Bob Hampton of Placer

They were seated rather close together upon the steep hillside, gazing

silently down upon squalid Glencaid. At such considerable distance all

the dull shabbiness of the mining town had disappeared, and it seemed

almost ideal, viewed against the natural background of brown rocks and

green trees. All about them was the clear, invigorating air of the

uplands, through which the eyes might trace for miles the range of

irregular rocky hills, while just above, seemingly almost within touch

of the extended hand, drooped the blue circling sky, unflecked by

cloud. Everywhere was loneliness, no sound telling of the labor of man

reached them, and the few scattered buildings far below resembling mere

doll-houses.

They had conversed only upon the constantly changing beauty of the

scene, or of incidents connected with their upward climb, while moving

slowly along the trail through the fresh morning sunshine. Now they

sat in silence, the young girl, with cheeks flushed and dreamy eyes

aglow, gazing far off along the valley, the man watching her curiously,

and wondering how best to approach his task. For the first time he

began to realize the truth, which had been partially borne in upon him

the previous evening by Wynkoop, that this was no mere child with whom

he dealt, but a young girl upon the verge of womanhood. Such knowledge

began to reveal much that came before him as new, changing the entire

nature of their present relationship, as well as the scope of his own

plain duty. It was his wont to look things squarely in the face, and

unpleasant and unwelcome as was the task now confronting him, during

the long night hours he had settled it once for all--the preacher's

words were just.

Observing her now, sitting thus in total unconsciousness of his

scrutiny, Hampton made no attempt to analyze the depth of his interest

for this waif who had come drifting into his life. He did not in the

least comprehend why she should have touched his heart with generous

impulses, nor did he greatly care. The fact was far the more

important, and that fact he no longer questioned. He had been a

lonely, unhappy, discontented man for many a long year, shunned by his

own sex, who feared him, never long seeking the society of the other,

and retaining little real respect for himself. Under such conditions a

reaction was not unnatural, and, short as the time had been since their

first meeting, this odd, straightforward chit of a girl had found an

abiding-place in his heart, had furnished him a distinct motive in life

before unknown.

Even to his somewhat prejudiced eyes she was not an attractive

creature, for she possessed no clear conception of how to render

apparent those few feminine charms she possessed. Negligence and total

unconsciousness of self, coupled with lack of womanly companionship and

guidance, had left her altogether in the rough. He marked now the

coarse ragged shoes, the cheap patched skirt, the tousled auburn hair,

the sunburnt cheeks with a suggestion of freckles plainly visible

beneath the eyes, and some of the fastidiousness of earlier days caused

him to shrug his shoulders. Yet underneath the tan there was the glow

of perfect young health; the eyes were frank, brave, unflinching; while

the rounded chin held a world of character in its firm contour.

Somehow the sight of this brought back to him that abiding faith in her

"dead gameness" which had first awakened his admiration. "She's got it

in her," he thought, silently, "and, by thunder! I 'm here to help her

get it out."