Gentleman Joe's Leadville Lead — page 65: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Foxy Fan seemed about to speak, then suddenly com- pressed her lips as if to shut back the words. ‘“Why don’t you say it, my girl?’’ he asked. ‘‘Because I thought I had better not.”’ “So you haven’t told me all you know about this fel- ow?’ ‘““T didn’t know very much about him till to-night.’’ ‘‘But you have learned a good deal about him to-night, or he wouldn’t have come here to hide. How did he know but that you would give him away?”’ ‘‘Because I told him I wouldn’t.’’ ‘‘Where did you see him first?’’ ‘Right here. He hid himself down among those rocks. I saw him crawling out, and I signaled to him in a way that he knew was friendly. So he made bold to approach, and I told him that I would try and cover his tracks until I could see you.’’ “Then you thought he was innocent?”’ “T didn’t know, and I didn’t care. I like to see a fellow have fair play, and he wouldn’t have got it if those men had caught him to-night. I reckon he hates Hime Hender- son bad enough, and that he stood a pretty good chance of doing what was done. But he didn’t do it unless I make a big mistake. ”’ “Then you have had some talk with him about it?” ‘*But little.’ ‘‘Why are you so reserved, my girl? Why shouldn’t you trust me, as you have done in the past? Haven't I given you evidence enough that I want to see the fellow have fair play, and that I am willing to make a fight to that end if necessary. Answer me that, my girl.’’ ‘You have given evidence that you are just the same dear old Gentleman Joe that you always were. Square on your feet, with your nerves cool and your heart in the right place! And in another way, you are like the old Gen- tleman Joe, and that is that you are as full of curiosity as a nut is full of meat. You can no more keep from asking questions than you can keep from eating when you're hungry.”’ OF is you can keep from being saucy,” smiled Gen- Qe.