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CHAPTER vu.-Cnntinutd “I've come to live here." manned the arL-Iunenly. "Thu In. If I lite It." ' The women continued to use at her I: It tempted to lunch outright. then the pleasant blue eyes burdened as their villon wept beyond towerd HAND!”- “It In extremely kind of you. I'm sure," the aid :2 not. "Why I- it I In to be that honored?” The girl backed purtully on tho door-top. her hair napping In the wind. he! cheek- flushed. “Oh, you needn't put on In much style about it," she lilurted out. “You're In. Hemdou. 113': you? Well. then. this In the place whore l m not; but I reckon you uln’t no men particular nbont it thou I m. Thm'l others.” “Who' sent you to me?" ad un. Herndon cm lorth into the nun-hint “The preacher.” “0h. Hr. Wynkoop: then you must be the homeless girl whom Lieut. Brant brought in the other day. Why did you not say so at first? You, may come in, my child." There was a sympathetic tendernes- opponent now in the tones of her voice, which the girl m swift to per- ceive and respond to, 1“ she held back, her indnpendem unlhaken. With the quick intuition of a woman, Mrs. Hemdon bent down, placing on hand on the defiant shoulder. "I did not understand, at first, my dear," she uid. aoothlngly, “or I should never have spoken as I did. Some very strange callers come here. He remained standing, hat in hand, his face shadowed, his eyes picturing .deop perpiexity. But you are truly welcome. I had. a daughter once; she must have been nearly your age when. God tobk her. Won’t-you come in ?" While thus speaking she never once glanced toward the man'standing in silence beyond. ygt as the two passed through the doorway together he fol- lowed, unasked. Once within the plain- 1y furnished foam, and with not run about the girl's waist, the flue: about her mouth hardened. “I do not recall extending my invitation to you." she said, coldly. “For ‘the intrusion I offer my apol- ogy,” he replied, humbly; "but you Ice [-4 feel responsible for this young woman. Sheâ€"Ion of tell no my care when none of her own people were left to look after her. I only came to thaw her the way, and to any that I «and ready to pay you well to lee to her u bit. and show her how tenet hold of the rlxht things." "Indeed!" and Mrs. Homdon’s €voico m not altogether plenum. "I under- Itood she was entirely none and momrggammrm gm BOB HAMPWN {2 of PLACERQE mm ”I’M/407299907 Wfiwm ”fl/WWII flW 11M 1% trundle“. Are you tint nun who 5min heron! of the canyon?” Hunpton bowed as though halt uhunod of uknowledclng the wt. “01:! um: I know who you are.” the continued. “hauntingly. “You on s amulet and u bur-room rough. I won't touch My or your money. I and Mr. Wynkoop tint. I shouldn't. but tilt l would endeavor to do my Chris. tun duty by this poor all-l. He was to bring her have himself. and hoop you awn.” The man smiled slightly. not in the least disconoerted by her plain speech. "Probably we departed from the hotel somewhat earlier than the minister anticipated." he explained, quietly. his old ease of manner returning in face of such open opposition. “I greatly ro- uet your evident prejudice. madam. and en only any that l have more con- fidence in you then you appear to have in me. I shall certainly discover some means by which I may do my part in shaping this girl's future. but in the meanwhile will relieve you of my uh. desired presence. " He stepped without into the glare of the sunlight feeling utterly care- leas as to the woman who had affront- vedvhim, yet somewhat hurt on seeing that the girl had not once lifted her downeast eyes to' his face. Yet he had scarcely taken three steps toward the road before she was beside him, her hand upon his sleeve. “I wdn't stay!” Ihe exclaimed, nema- ly, “I won‘t, Bob Hampton'. I’d rather go’ with you than be good." His Sensitive face flushed wlih‘do- light, but he looked gravely down into her Mignant eyes. “Oh, yes, you will, Kid," and his hand touched her rough- ened hair caressingly. “She's a good, ktnd woman, all right, and I don't blame her'tor not liking my style." “Doâ€"«lo you really want me to stick It out here, Bob?" It was no small struggle for him to say so, for, he was beginning to coma prehend just what this separation meant. She was more to him thsn'he had ever supposed, more to him than she had even been an hour before. and ‘ now he understood clearly that from this moment they must ever run fur- ther apartâ€"her life tending upward, his down. Yet there was but one de- cision possible. Then he answered, “This is your best chance. little girl, and I want you to stay and tight it out." ‘ Their are: met, etch dimly ream- lng. although In I totally different way. that hero‘rwu A moment 0! Important declflon.« Mn. Hmdon darkened tho doorwny and Itood looking out. "We“, Mr. Bob Hmptdn," Ibo quel- uonei. plunly, “what u this golnz‘ to be? He (hired M Mr. my un- in; m. but. and promptly rel-Ill. the am cling!“ hand. - “It. auu. concat- to mun." ho announced shortly. aid, duyiu him. self no much u uothor (taco It his companion. strode down tho nun! put: to the mud. A moment tho url’o oral toliowed him through tho dud cloud. o oinxle tou- Itoouu don hol' chock. Only 1 shout wool oxo oho hnd uttoriy despised this m. m ho had become truly moro to her than I. ono else in tho vido‘ wide worn. Then Mn. Honda: can torth quietly had led tho girl. not oohhiu bitterly. within the cool shadow: of the house. Qne thing he grasped chumâ€"the girl should be given her ounce noth- ing in his life must ever min soil her or lower her ide . Mrs. Herndon was right, and hex-enlisted it: neither his presence nor his money were fit to Influence her future. ‘ He swore boa tween his clinched 'teeth. his hoe ’grown haggard The sun '3 rays bridged the slowly darkening valley with cords of red gold, and the man pnlled him- self to his feet by gripping the root of a tree. He realized that. he had been sitting there for hours. null that he was hungry. CHAPTER VIII. A Lsst Revolt. It proved s restless day. sad s suf- ficiently unpleasant one. for Mr. Hemp- ton. For s number of yesrs he hsd been diligently trslninx himself‘ih the school of cynicism, endesvoring to per- suade himself thst he did not in the lesst csre whst others thought. nor how his own csreer ended; impellinz himself to con-that recklessness In life snd thought. He had thus successfully built up s wsll between the present sud that rut which long hsunted his lonely moments, sud hsd finslly de- cided thst it wss hermetioslly sesled. Yet now, this odd chit of's girl. this wsif'whom he hsd plucked from the jsws of desth. hsd overturned this carefully constructed berries- ss it it had been originally built of men cud- board and he was compelled min to see himself, loathe himself. just as he had in those out yesrs. Dowu beneath, amid the fast awak- ening none and bustle“ of early even. in, the long dincl'pline oi the gambler reasserted itselfâ€"he .sot back his nerve. It was Bob Hampton, cool, re- sourceful, sarcastic of speech, quick oft tamper, who greeted the lounsers about the hotel,‘and who sat, with hlo back to the wall, to the little dining- room, watchful of all others present; And it was Bob Hampton who strolled carelessly out upon the darkened porch an hour later, leaving a; roar of laugh- ter behind him, and an enemy us well. Little he cared for that, however, in his present mood, and he stood there. amid the black shadows, looking con- temptuously down upon the stream of coatlees humanity ‘ trooping past on pleasure bent, the blue smoke circling his head, his gray eyes glowing halt nngrlly. Suddenly he leaned forward, clutching the rail in quick surprise. “King? he exciajmed, harshly, “what does,thhs mean? Wh'at are you doing alone here?" She stopped instantly and glanced up. her face flushing "in the light “teaming forth from the open door of the Occidenttl. "I reckon I‘m alone here because I want to be.” she returned. denunuy. "I ain't no slave. How do you get up there?" an beside him into the hurled conpr. “W011." In aid. "mu mo thu- truth.” “Pu gin. M'i oil. Bob. 1 jun m1 “and ”(on W hater. md Io-I'n me but hit. to you." n. ma Au! a hop Imam. “Didn't you [In In. Honda?” , “0h. iho'l all fish enough, so tu- as M noon. '1‘ “In (Int: only 1 just didn‘t like some W the add and Ind." “Kid." ud Human Ill-dawned u. m. once cram non. “I've got to know the ll“! of this. You say you like In. Rondo: well mush. butnotmeothum Winn-0r- 'h‘vln The girl honlttbd. drawing back A little {mm hill at” the mm from the aloon tell directly across her (ace. “Well." she doclmd. slowly. “you no Kind tn be oltlcr her orâ€"or you. Bob. tnd I'd rather It would be you." “You mean the am you would hue “I cut me out entirely it you stayed there with Mr?“ 8h. nodded. her e'yos filled with en- my. “Yea, tint was about It. I wasn't em to Ian anything more to dovithmnotemmnpaktoyou I! we met-tad utter you’d and my “to, too.” "Never mind «out that ume uc‘ur'. Kid.” and Hampton routed his hand may on her shoulder. “That I” all In the day's work. and htrdly counts for much anyhow. Wu um Ill Ibo aid?” 7‘“ “She celled yen n low-down gambler. n gun-tighter, H miserable Mrrooxn thug. nâ€"n murderer. She-Pane um am If I ever dared to luck to you min, Bob Hampton; out I could leave her home. I Just couldn’t stand for that, no I came “my." -. , Hampton never stirred, his. teeth let deep into his ciur, his hands clinched about the rolling. “The tool!” he muttered hull gloud. then cought his breath quickly. ”Now see here. Kid,” md he turned her about: so that he might look down into her eyes. “I'm mighty glad you like me‘ well enough to put up h kick, but it all this “Kid, What Does TM. Mean and What Are You Doing Here Alone?" is true a ut me. why shouldn't she say it? you believe that sort of a fellow would prove a very good kind to look after a young lady ?" “I ain't a. young lady!" "No; well. you're going to be it I have my woy. and I don't believe the sort of a. gent described would be very apt to help you much in getting there." “You 3111’: oil tint." Ho extended his bad. And drew her (Continued on page H ) ‘5