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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1908)
ByAAV uuPAMisnAtrnmor 'HMOMLLWfiMC. oo0rtGHr xx err Acsftrumc gro. with "yluT'un til you bave eome other protector." She accepted his proffered arm, feel ins the constraint in his tone, the formality In his manner, most keenly. An older woman might have resented it, but it only served to sadden and embarrass her. He began speaking of the quiet beauty of the night, but she had no thought of what he was saying. "Lieut. Brant," she said, at last, "you do not ask me who the man is." "Certainly not. Miss Naida; It Is none of my business." "I think, perhaps. It might be; the knowledge might help you to under stand. It is Dob Hampton." He stared at her. "The gambler? No wonder, then, your meeting Is clandestine." She replied Indignantly, her lips trembling. "He Is not a gambler; he is a miner, over in the Dlack Range. He has not touched a card in two years." "Oh. reformed has he? And are you the instrument that has worked such a miracle?" Her eyes fell. "I don't know, but I hope so." Thea she glanced up again, wondering at his continued silence "Don't you understand yet?" "Only that you are secretly meeting a man of the worst reputation, cne known the length and breadth of this border as a gambler and fighter." "Yes; but but don't you know who I am?" He smiled grimly, wondering what possible difference that could make. "Certainly; you are Miss Naida Hern don." "I? Fou have not known? Lieut. Brant I am Naida Gillls." He stopped still, again facing her. "Naida Gillis? Do you mean old Gillis' girl? Is It possible you are the same we rescued on the prairie two years ago?" She bowed her head. "Yes; do you understand now why I trust this Bob Hampton?" "I perhaps might comprehend why you should feel grateful to him. but not why you should thus consent to meet with him clandestinely." He could not see the deep flush upon her cheeks, but he was not deaf to the pitiful falter in her voice. "Because he has been good and true to nie," she explained, frankly, "bet ter than anybody else in all the world. I don't care what you say, you and those others who do not know him, but I believe in him; I think he is a man. They won't let me see him. the Herndons, nor permit him to come to the house. He has not been in Glen caid for two years, until yesterday. The Indian rising has driven all the miners out from the Black Range, and he came down here for no other pur pose than to get a glimpse of me, and learn how I wai getting on. I I saw Lim over at the hotel just for a mo ment Mrs. Guffy handed me a note and I I had only just left him when I encountered you at the door. I wanted to see him again, to talk with him longer, but I couldn't manage to get away from you. and I didn't know what to do. There, I've told it all; do you really think I am so very bad, be cause because I like Bob Hampton?" He stood a moment completely non plussed, yet compelled to answer. "I certainly have no right to ques tion your motives," he said, at last, "and I believe yeur purposes to be above reproach. I wish 1 might give the same credit to this man Hampton. But, Miss Naida, the world does not often consent to JuJge us by our own estimation of right and wrong; it pre fers to place its own interpretation on acts, and thus often condemns the in nocent. Others might not see this as I do. nor have such unquestioning faith in you." "I know," she admitted, stubbornly, "but I wanted to see him ; I have been so lonely for him, and this was the only possible way." Brant felt a wave of uncontrolable sympathy sweep across him, even while he was beginning to hate this man, who, he felt, had stolen a pas sage into the innocent heart of a girl not half his age, one knowing little of the ways of the world. "May I walk beside you until you meet him?" he asked. "You will not quarrel?" "No; at least not through any fault of mine." A few steps in the moonlight and she again took his arm, although they scarcely spoke. At the bridge she withdrew her hand and uttered a pecu liar call, and Hampton stepped forth from the concealing bushes, his head bare, his hat in his hand. "I scarcely thought it could be you," he said, seemingly not altogether sat isfied, "as you were accompanied by another." The younger man took a single step forward, his uniform showing in the moonlight. "Miss Gillis will inform you later why I arja here." he said, striving to speak civilly. "You and I, however, have met before I am Lieut. Brant, of the Seventh cavalry." Hampton bowed, his manner some what stiff and formal, his face impen etrable. "I should have left Miss Gillis pre- t Mil I vious to her meeting with youT' "Brant continued, "but I desired to request the privilege of calling upon you to morrow for a brief interview." "With pleasure." "Shall it be at ten?" "The hour is perfectly satisfactory. You will find me at the hotel." "You place me under obligations," said Brant, and turned toward the wondering girl. "I will now say good night. Miss Gillis. and I promise to re member only the pleasant events of this evening." Their hands met for an Instant of warm pressure, and then the two. left behind stood motionless and watched him striding along the moonlit road. CHAPTER XVII. The Verge of a Quarrel. Brant's mind was a chaos of con flicting emotions, but a single abiding conviction never once left him he re tained implicit faith in her. and he purposed to fight this matter out with Hampton. Even in that crucial hour, had any one ventured to suggest that he was in love with Naida, he would merely have laughed, serenely confi dent that nothing more than gentle manly interest swayed his conduct. Nevertheless, he manifested an un reasonable dislike for Hampton. He had never before felt thus toward this person; indeed, he had possessed a strong man's natural admiration for the other's physical power and cool, determined courage. He now sincere ly feared Hampton's power over the Innocent mind of the girl, imagining his Influence to be much stronger than it really wts, and he sought after some suitable means for overcoming it. He alone, among those who might be considered as her true friends, knew of her secret infatuation, and upon him, alone, therefore, rested the burden of her release. It was his heart that drove him into such a de cision, although he conceived it then to be the reasoning of the brain. And so she was Naida Gillis, poor old Gillis' little girl! He stopped sud denly in the road, striving to realize the thought. He had never dreamed of such a consummation, and it stag gered him. What was there in com mon between that outcast, and this well-groomed, frankly spoken young woman? Yet, whoever she was or had been, the remembrance of her could not be conjured out of his brain. He might look back with repugnance upon those others, those misty phantoms of the past, but the vision of his mind, his ever-changeable divinity of the vine shadows, would not become ob scured, nor grow less fascinating. Suddenly there occurred to him a rec ollection of Silent Murphy, and hjs strange, unguarded remark. What could the fellow have meant? Was there indeed some secret in the life history of this young girl? some story of shame, perhaps? If so, did Hampton know about it? Already daylight rested white and solemn over the silent valley, and only a short distance away lay the spot where the crippled scout had made his solitary camp. Almost without vo lition the young officer turned that way, crossed the stream by means of the log. and clambered up the bank. But it was clear at a glance that Mur phy had deserted the spot. Convinced of this. Brant retraced his steps to ward the camp of his own troop, now already astir with the duties of early morning. Just in front of Ma tent he encountered his first sergeant. "Watson," he questioned, as the lat ter saluted and stood at attention, "do you know a man called Silent Murphy?" "The scout? Yes, sir; knew him as long ago as when he was corporal in your father's troop. He was reduced to the ranks for striking an officer." Brant wheeled in astonishment. "Was he ever a soldier in the Sev enth?" "He was that, for two enlistments, and a mighty tough one; but he was always quick enough for a fight in field or garrison." "Has he shown himself here at the camp?" "No, sir; didn't know he was any where around. He and I were never very good friends, sir." The lieutenant remained silent for several moments, endeavoring to per fect some feasible plan. "Dispatch an order to the telegraph office," he finally commanded, "to in quire if this man Murphy receives any messages there, and if they know where he Is stopping. Send an intel ligent man and have him discover all the facts he can. When he" returns bring him in to me." He had enjoyed a bath and a shave, and was yet lingering over his cof fee, when the two soldiers entered with their report. The sergeant step ped aside, and the orderly, a tall, boy ish looking fellow with a pugnacious chin, saluted stiffly. "Well, Bane," and the officer eyed his trim appearance with manifest ap proval, "what did you succeed in learn ing?" "The operator said this yere Mur phy Jiad never bin thar hjmself, sir. bul there wus several messages come fer him. One got here this mornln'." "What becomes of them?" "They're called fer by another fel ler, sir." "Oh, they are! Who?" "Red Slavin $us the name he give me of thet other buck." When the two had disappeared. Brant sat back thinking rapidly. There was a mystery here, and such actions must have a cause. Something eith er in or about Glencaid was com pelling Murphy to keep out of sight but what? Who? Brant was un able to get it out of his head that all this secrecy centered around Naida. Perhaps Hampton knew; at least he might possess some additional scrap of Information which would help to solve the problem. He looked at his watch, and ordered his horse to be saddled. It did not seem quite so simple now, this projected interview with Hamp ton, as it had appeared the night be fore. In the clear light of day, he began to realize the weakness of his position, the fact that he possessed not the smallest right to speak on be half of Naida Gillis. Nevertheless, the die was cast, and perhaps, provided an open quarrel could be avoided, the meeting might result in good to all concerned. Hampton welcomed him with dis tant but marked courtesy, having evi dently thought out his own imme diate plan of action, and schooled him self accordingly. Standing there, the bright light streaming over them from the open windows, they presented two widely contrasting personalities, yet each exhibited in figure and face the evidences of hard training and iron discipline. Hampton was clothed in black, standing straight as an arrow, his shoulders squared, his head held proudly erect, while his cool gray eyes studied the face of the other as he had been accustomed to surrey his opponents at the card table. Brant looked the picture of a soldier on duty, trim, well built, erect, his reso lute blue eyes never flinching from the steady gaze bent upon him, his bronzed young face grave from the seriousness of his mission. In both minds the same thought lingered the vague wonder how much the oth er knew. The elder man. however, re tained a better self-control and was first to break the silence. "Miss Gillis Informed me of your kindness to her last evening," he said, quietly, "and in her behalf I sincerely thank you. Permit me to offer you a chair." Brant accepted it and sat down, feeling the calm tone of proprietorship in the words of the other as if they had been a blow. His face flushed, yet he spoke firmly. "Possibly I mis construe your meaning," he said, with some bluntness, determined to reach the gist of the matter at once. "Did Miss Gillis authorize you to thank me for these courtesies?" Hampton smiled with provoking calmness, holding an unlighted cigar between his fingers. "Why, really, as to that I do not remember. I merely mentioned it as expressing the natural gratitude of us both." "You speak as if you possessed full authority to express her mind as well as your own." The other bowed gravely, his face impassive. "My words quite naturally bear some such construction." The officer hesitated, feeling more doubtful than ever regarding his own position. Chagrined, disarmed. he felt like a prisoner standing bound before his mocking captor. "Then I fear my mission here is useless." "Entirely so, if you come for the purpose I suspect," said Hampton, sit ting erect in his chair, and speaking with more rapid utterance. "To lec ture me on morality, and demand my yielding up all influence over this girl such a mission is assuredly a fail ure. I have listened with some de gree of calmness in this room already to one such address, and surrendered to its reasoning. But permit me to say quite plainly, Lieut. Brant, that you are not the person from whom I will quietly listen to another." "I had very little expectation that you would." "You should have had still less, and remained away entirely. However, now that you are here, and the sub ject broached. It becomes my turn to say something, and to say it clear ly. It seems to me you would ex hibit far better taste and discrimina tion if from now on you would cease forcing your attentions upon Miss Gil lis." Brant leaped to his feet, but the other never deigned to alter his posi tion. "Forcing my attentions!" exclaimed the officer. "God's mercy, man! do you realize what you are saying? I have forced no attentions upon Miss Gillis." "My reference was rather to future possibilities. Young blood is prov erbially hot, and I thought it wise to warn you in time." Brant stared into that imperturbed face, and somehow the very sight of : its calm, inflexible resolve served to clear his own brain. He felt that this ! cool, self-controlled man was speak ing with authority. "Wait just a moment," he said at last. "I wish this made perfectly clear, and for all time. I met Miss Gillis first through pure accident. She im pressed me strongly then, and I con fess I have since grown more deeply interested in her personality. I have reasons to suppose my presence not altogether distasteful to her, and she has certainly shown that she reposes confidence in me. Not until late last night did I ever suspect she was the same girl whom we picked up with you out on the desert. It came to me from her own lips and was a total surprise. She revealed her identity in order to Justify ier proposed clan destine meeting with you." "And hence you request this pleas ant conference," broke in Hampton, cooily, "to inform me, from your calm j eminence of respectability, that I was no fit companion for such a young and innocent person, and to warn me that you were prepared to act as her pro tector." Brant slightly inclined his head. "I may have had something of that nature in my mind." "Well. Lieut. Brant," and the older man rose to his feet, his eyes still smiling, "some might be impolite enough to say that it was the con ception of a cad, but whatever it was. the tables have unexpectedly turned. Without further reference to my own personal interests in the young lady, which are, however, considerable, there remain other weighty reasons that I am not at liberty to discus?, which make it simply impossible for you to sustain any relationship to Miss Gillis other than that of ordinary social friendship." "You you claim the right " "I distinctly claim the right, for the reason that I possess the rght, and no one has ever yet known me to relinquish a hold once fairly gained. Lieut. Brant, if I am any judge of faces, you are a fighting man by na ture as well as profession, but there Is no opportunity .for your doing any fighting here. This matter is irre vocab!y settled Naida Gillis is not for you." Brant was breathing hard. "Do you mean to Insinuate that there is an un derstanding, an engagement between you?" he faltered, scarcely knowing how best to resent such utterance. "You may place your own construc tion upon what I have said," was the quiet answer. "The special relations existing between Miss Gillis and my self chance to be no business of yours. However, I will consent to say this I do enjoy a relationship to her that gives me complete authority to say what I have said to you. I regret hav ing been obliged by your persistence to speak with such plainness, but this konwledge should prove sufficient to control the actions of a gentleman." For a moment the soldier did not answer, his emotions far too strong to permit of calm utterance, his lips tightly shut. He felt utterly defeat ed. "Your language is sufficiently ex- "Naida Gillis Is Not for You.' plicit," he acknowledged at last. "I ask pardon for my unwarranted intru sion." At the door he paused and glanced back towird that motionless figure yet standing with one hand grasping the back of the chair. "Before I go, permit me to ask a single question," he said, frankly. "I was a friend of old Ben Gillis, and he was a friend of my father before me. . Have you any reason to suspect that he wos not Naida Gillis' father?" Hampton took one hasty step for ward. "What do you mean?" he ex claimed fiercely, his eyes two coals of fire. Brant felt that the other's display of irritation gave him an unexpected ad vantage. "Nothing that need awaken angei, I am sure. Something caused me to harbor the suspicion, and I naturally supposed you would know about it. Indeed, I wondered if some such knowledge might not account for your very deep interest in keeping her so entirely to yourself." Hampton's fingers twitchcJ a nervousness altogether unusual to the man, yet when he spoke his voice was like steel. "Your suspicions are high ly interesting, and your cowardly In sinuations base. However, if, as I suppose, your purpose is to provoke a quarrel, you will find me quite ready to accommodate you." An instant they stood thus, eye to eye. Suddenly Brant's memory veer ed to the girl whose name would be smirched by any blow struck between them, and he forced back the hasty retort burning upon his lips. "You may be, Mr. Hampton," he said, standing like a statue, his back to the door, "but I am not. As you say, fighting is my trade, yet I have never sought a personal quarrel. Nor is there any cause here, as my only purpose in asking the question was to forewarn you, and her through you, that such a suggestion had been openly made in my hearing. I pre sume it was a lie, and wished to be able to brand it so." "By whom?" "A fellow known as Silent Murphy, a government scout." "I have heard of him. Where is he?" "He claimed to be here waiting or ders from Custer. He had camp up the creek two days ago, but is keep ing well out of sight for some reason. Telegrams have been received for him at the office, but another man has called for them." "Who?" "Red Slavin." "The cur!." sajd Hampton. 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THF BANK OF CASS COUNTY DOC 0 ! i I We are agents for Electropodes, and the manufacturers instiuct"us to sign a contract with each purchase agreeing to refund the money if they fail to cure. They are guaranteed to cure rheumatism in anv form. They cure nervous headaches and all other nervous ailments. They positively remove all bad odors from the feet or any part of the body. They never fail to create a good circulation of the blood and make cold feet warm. They are worn in the heels of the shoes, where they cre ate a mild and soothing flow of electricity the whole day, which builds up the entire nervous system, thus removing that tired, draggy, worn-out feeling so common to most people. Electropodes cost one dollar per pair, and after you have worn them 30 days, if they have done you no good or fail to cure, return them to us and we will refund the money just as cheerfully as we take it. If you are afflicted with any of the above ailments, please give Electropode3 a trial. 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The output of the Trenton mine the fuel we handle has no su perior anywhere, Its equal in few places J. V. EGENBERGER, 'PHONE riattsmouth No. 22. PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA DOC 0 3 m '9 NEBRASKA. 0 DOC DCZDO n