lieutenant is smart young
fellow he began. and it was slick
work jumpin' all those claims. It's
just like him to befriend a gin like
you. I've seen him do it before
T "Whatr' exclaimed Necia. " "Befricnd
other girlsT'
''Or things Just Ike It, He's always
doin' fayors that get him Into trou
BILE"
This couldn't cause him trouble.
could It, outside OF Stark's and Run.
MONS grudge?"
mo, reckon not" assented the cor
poral cropping blindly far some way Of
expressing what he wished to say
Except. Of course, 1t might cause
lot Of talk at headquarters when it's
known what he's done for you and
how he done It, heard soinethin'
about 1t down the street this morn
In, SO I'm afraid 1t will get TO st.
Michael's and then to his folks
Il don't understand" said Necia.
"He hasn't done anything that any
man wouldn't do under the same cir
cumstances."
NO mans got right to make folks
talk about nice girl" said the cor
poral. land the feller that told me
about It said he reckoned you two
was In love-" He hurried along now
without Offering her chance to speak.
"Of course that had to be caught up
quick; you're too fine y girl for that
"Too tineY" laughed Necfa.
II mean you're too fine and, good to
let him put you in wrong. just as he's
too fine fellow and got too much
ahead Of him to make what his peo-
pie would call messy-alliance."
'Would his people object Ito such
thing?" questioned the girl. They
were alone In the store. and so they
could talk freely. "I'm just suppos-
ing. you know"
20 Lord! Would they object?" Cor
| poral Thomas laughed In highly arti
| fetal manner that made Necia bride
and draw herself up Indignantly.
go ahead and tell me; I won't be
offended" insisted the girl you
must don't know much about such
things, for I've lived all my life with
men like father and PoleOn and the
priests at the mission. who treat me
just like one of themselves. But
somebody will want to marry me some
day. suppose. so I ought to know
| what is wrong with me-" She flushed
up darkly under her brown cheeks.
Corporal Thomas began to perspire
uncomfortably. but went on doggedly:
I'm goin' to tell you a story. not
because It applies to Lieutenant Bur
| rell"--
'Qf course" said the girl.
-.but Just to show you what mean.
1t was II good, lnng spell ago. when
WAS Mt Fort Supply. which was the
frontier In them days. like this IL now
We freightrd In from Dodge City with
bull teams aud 1t was sure the fringe
of the frgi.tier--liu women. no society,
nothin' niu Ii except II fort. n lot of In
iuss and &: few officials with their
wives ard families. Now. them kind
of places Is all right for married men
but tleH'r. tough sle,ldin' for single
ones, and after awhile fellcr gets