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rould 1 have ever" Wen bo Wind? I
thought Mr. Moffat and Mr. McNeil
were such heroes, and yet now in this
hour of desperate peril It was you who
flew gallantly to my rescue! It is you
who are the true western knight!
And Mr. Wynkoop gazed down Into
those grateful eyes and modestly con
fessed it true.
CHAPTER XXV.
The Parting Hour.
To Lieut. Hrant these proved days
tif bitterness. He had called twice
upon Hampton, both times finding the
wounded man propped up In bed, very
affable, properly grateful for services
rendered, yet avoiding all reference to
the one disturbing element between
them.
Once he had accidentally met Naida,
but their brief conversation left him
more deeply mystified than ever, and
later she seemed to avoid him alto
gether. One day he deemed her but
an idle coquette; the next, a warm
hearted woman, doing her duty brave
ly. Yet through it all her power over
him never slackened.
The end of this nervous strain came
in the form of an urgent dispatch re
calling N troop to Fort Abraham Lin
coln by forced marches. The com
mander felt no doubt as to the full
meaning of this message, and the sol
dier in him made prompt and joyful
response, nrant had learned of the
consolidation of the hostile savages,
Incited by Sitting Hull, iato the fast
ness of the Big Horn range; he was
aware that Gen. Cook was already ad
vancing northward from the Nebraska
line. Now he realized that he was te
be a part of this chosen fighting force
and his heart responded lb the sum
mons as to a bugle call in battle.
Instantly the little camp was astir,
the men feeling the enthusiasm of
their officers. With preparations well
In hand. Brant's thoughts veered once
again toward Naida. He rode down to
the Herndon house with grave face
and sober thought. He recalled long
the plainly furnished room into which
Mrs. Herndon ushered him to await
the giri's appearance the formal look
of the old-fashioned hair-cloth furni
ture, the prim striped paper on the
walls, the green shades at the win
dows, the clean rag carpet on the floor.
The very stiffness chilled him, left
him ill at ease. Then he heard the j
rustle of Naida's skirt and turned to j
meet her. She was pale from her i
weeks of nursing, and agitated for fear ;
of what this unexpected call might i
portend. Yet to his thought she ap- i
peared calm, her manner restrained.
Nor could anything be kinder than her i
first greeting, the frankly extended i
hand, the words expressive of wel- ;
come.
"Mr. Wynkoop informed me a few
minutes ago that you had at last re
ceived your orders for the north," she
said, her lips slightly trembling. "I
wondered if you would leave without
a word of farewell."
He bowed low. "I do not under
stand how you could doubt, for I have
shown my deep interest in you even
from the first. If I have lately seemed
to avoid you, it has only been because j
I believed you wished it so."
There was an embarrassing pause.
as though neither knew how to get j
through the interview.
"No doubt you are rejoiced to be
sent on active service again," she said,
at last.
"Yes. both as a soldier and as a
man, Miss Naida. I am glad to get
Into the field again with my regiment,
to do my duty under the flag, and I
am equally rejoiced to have something
occur which will tend to divert my
thoughts. I had not intended to say
anything of this kind, but now that I
am with you I simply cannot restrain
the words. This past month has been.
I believe, the hardest I have ever been
compelled to live through. You sim
ply mystify me so that I alternately
hope and despair. Your methods are
cruel."
"Mine?" and she gazed at him with
parted lips. "Lieut. Brant, what can
you mean? What is it I have done?"
"It may have been only play to you
and so easily forgotten," he went on,
bitterly. "But that is a dangerous
game, very certain to hurt some one.
Miss Naida, your face, your eyes, even
your lips almost continually tell me
one thing; your words another. I
know not which to trust. I never
meet you except to go away baffled
and bewildered."
"You wish to know the truth?"
"Ay. and for all time! Are you
false or true? Coquette or woman?
Do you simply play with hearts for
idle amusement or is there some true
purpose ruling your actions?"
She looked directly at him, her
hands clasped, her breath almost
sobbing between the parted lips. At
first she could not speak. '"Oh. you
hurt me so." she faltered at last. "I
did not suppose you could ever think
that I I did not mean it; oh. truly
I did not mean it! You forget how
young I am; how very little I know
of the world and Its ways. Perhaps l
hare not even realized how deeply in
earnest you were, have deceived my
self Into believing you were merely
mm
rt i j i
amusing yourself "with me. Why, In
deed, should I think otherwise?"
"I love you," he said, with simple
honesty. "I seek you for my wife."
She started at these frankly spoken
words, her hands partially concealing
her face, her form trembling. "Oh, I
wish you hadn't said that! It is not
because I doubt you any longer; not
that I fail to appreciate all you offer
me. But it is so hard to appear un
grateful, to give nothing in return for
so vast a gift."
"Then it Is true that you do not
love me?"
The blood flamed suddenly up into
her face, but there was no lowering of
the eyes, no shrinking back. She was
too honest to play the coward before
him.
"I shall not attempt to deceive you,"
she said, with a slow impressiveness
instantly carrying conviction. "This
has already progressed so far that I
now owe you complete frankness.
Donald Brant, now and always, living
or dead, married or single, wherever
life may take us, I shall love you."
Their eyes were meeting, but she
held up her hand to restrain him from
the one step forward.
"No, no; I have confessed the truth;
I have opened freely to you the great
secret of my heart. With it you must
be content to leave me. There Is noth
ing more that I can give you, absolute
ly nothing. I can never be your wife;
I hope, for your sake and mine, that
we never meet again."
Brant stood like a statue, his face
grown white. He did not in the least
doubt her full meaning of renuncia
tion. "You will, at least, tell me why?" It
was all that would come to his dry
Iips.
She sank back upon the sofa as
though the strength had suddenly de
serted her body, her eyes shaded by
an uplifted hand.
"I cannot tell you. I have no words,
no courage. You will learn some day
from others, and be thankful that I
loved you well enough to resist temp
tation. But the reason cannot come
to you from my lips."
He leaned forward, half kneeling at
her feet, and she permitted him to
clasp her hands within both his own.
"Tell me, at least, this is it some one
else? 13 it Hampton?"
She smiled at him through a mist
of tears, a smile the sad sweetness of
which he would never forget. "In the
sense you mean, no. No living man
stands between us, not even Bob
Hamilton."
"Does he know why this cannot be?"
"He does know, but I doubt if he
will ever reveal his knowledge; cer
tainly not to you. He has not told me
all, even in the hour when he thought
himself dying. I am convinced of that.
It is not because he dislikes you,
Lieut. Brant, but because he knew his
partial revealment of the truth was a
duty he owed us both."
"You leave me so completely in the
dark." he said; "is there no possibil
ity that this mysterious obstacle can
ever be removed?"
"None. It is beyond earthly power
there lies between us the shadow of
a dead man."
He stared at her as if doubting her
sanity.
"A dead man! Not Gillis?"
"No. it is not Gillis. I have told
you this much so that you might com
prehend how impossible it is for us
to change our fate. It is Irrevocably
fixed. Please do not question me any
more. I cannot bear it!"
Brant rose to his feet and stood
looking down upon her bowed head,
her slender figure shaken by sobs.
"Naida, as you have asked it, I will
go; but I go better, stronger, because
I have heard your Hps say you love
me. I am going now, my sweetheart,
but if I live I shall come again. I
know nothing of what you mean about
a dead man being between us, but I
shall know when I come back, for,
dead or alive, no man shall remain be
tween me and the girl I love."
"This this is different," she sobbed,
"different: it is beyond your power."
"I shall never believe so until I
have faced it for myself, nor will I
even say good-by, for, under God, I am
coming back to you."
He turned slowly and walked away.
As his hand touched the latch of the
door he paused and looked longingly
back.
"Naida."
She glanced up at him.
"You kissed me once; will you
again?"
She rose silently and crossed over to
him, her hands held out, her eyes up
lifted to his own. Neither spoke as
he drew her gently to him and their
lips met.
"Say it once more, sweetheart?"
"Donald, I love you."
A moment they stood thus face to
face, reading the great lesson of eter
nity within the depths of each other's
eyes. Then Blowly, gently, she re
leased herself from the clasp of his
strong arms.
"You believe In me now? You do
not 'go away blaming me?" she ques
tioned, with quivering lips.
"There is no blame, for you are do
ing what you think right. But I am
coming back, Natda. little woman;
coming back to love and you."
An hour later N troop trotted across
the rude bridge and circled the bluff
on its way toward the wide plains.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Mr. Hampton Resolves.
Mr. Bob Hampton stood in the bright
sunshine on the steps of the hotel, his
appreciative gaze wandering up the
long, dusty, unoccupied street, and
flnallly rising to the sweet face of the
young girl who occupied the stey
above. As their eyes met both smiled
as if they understood each other.
"There Is nothing quite equal to
feeling well, little girl," he said, gen
ially, patting her hand where It rested
on the railing, "and I really believe I
am in as fine fettle now as I ever have
been. Do you know, I believe I'm per
fectly fit to undertake that little de
tective operation casually mentioned
to you a few days ago. ' It's got to be
done, and the sooner I get at it the
easier I'll feel. Fact is, I put in a
large portion of the night thinking out
my plans."
"I wish you would give it up all to
gether, Bob," she said, anxiously. "I
shall be so dull and lonely here while
you are gone."
"I reckon you will, for a fact, but,
Naida, it isn't likely this little affair
will require very long, and things are
lots happier between us since my late
shooting scrape. When fall comes I
mean to take you east and put you
in some good finishing 'school. Don't
care quite as much about it as you
did. do you?"
"Yes, I think I do, Bob." She strove
bravely to express enthusiasm. "The
trouble is, I am so worried over your
going off alone hunting after that
man."
He laughed, his eyes searching her
face for the truth. "Well, little girl,
he won't exactly be the first I've had
call to go after. Besides, this is a
particular case, and appeals to me in
a sort of personal way. If you only
knew it, you're about as deeply con
cerned in the result as I am, and as for
me, I can never rest easy again until
the matter is over with."
"It's that awful Murphy, isn't it?"
"He's the one I'm starting after first
and one sight at his right hand will
decide whether he is to be the last as
well."
"I never supposed you would seek
revenge, like a savage," she remarked,
quietly. "You never used to be that
way."
"Good Lord, Naida, do you think I'm
low down enough to go out hunting
that poor cuss merely to get even with
him for trying to stick me with a
knife? Why, there are 20 others who
have done as much, and we have been
the best of friends afterwards. Oh,
no, lassie, it means more than that,
and harks back many a long year. I
told you I saw a mark on his hand I
would never forget but I saw that
mark first 15 years ago. This is a
duty I owe a friend, a dead friend, to
run to earth this murderer. Do you
understand now? The fellow who did
that shooting up at Bethune 15 years
ago had the same sort of a mark on
his right hand as this one who killed
Slavin. That's why I'm after him and
when I catch up he'll either squeal or
die."
"But how do you know?"
"I never told you the whole story
and I don't mean to now until I come
back and can make everything per
fectly clear. It wouldn't do you any
good the way things stand now, and
would only make you uneasy. But if
you do any praying over it, my girl, i
pray good and hard that I may dis
cover some means for making that fel
low squeal."
She made no response but stood
gazing thoughtfully past him.
"Have you heard anything lately,
Bob, about the Seventh?" she asked
finally. "Since since N troop left
here?"
He answered with well-simulated
carelessness. "No; but it is most like
ly they are well into the game by this
time. Crook's column, I have just
heard, was overwhelmingly attacked
on the Rosebud, and forced to fall
back. That leaves the Seventh to
take the brunt of it, and there is going
to be hell up north presently, or I've
forgotten all I ever knew about In
dians. But come, little girl, as I said,
I'm quite likely to be off before night,
provided I am fortunate enough to
strike a fresh trail. Under such condi
tions you won't mind my kissing you
out here, will you?"
She held up her lips and he touched
them softly with his own. Her eyes
were tear-dimmed. "Oh, Bob, I hate
so to let you go," she sobbed, cling-
"Donald, I Love You."
ing to him. "No one could' have been
more to me than you have been, and
you are all I have left in the world
Everything I care for goe away, from
me. Life is so hard, so hard!" -
"Yes, little girl, I know," and the
man stroked her hair tenderly, his
own voice falterinr. "It's all hard; I
learned that sad lesson long ago, but
I've tried to make it a little bit easier
for you since we first came together.
Still, i don't see how I can possibly
help this. I've been hunting after that
fellow a long while now, a matter of
15 years over a mighty dim trail, and
it would be .1 mortal sin to permit him
to got away scot free. Besides, if this
affatr only manages to tur.i out right,
I can promise to make ycu the hap
piest girl in America. But, Naida,
dear, don't cling to me so; it is not at
all like you to break down in this fash
ion," and he gently unclasped her
hands, holding her away from him
while he continued to gaze hungri'y
into her troubled face.
"Sometimes I feci Just like a cow
ard. Bob. It's the woman of it; yet
truly I wifh to do whatever you be
lieve to be best. But, Bob, I need you
so much, and you will come back,
won't you? I shall be so lonely here,
for for you are truly all I have in the
world."
With one quick, impulsive motion
he pressed her to him, passionately
kissing the tears from her lowered
lashes, unable longer to conceal the
tremor that shook his own voice.
"Never, never doubt it. lassie. It will
' not take me long, and if I live I come
straight back."
He watched her slender, white
robed figure as it passed slowly down
the deserted street. Once only she
paused and waved back to him and he
returned instant response, although
scarcely realizing the act.
"Poor little lonely, girl! Perhaps I
ought to have told her the whole In
fernal story, but I simply haven't got
the nerve, the way It reads now. If
I can only get it straightened out, It'll
be different."
Mechanically he thrust an unlighted
cigar between his teeth and descend
ed the steps, to all outward appear
ance the same reckless, audacious
Hampton as of old.
The military telegraph occupied one
half of the small tent next the Miners'
Retreat, and the youthful operator in
stantly recognized his debonair visi
tor. "Well, Billy," was Hampton's friend
ly greeting, "are they keeping you fair
ly busy with 'wars and rumors of
wars' these days?"
"Nuthin doin' just now," was the
cheerful reply. "Everything goin' ter
Cheyenne. The Injuns are gittln'
themselves bottled up in the Big Horn
country."
"Oh, that's it? Then maybe you
might manage to rush a message
through for me to Fort A. Lincoln
without discommoding Uncle Sam?"
and Hampton placed a coin upon the
rough table.
"Sure; write it out."
"Here it is; now get it off early, my
lad, and bring the answer to me over
at the hotel. There'll be another yel
low boy waiting when you come."
The reply arrived some two hours
later.
Fort A. Lincoln, June 17, 187u.
Hampton, Glpncaid:
Kone west; prohably lellow-
west
with Ihem.
Murphy, j?ov
lenf scout, at ( lipyenn
at tliPvennc waiting or
BITTON, Commanding.
ders
He crushed the paper in his hand,
thinking thinking of the past, the
present, the future. He had borne
much in these last years, much mis
representation, much loneliness of
soul. To run this Murphy to cover
remained his final hope for retrieving
those dead, dark years. Ay, and there
was Naida! Her future, scarcely less
than his own, hung trembling in the
balance. The sudden flashing of that
name into his brain was like an eleo
trie shock. He cursed his inactivity.
Great; God! had he become a child
again( to tremble before imagined evil,
a mere hobgoblin of the mind? He
had already wasted time enough; now
he must wring from the lips of that
misshapen savage the last vestige of
his secret.
He dressed for the road, for hard,
exacting service, buckling his loaded
cartridge belt outside his rough coat
and testing his revolvers with unusual
care. He spoke a few parting words
of instruction to Mrs. Guffy and went
quietly out. Ten minutes later he was
In the saddle, galloping down the dusty
stage road toward Cheyenne.
CHAPTER XXVII.
- The Trail of Silent Murphy.
The young infantryman who had
been detailed for the important serv
Ice of telegraph operator sat in the
Chey.enne office, his feet on the rude
table, his face buried behind a news
paper.
."Could you inform me where I
might find Silent Murphy, a govern
ment scout?"
The voice had the unmistakable ring
of military authority, and the soldier
operator instinctively dropped his feet
to the floor.
"Well, my lad, you are not dumb,
are you?"
The telegrapher's momentary hesi
tation vanished; his ambition to be
come a martyr to the strict laws of
service secrecy was not sufficiently
strong to cause him to take the doubt
ful chances of a lie. "He was here,
but has gone."
"Where?"
"The devil knows. He rode north,
carrying dispatches for Custer."
"When?"
"Oh, three or four hours ago."
Hampton swore softly but fervent
ly, behind his clinched teeth.
"Where is Custer?"
,"Don't know exactly. Supposed to
he ,with Terry and Gibbons, some
where near the mouth of the Powder,
although he may have left there by
this time, moving down the Yellow
stone. Murphy's orders were to inter
cept his column somewhere between
the Rosebud and the Big Horn. No
other scout along this border would
take such a detail. But that old devil
of a Murphy Just enjoys such a .trip.
T55
Baking
The only Baking Powder made
with Royal Grape Cream of Tartar
made from grapes
insures heatthful and
delicious iood lor e very
noine every lh y
Safeguards
alum and
The County
Hess if General Isterest Selectel
Loviisville
From the Courier.
Isaac Reichart is still quite low with
erycipelas and stomach trouble.
Miss Bertha Geohry has ;eturned
from her home at Murdock and re
opened her millinery store here.
Mrs. W F. Krecklow is reported im
proving slowly and is now considered
on a fair road to recovery.
Station Agent Starkey, of the Bur-
i ling iun, was aiii-tj lu oewaiu liic j.jic-
l : . n .i . c 1 ji r
part of the week on company business.
Prof. Gaines delivered a lecture at
the Y. M. C. A., in Omaha, Sunday
afternoon, returning home Monday
morning by way of Ashland.
Mr. and Mrs. M. & Williams re
turned from Oklahoma Thursday. Dur
ing their absence, where they went to
visit their son, Mrs. Williams was
taken seriously ill. Her old time friends
in Cass county will be pleased to learn
of her recovery.
In just three days after the accident
in which John H. Thomas had his
wagon mashed up by a Burlington
train, the company sent claim agent
to call on Mr. Thomas and settle the
damage. Mr. Thomas received a check
for $66, the amount he asked for.
What to Do When Bilious
The right thing to do when you feel
bilious is to take a dose of Chamber
lain's Stomach and Liver Tablets. They
will cleanse the stomach and regulate
the liver and bowels. Try it. Price 25c.
Samples free at F. G. Fricke & Co's
drugstore.
Elmwood
From the Leader-Echo.
Henry Bischoff 's oldest boy is ser
iously ill with pneumouia.
Marjorie Stark has been a sufferer
from rheumatism the past week.
Isaac Mairs is slowly recovering from
a very severe attack of the grippe.
The ten year old son of John Van
Akern is quite sick with pneumonia.
Walter Branson, who has been ser
iously ill for several days with typhoid
fever, is improving.
Miss Mary Fostor, county superin
tendent was an Elmwood visitor Mon
day and Tuesday.
Mrs. Sarah DelesDernier, who has
been seriously ill with pneumonia, is
considerable better.
Mrs. Sarah Stanford was taken very
sick with pneumonia Wednesday night
becoming unconscious soon after, in
which condition she still remains. At
time of going to press she was very
low and but slight hopes are enter
tained for her recovery.
Our old friend II. D. Wall suffered a
severe stroke of paralysis at an early
hour Wednesday morning, his entire
left side being affected. Mr. Wall is
79 years of age and up to this time has
been very active. His physician says
he will recover if he does not receive
any more strokes.
Earl Cassel and Miss Jessie Waldron
were married weanesaay at water
loo, Neb. The Leader-Echo joins with
their many friends in this community
in extending hearty congratulations.
It is understrod that the groom will en
gage in the grocery and confectionary
business in some northern Nebraska
town.
smx 4 f . ' j k, ft. 1.
V
Powder
mm
your i'ooJ ngn'mst
L'liosnhn:
Exchanges
frii Oil Column! if Contenponrlts
9
Nehawka
(Krom the U'untrr.)
Earl and Roy Davis came in on the
Wednesday morning train from Vivinu,
S. D., to attend the funeral of their
sister, Mrs. Joyce Lyman.
I Robert Lyle and children returned
j from their trip to Canada WedneBday
j morning. He reports the east is ex
j periencing plenty of bad weather and
floods too.
j Mrs. Charles Bates was called to My
j nard last Friday by the death of her
; Uncle, Charles Morgan, who died at
I that place from blood poison, and whose
funeral took place Saturday.
Professor DeBolt, the mam who
bosses the Murdock schools was an
over Sunday visitor in this village last
week. We understand that he came
down on business.
Last Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Joyce
Davis-Lyman passed away. She was
buried yesterday at Alt. Pleasant ceme
tery, the funeral having been deferred
until her brothers could arrive from S.
Dakota. At the request of the family,
the obituary will not be published until
next week.
John Lloyd and family stayed Mon
day night at the home of Geo. AIc
Reynolds and took the early train for
Beatrice, where they will try city life
for a while. Air. and Airs. Lloyd have
lived on their farm northeast of here
for a number of years and leave many
warm friends who regret their de
parture. W. F. Case and wife came down
Saturday evening for a farewell visit
with H. F. Kropp, before going to
their new home at Holbrook. They
will start next week. While here Mr.
Case informed us that a few days be
fore he had received the sad intelli
gence that his brother, Alelvin, ,who i3
known to many old settlers, had passed
away at his home, White Salmon, in
Washington.
Skin Disease of Twenty Years
Standing Cured
I want you to know how much Chamb
erlain's Salve has done for me. It has
cured my face of a skin disease of almost
twenty years' standing. I have been
treated by several as smart physicians
as we have in this country and they did
me no good, but two boxes of this salve
has cured me. Mrs. Fannie Grifin,
Troy, Ala. Chamberlain's Salve is for
ale by F. G. Fricke & Co.
In Honor cf Their Friend.
The little friends of Miss Hulda Julian
of Omaha took advantage of her visit
in the city last evening and gave her a
surprise, at which they had a merry
time. The affair occurred at the home
of her grand parents, Mr. and Airs.
J. W. Barwick. Games which please
the young folks were popular at this
gathering and delicate refreshments
were served which were enjoyed by all.
Those to enjoy the occasion were Hilda
Julian of Omaha, Leona Toogood, Ethel
Alix, George Toman, Alirza Lee Al
strand, Ruth Aloffit, Carl Aloffit Rus
sell Phebus and Geo. Alix.
Land for Sale
Anyone wanting to locate in Lincoln
county can secure some good bargains
by seeing me. Chas. Piper.
sm