Part 1 From Out The Canyon Chapter 7 I've Come Here To Live

"You look a little rough, Kid, for a society call," he said. "If there
was any shebang in this mud-hole of a town that kept any women's things
on sale fit to look at, I 'd be tempted to fix you up a bit."

"Well, I'm glad of it," she responded, grimly. "I hope I look so blame
tough that woman won't say a civil word to us. You can bet I ain't
going to strain myself to please the likes of her."

"You certainly exhibit no symptoms of doing so," he admitted, frankly.
"But you might, at least, have washed your face and fixed your hair."

She flashed one angry glance at him, stopping in the middle of the
road, her head flung back as though ready for battle. Then, as if by
some swift magic of emotion, her expression changed. "And so you're
ashamed of me, are you?" she asked, her voice sharp but unsteady.
"Ashamed to be seen walking with me? Darn it! I know you are! But I
tell you, Mr. Bob Hampton, you won't be the next time. And what's
more, you just don't need to traipse along another step with me now. I
don't want you. I reckon I ain't very much afraid of tackling this
Presbyterian woman all alone."

She swung off fiercely, and the man chuckled softly as he followed,
watchfully, through the circling, red dust cloud created by her hasty
feet. The truth is, Mr. Hampton possessed troubles and scruples of his
own in connection with this contemplated call. He had never met the
lady; indeed, he could recall very few of her sex, combining
respectability and refinement, whom he had met during the past ten
years. But he retained some memory of the husband as having been
associated with a strenuous poker game at Placer, in which he also held
a prominent place, and it would seem scarcely possible that the wife
did not know whose bullet had turned her for some weeks into a
sick-nurse. For Herndon he had not even a second thought, but the
possible ordeal of a woman's tongue was another matter. A cordial
reception could hardly be anticipated, and Hampton mentally braced
himself for the worst.