Bob Hampton of Placer

"Kid," he exclaimed, harshly, "what does this mean? What are you doing

alone here?"

She stopped instantly and glanced up, her face flushing in the light

streaming forth from the open door of the Occidental.

"I reckon I 'm alone here because I want to be," she returned,

defiantly. "I ain't no slave. How do you get up there?"

He extended his hand, and drew her up beside him into the shaded

corner. "Well," he said, "tell me the truth."

"I 've quit, that's all, Bob. I just couldn't stand for reform any

longer, and so I 've come back here to you."

The man drew a deep breath. "Did n't you like Mrs. Herndon?"

"Oh, she 's all right enough, so far as that goes. 'T ain't that; only

I just didn't like some things she said and did."

"Kid," and Hampton straightened up, his voice growing stern. "I 've

got to know the straight of this. You say you like Mrs. Herndon well

enough, but not some other things. What were they?"

The girl hesitated, drawing back a little from him until the light from

the saloon fell directly across her face. "Well," she declared,

slowly, "you see it had to be either her or--or you, Bob, and I 'd

rather it would be you."

"You mean she said you would have to cut me out entirely if you stayed

there with her?"

She nodded, her eyes filled with entreaty. "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

bar-room thug, a--a murderer. She--she said that if I ever dared to

speak to you again, Bob Hampton; that I could leave her house. I just

could n'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 should n't she say it? Do you believe that sort of a fellow would

prove a very good kind to look after a young lady?"