Bob Hampton of Placer

ient rocker and began enthusiastically expressing her unbounded enjoyment of the West, and of the impressions gathered during her journey. Suddenly the elder woman gl

dressed in white, and extended her hand shyly. Miss Spencer

e, and that we are to be together. Aunt Lydia has written so much about you that

t succeeded in conquering the blunt independence of her speech. "Nob

your eyes are perfectly wonderful. You just don't fix yourself up right; Aunt Lydia never did have any taste in such things, but I 'll make a new gir

e from his day's work, and had brought with him the Rev. Howard Wynkoop for supper. Miss Spencer viewed the young man with approval, and immediately became more than usually viv

ew world to me, and the people do not seem at all like those of the East. They lead such a wild,

e such earlier conception," he admitted. "Those just arriving from the environment of an older civiliz

dead Eastern churches. You, nobly battling on the frontier, are the true modern Crusaders, the Knights of the Grail. Here you are ever in the very forefront of the battle against sin, associated with the Argonauts, impressing your f

reddening. "Mr. Moffat? Ah, no; not exactl

d I am very sure he would welcome your ministrations. You have the only church in Glencaid, I understand, and I wonder greatly he has never joined you. But perhaps he may be prejudiced against your denomination. There is so much narrowness in religion. Now, I am an Episcopalian myself, but

y should be," sai

"every one, social and religious. I 'm going to be a true Westerner, from

he name," he confessed at last, reluctantly. "I s

er. He reminds me of some old paladin of the Middle Ages. You would be interest

il, over on Sinsiniwa C

ould n't he make a splendid add

I should imagine yes," he admitted finally. "Billy McNeil-oh, Lord! Ther

can read men's characters, and I know all Mr. McNeil needs is to have

regret. "Our present membership is composed of eight women and three men,

ly. "And you have been laboring upon this fi

nxious to redeem himself in the

of the mining population, as well as of the cattlemen, while not actually hostile, is one of indifference to religious thought. They care nothing whatever for it in the abstract, and have no use for any minister, unless it may be to marry their children or bury their dead. I am hence obliged to meet with them merely as man to man, and thus slowly win their confidence before

ways been accustomed to so much larger churches. I am going to help you, Mr. Wynkoop, in every way I possibly can-I shal

lves alone. Naida drew down the shades and lit the lamp. Miss Spencer slowly divested herself of her outer dress, replacing it with a light wrapper, encased her feet snugly in comfortable slippe

ok nice?" she ques

hair is just beaut

ay 'you bet,' Naida. Such language is not at all lady-like. I am going to call you Naida, and you

young girl explained, reddening, "but I can learn. Yes

either; it has such a vulgar s

ho

thinking of

ooks he loaned me. But the people h

y I thought I should li

ause; then the speaker ask

e not; he does n't care for

y with a bright ribbon. "Maybe he mi

erful to me just to remember what you have been through, and it was so beautifully romantic-everybody kil

, in sudden, indignant passio

o. She wrote he was a commo

oes out here. And sometimes I suppose he

eyes evinced a

nice-lookin

," she said. "I thought so. He

are you

y eigh

gestion of a possible romance, a vision of blighted hearts. "Why, it is perfectly delightful," she exclaimed.

on't know," she confessed, soberly. "I have not even seen him for su

ampton is not here in Glencaid? Why, I

e same night I c

ver even he

irectly, but Mr. Herndon receives money from him for me. He does n't let your aunt know anything about it, b

hy, it is just the most delightful situation I ever heard about. He is just ce

ched guitar stole in through the open window. Both glanced ab

uished the lamp and knelt upon the floor, peering eagerly forth into the brilliant m

alf-suppressed laughter. "There 's going to be something happening," she exclaime

lky mustaches slightly stirred by the soft air, his fingers touching the strings; but back in the shadows of the bush

she anxiousl

d the water down here. It 's got a force like a cannon, and that fellow-I don't know whether

me, an outrage! I '

f laughter. "Oh, please don't, Miss Spencer. It

been fairly in the middle, for he shut up like a jack-knife, and went crashing backwards with an agonized howl. There was a gleam of shining water, something black squirming among the weeds, a yel

-what he said?" she as

o command her voice. "I-I don't bel

e that might have made

r's merriment. "Wasn't it perfectly ridiculous? But he did play beautifully, and it was

d taller, but I could n't really tell. He

, standing before the narrow mirror, prepared her hair for the night. Suddenly some

nnounced, "for Mi

t be? Why, Naida, i

r from off the

-like a

esence stirs

ant West

ow lovelier i

s above

art of Natur

ck respon

ul? And it is signed 'Willie'-

ed it out of some

a touch of originality. And his eyes, N

onlight streamed across the foot of the bed, and t