The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1922-11-09
Ill

belief. Indeed. was it that out Of the
millions of men in the world two who
had never seen each other could have
been driven into the desert by memory
of the same woman. 1t brought the
past so close. II showed Cameron
how inevitably all his spiritual life
WAS governed by what had happened
long ago. That which made life sig
nificant to him was wandering In
silent places where no eye could see
him with his secret. Some Hateful
chance had thrown him with the IA
Their of the girl he had wrecked II
WAS incomprehensible il was terrible
II was the one thing Of all possible
happenings in the world of chance
that both father and lover would have
found uncomfortable.
Something within him cried out to
him 10 reveal his identity Warren
would kill him; but 1t was not fear of
death that put Cameron on the rack.
He had faced death too often To he
afraid. II was the thought of adding
torture to this long-suffering man. All
at once Cameron sWore that he would
not augment Warren's trouble, or let
him stain his hands with blood. He
would tell the truth of Nell's sad story
aud his own, and make what amends
he could.
Then Cameron's thought shifted
from father 10 daughter She was
somewhere beyond the dim horizon
Tn thnSn Ion nlJr hnirC nv
the campfire his fancy had tortured
him with pictures of Nell. But his
remorseful and cruel fancy had lied
10 him. Nell had struggled upward
out Of menacing depths She had re-
constructed a broken life. And now
she was fighting for the name and
happiness of her child. Little Nell
Cameron experienced shuddering
ripple In all his being-the physical
rack OF an emotion born of new and
strange consciousness. He felt that
II had been given him TO help Warren
with his burden.
He returned to camp trying TO
evolve plan. All night he lay
awake thinking.
In the morning, when Warren
brought the burros to camp and began
preparations for the usual packing.
Cameron broke silence
"Pardner. your story last night made
me think. want 10 tell you some
thing about myself. In my younger
days-it seems long now. Yet it's not
so many years. was wild. ! wronged
the sweetest and loveliest girl ! ever
knew. ] went away not dreaming that
any disgrace might come TO her. Along
about that time | fell into terrible
moods changed learned | really
should have gotten months before. II
told OF her trouble-importuned me To
hurry 10 save her. Half frantic with
shame and fear. | got a marriage GER
iificate and rushed back 70 her town.
She was gone-had been gone for
weeks, and her disgrace was known
Friends warned me 70 keep out OF
reach OF her father. I trailed her
found her. married her. But too
late! She would not live with
me- She left mel followed her west.
but never found her"
Warren leaned forward a little and
looked into Cameron's eyes, as II
searching there for the repentance
that might make him less deserving OF
mans scorn.
Cameron met the gaze unflinchingly.
and again began to speak:
You know. OF course. how men out
here sometimes lose old names old
Identities. II won't surprise YOU much
10 learn my name isn't really Cam
eron, as once told YOU"
Warren stlffened upright. 1t seemed
that there might have been blank,
suspension, between his grave In
,erest and some strange mood to come.
Cameron felt his heart bulge and
contract In his breast; all his body
grew cold: and II took tremendous
effort for him 10 make his lips form
words.
Warren, I'm the man you're hunt.
Ing. I'm Burton. was Nell's lover"
The old man rose and lowered over
Cameron, and then plunged down
upon MIN. and clutched his throat
with terrible, sliding hands. The
harsh contact. the pain awakened
Cameron TO his peril before II was
too late. Desperate fighting saved
him from being hurled to the ground
etopapa1 opa artShad Warren