Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-06-06

room trine, and slip silently out OF
sight. He remembered staring vaguely
about the little room. still illumined
by the flames. only half comprehending.
and then the reaction from his des-
perate struggle with the elements
| oVercame all resolution, and he drop-
ped his head forward on the table. and
lost consciousness. Her hand upon
his shoulder aroused him, star led in
to wakefulness. yet he scarcely real.
lied the situation.
Il have placed food for the negro
beside him." she said quietly. and fer
| tho first time Keith detected the soft
blur in her speech.
You are from the South" he ex-
claimed, as though IT was a discovery.
"Yes-and your"
MY boyhood began in Virginia.
the negro was an old-time slave In
our family"
She glanced across. at the black.
now sitting up and eating voraciously.
Il thought he had once been a
slave; one can easily tel that. l did
not ask him to sit here because. il
| you do not object. we viii eat here
together. l have also been almost
| as long without food. II was so lone
ly here, and-and hardly understood
my situatiOn-and I simply could net
force r1vself 10 eat
lie distinguished her words clearly
enough, although she spoke low, as il
she preferred what was said between
them should not reach tho ears Of the
negro, yet somehow, for the moment,
they made no adequate impression on
| him. Like a famished wolf he began
on the coarse fare, and for ten min
utes hardly lifted his head. Then his
| eyes Glanced to meet hers across the
narrow table, and instantly the gen
tleman reawoke to life.
Il have been a perfect brute" he &C
knowledge frankly, with no thought
except for myself Hunger was my
master, and I ask your forgiveness,
Miss Maclaire."
| Her eyes smiled.
81 am so very glad to have any one
| here-any one-in whom / feel even
a little conference.-the nothing else
greatly matters. Can you both eat,
and listen?"
Keith nodded, his eyes full OF inter
est, searching her face.
| Whoever l may be, Mr.. Keith, and
really that seems only OF small i'm
portance, came to Fort Larned seek
Ing some trace of my only brother.
whom we last heard from there, where
he had fallen into evil companionship.
| On the stage trip I was fortunate
enough to form an acquaintance with
a man who told me he knew where I
could meet Fred, but that the boy was
hiding because of some trouble he
had lately gotten into, and that /
should have to proceed very carefully
so as not to lead the officers to dis
cover his whereabouts. This gentle
man was engaged IN some business at
Carson City, but he employed a man
to bring me to this place, and prom
tsed to get Fred, and meet me here the
following day. There must have been
some failure in the plans, for I have
been here entirely alone now for three
days. 1t has been very lonesome, and
and I've been a little frightened.
| Perhaps I ought not to have come, and
l am not certain what kind of a place
this is. was so afraid when you
came, but 1 am not afraid now"
You have no need to be-" he said
soberly, impressed by the innocent
| candor OF the girl, and feeling thank
fUl that he was present to aid her. 81
could not wrong one of the South"
| My father always told me I could
. !
circumstances. Mr.. Hawley was from
my own State. and knew many of our
old friends. That was why felt such
unusual confidence in him, although
he was but travelling acquaintance"
] 'Mr Hawley?'
"The gentleman whom I met on the
stage"
'Oh. yes; you said he was in bust
ness In Carson City, but don't seem
to remember any one of that name"
He was not there permanently;
only to complete some business deal"
And your brother? may possibly
have known him"
She hesitated an instant, her eyes
dropping, until completely shaded by
the long lashes.
'He-he was rather a wild boy, and
ran away from home to enlist in the
army. But he got into a bad set, and
and deserted: That was part Of the
trouble which caused him to hide. He
I enlisted under the name Of Fred Will
loughby. Mr.. Hawley told me this
, much, but I am afraid ne did not tell
me ALL"
And he said you would meet him
here?"
Keith gazed about the bare sur
roundings wonderingly. What was
this place, hidden away in the midst
of the desert. isolated in spot where
not even Indians roamed. Could it be
a secret rendezvous of crime, the
headquarters of desperadoes, Of cat
tie rustlers, of the highwaymen Of the
Sante Fe TraiI-a point to which they
could ride when hard pressed, GER
tain OF hiding here In safety? He be-
gan to suspect this. but, II so, who
I fhan tbiQ HaWIoy With