Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-04-17
CHAPTER TX. THE AWAKENING.

~ARLY the next morning CorpO. ral Thomas came into the store and found Necia tending
 it while Gale was out. Ever since the day she had questioned him about Burrell 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 all that had occurred.
 You see. I'm mine owner now" she concluded If it hadn't been a secret would have told you before I went, so you could have been one of the first"
 "I'm goln' anyhow" he said. "lf the lieutenant will let me and if it's not too late"
 Then she told him of the trail by Black Bear creek which would save him several hours.
 "So that's how you and he made it?- he observed. gazing at her shrewdIy q supposed you went with your fa- ther?"
 "Oh, no! We beat him in.'' she said and fell to musing tt the memory of those hours passed alone with Meade while her eyes shone and her cheeks Clowed. The corporal saw the look. aiiG 1t bore out theory he had formed dur ing the past month, so as he fingered he set about task that had lain in his mind for some time. As rule. he was not q careful man in his speech. and the delicacy of this maneuver 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 1t was slick work jumpin' all those claims. It's just like him to befriend girl like you. I've seen him do 1t before"-- 'Whatg exclaimed Necia. "Befriend other girlsY
 "Or things just like 1t. He's always doin' favors that get him into trou- ble."
 'This couldn't cause him trouble, could it, outside of Starl's and Run-  nion's grudge?"
 'NO. reckon not" assented the cor poral. groping blindly for some way of expressing what he wished to say Except. of course, 1t might cause a lot of talk at headquarters when it's known what he's done for you and how he done it. I heard somethin about it down the street this morn in, so I'm afraid 1t will get to St. Michael's and then to his folks"
 ''I dent understand" said Necia. 'He hasn't done anything that any man wouldn't do under the same cir cumstanccs."
 No mans got right to make folks talk about nice girl" said the cor poral, "and the feller that tod me about 1t 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 tco fine Il girl for that"
 ''Too fne?" laughed Necia.
 "I mean you're too fine and good to let him put you in wrong, just as he's tco fine fellow and got too much ahead of him to make what his peo- pie would call a messy-alliance."
 Would his people object toto such thing" questioned the girl. They were alone in the store, and so they could talk freely. I'm just suppos- ing. you know"
 70 Lord! Would they objectT' Cor poral Thomas laughed in highly arti- ficial manner that made Necia bridle ard draw herself up indignantly.
 'Co ahead and tell me; 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 cne of themselves. But somebody will want to marry me some day. suppose. so 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 story. not because 1t applies to Lieptenant Bur rell"--
 'Cf course" said the girl.
 but just to show you what mean. It was good long spell ago. when l was at Fort Supply. which was the frontier in them days. like this is now. We freighted in from Dodge City with bull teams. and it was sure the fringe of the frontier--no women, no society, nothin' much except fort, a lot of h. juns and few officials with their wives and families. Now, them kind of places is all right for married men, but they're tough sleddin' for single ones. and after awhile a feller gets awful careless about himself. He seems to go backward and run down mighty quick when he gets away from civilization and his people and restau- rants and such things. He gets plumb reckless and forgetful of what's what. There was captain with us, young feller that looked like the lieutenant here and good deal the same sort high tempered and chivalrious and all that sort of thing, West Pointer. too, good family and all that. and. what's