The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-07-18
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them stretched = chasm never to be :"
bridged. |.
What could the woman possibly %
want OF him! To explain the past? :,
To justify herself? He knew enough y
already, and desired to know no more. :
Gould she hope-natural coquette that ,
she waste regain her hold upon ,
him? The man smiled grimly, conf :
dent Of his own strength. Yet why +.
should she care for such a conquest.
the winning OF a common soldier?
There must be some better reason.
some more subtle purpose. Could It
be that she feared him, that she was
afraid that he might speak to her In
jury! This was by far the most like
ly supposition. Molly McDonald-the
woman was aware OF their %acquaint-
ance. and was already alarmed at its
possible result.
Hamlin stood UP resolved He
would meet the woman, not from any
desire Of his own. but to learn her
, purpose. and protect the girl. The
meeting could not injure him. not
. even bring a swifter beating Of the
: heart, but might give him opportunity
to serve the other. And LIE Fevre-
r surely she could tell him something
Of lie Fevre.
Leave vas easily obtained, and the
Sergeant, rejoicing In a freshly issued
I. uniform. dressed with all the care pos
I o{hIa kto tpfaract ror{ylu1 ~ thto OnU
y point Of view. II was not far down
the blun road to the squalid little viii
. lage which had naturally developed in
. close proximity to the fort-near
~ enough for protection. yet far
q enough removed to be lawless-a
70 rough frontier outpost town, OF shacks
ID and tents. most Of these dispensing
H. vile liquors. Among these. more en-
10 terprising s~pirits-hopeful Of future
development-had erected larger
" buildings, usually barn-like. with false
a fronts facing the single main street
60 Sled with miscellaneous stocks Of
NJ goods or used for purposes not so lie
re climate. One OF these housed the
" Poodle Dog" saloon. with gambling
rooms above, while a few doors below
er was a great dance hall. easily convert
ed into a theater II occasion arose
ne g~rotesQue, one-storied monstrosity. Be
low these was the stage office. bull
10 against the three-storied wooden he
ow tel. which boasted Of a wide porch o
VOL two sides, and was a picture OF ugl
al ness.
en-. BY daylight all was sQualor and dir
OF dingy tents tapping in the ceaseles
snt wind. implanted shacks. woode
houses with boards warping under tn
hot sun, the single street deep In we
low dust, the surrounding prairie II
te; tered with tin cans, and all manper
debris. But with the coming OF nigl
the much of this roughness departed. 81
cen diers from the garrison on pass, Id
two plainsmen, bullwhackers. adventure
i'm? Of all kinds stranded here because
hes Indian activity, stray cowboys fro
the the nearby valleys, thronged the n
merous dives. seeking excitemeI
,ust Women, gaudy of dress, shrill OF voit
to- fitted from door to door through t
ltal. iostling crowds. Lamps blazed ov
the motley assembly, loud-voiced bal
ers yelled, and a band added its d
cords to the din. The Poodle Do
ylared In light, resounded with nois
lamps cleaned from the hotel W
more dows, and the huge dance hall sto
the wide open. Out from the shacks a
r to tents crept the days sleepers for
be- night Of revefry; along the trails re
ould others eager for excitement: 1t "
evi. the harvest-time Of those birds OF pl
,sive in saloon and gambling hell.
n all Hamlin saw all this. but gave
had surroundings little thought. He v
vice. of the West, of the frontier, and
con. held nothing unique in the see
scat- Moreover. the purpose for whicn
day was there overshadowed all else,
.ould him Indifferent to the noise, the j
until ling drunken crowd. Some he I
the who knew him and called his ma
meet hit he passed them in a word.
.he PRESSED his way forward. At the
him tel he mounted the steps and entel
nv The Office was in one corner or
unex. bar.room. The proprietor himself.
ingly bald.headed Irishman. sat with
tn cooked I'D on the counter. smok
was and barely giancihe up do oe
that geant asked for Mrs. Dupont.
in who are yer! ut a'neu'
.ence. my name is Hamlin; am herr
> had the lady's invitation. =.
setipg Sure; tnets 'ner am
ID his me bhoy. yer Ter ~ ou' -,
vill to porch there, an wal o. =,
Cd alb sind her worro yer Ne.e -.
laugh inin' she heo SUM uouo
been comm, the way sue 'p.
with How do get tneIe'
I'D be- Through the w"u -
tween over thar-sure' Us ''o