Bob, and I'd rather it would be you."
"Tou mean she said you would have
to cut me out entirely if you stayed
there with her?"
She nodded, her eyes filled with en
treaty. "Yes, that was about it I
wasn't ever to have anything more to
do with you, not even to speak to you
if we met—and after you'd saved my
life, too."
"Never mind about that little affair,
Kid," and Hampton rested his hand
gently on her shoulder. "That was all
in the day's work, and hardly counts
for much anyhow. Was that all she
said?"
"She called you a low-down gambler,
a gun-fighter, a—a miserable barroom
thug, a—a murderer. She—she said
that, if I ever dared to speak to you
again, Bob Hampton, that I could, leave
hej house. I just couldn't stand for
that so I came away."
Hampton never stirred, his teeth
set deep into his cigar, his hands
clinched about the railing. "The fool!"
he muttered half aloud then caught
his breath quickly. "Now see here,
Kid," and 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 a kick, but if all this
is true about me, why shouldn't she
fifi.£0u believe that soxt 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 if I
have my way, and I don't believe the
sort of a gent described would be very
apt to help you much in getting there."
"You ain't all that."
"Well, perhaps not. Like an ama
teur artist, madam may have laid the
colors on a little thick. But I am no
winged angel, Kid, nor exactly a model
for you to copy after. I reckon you
better stick to the woman and cut me."
She did not answer, yet he read an
unchanged purpose in her eyes, and
his own decision strengthened. Some
instinct led him to do the right thing
he drew forth the locket from beneath
the folds of her dress, holding it open
to the light. He noticed now a name
engraven oi\ the gold case, and bent
lower to decipher the delicate letter
ing.
