Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-04-07

from father TO daughter. She was
somewhere beyond the dim horizon
line. In those past lonely hours by
the campfire his fancy had tortured
him with pictures OF Nell. But his
remOrseful and cruel fancy had lied
TO 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 belng-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 a 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 to 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 lOvellest 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
loved her. Then came a letter I
should have gotten months before. It
mid nf baF I'D -.
hurry to save her. Half frantic with
shame and fear, got a marriage GER
tificate and rushed back to her town.
She was gOne-had been gone for
weeks. and her disgrace was known.
Friends warned me to keep out OF
reach of her father trailed her
found her. l 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
a 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. 1t won't surprise you much
to learn my name isn't really Cam
eron, as / once told you"
Warren stlffened upright 1t seemed
that there might have been blank,
a suspension. between his grave In
terest and some strange mood to come.
Cameron felt his heart bulge and
contract in his breast; all his body |
grew cold; and 1t took tremendous
effort for him to make his lips form
words.
Warren. Pm the man you're hunt
Ing. Pm Burton. | was Nell's loverl"
The old man rose and lowered over
Cameron, and then plunged down
upon him, and clutched his throat
with terrible. sitting 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
and stamped ana crushed. Warren
seemed a maddened giant. There was
a Keeling, swaying. wrestling struggle
before the elder man began to weaken.
Then Cameron, buffeted bloody
half-stunned, painted for speech.
"Warren-hold on Give me-a
minute. l married Nell. Didn't you
know that? saved the childH
Cameron felt the shock that vibrated
through Warren. He repeated the
words again and again. AS if com
PEELED by some resistless power, War
rem released Cameron, and, staggering
back, stood with upllfted shaking
hands, In his face was a horrible
darkness.
Warren! Wait-llsten :" painted
Cameron. "Tve got that marriage
certIficate-Pve had 1t by me all these
years. l kept ito prove to myself
l did right"
The old man uttered a broken cry.
Cameron stole off among the rocks.
How long he absented himself or
what he did he had no idea. When
he returned Warren was sitting before
the campfire, and Cnce more he aD-
peared composed. He spoke and his
voice had a deeper note; but other
wise he seemed as usual.
They packed the burrOs and faced
the north together
Cameron experienced singular eN-
altation. He had lightened his COM
rade's burden. Wonderfully it came
to him that he had also lightened his
own. From that hour It was not tor
ment TO think of Nell.
~
There came a morning when the
sun shone angry and red through
dull, smoky haze.
"we're in for sandstorms," said {
Cameron. l
They had scarcely covered a mile
when a desert-wide, moaning, yellow '
wall of flying sand swooped down
upon them. Seeking shelter In the lee
Of a rock they covered their heads