ng Marchmont yesterday, and Mrs. Levins likely sent Trevison
after hubby--knowing hubby's appetite for booze. Levins isn't giving the
woman a square deal, so far as that is concerned," went on the banker;
"she and the kids are in want half the time, and I've heard that
Trevison's helped them out on quite a good many occasions. Anyway,
Trevison appeared in town this afternoon, looking for Levins. Before he
found him he heard these two beauties framing up on him. That's the
result--the two beauties go out. The crowd was for stringing them up, but
Trevison wouldn't have it."

"Marchmont?" interrupted Benham. "It isn't possible--"

"Why not?" grinned Corrigan. "Yes, sir, the former president of the
Midland Company was shot to death yesterday for pocket-picking."

"Lord!" said Benham.

"So Levins' wife sent Trevison for hubby," said Corrigan, quietly. "She's
_that_ thick with Trevison, is she?"

"Get that out of your mind, Jeff," returned the banker, noting Corrigan's
tone. "Everybody that knows of the case will tell you that everything's
straight there."

"Well," Corrigan laughed, "I'm glad to hear it."

The train steamed away as they talked, and the crowd began to break up and
scatter toward the saloons. Before that happened, however, there was a
great jam around Trevison; he was shaking hands right and left. Voices
shouted that he was "all there!" As he started away he was forced to shove
his way through the press around him.

Benham had been watching closely this evidence of Trevison's popularity;
he linked it with some words that his daughter had written to him
regarding the man, and as a thought formed in his mind he spoke it.

"I'd reconsider about hooking up with that man Trevison, Corrigan. He's
one of those fellows that win popularity easily, and it won't do you any
good to antagonize him."

"That's all right," laughed Corrigan, coldly.

CHAPTER XI

FOR THE "KIDDIES"

Trevison dropped from Nigger at the dooryard of Levins' cabin, and looked
with a grim smile at Levins himself lying face downward across the saddle
on his own pony. He had carried Levins out of the _Belmont_ and had thrown
him, as he would have thrown a sack of meal, across the saddle, where he
had lain during the four-mile ride, except during two short intervals in
which Trevison had lifted him off and laid him flat on the ground, to
rest. Trevison had meditated, not without a certain wry humor, upon the
strength and the protr