Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-05
terpreted the look. He avoided her

tact. such an offer couldn't be made
to q girl in the same way it could be
made to q man. A river man In un-
familiar waters. the channel lost, his
eye roved the room In desperation. It
lighted finally on the cello still lean
ing against the old mans chair.
You can teach me singin' ~lessons!"
He said 1t q good deal as a mai
might consent to q surgical operation,
with the chances dead against him.
But she was too deep in the hope
his Differ was slowly bringing to life
to see the humor of the situation.
She was gazing down at the easy
char, in her thought a gaunt, gray
form that had been in that chair SO
long that the days when the noble
head was not gray, the eyes not va
cant. were far away in the, long ago.
1t was hard to bring that distant long
ago back INFO now. So.
THAT wouldn't be worth-money."
she said at last. THAT would just be
fun. fittings were so I could"
The Pearlhunter picked DIP his hat
from the table. stood fun bling it and
thinking intently. He did not know
that her thoughts were still in the
long ago. To him she<was merely
refusing his offer graciotsly.
But the Pearlhunter was a hard
man to whip. 1t went against the
oANAAA " al W 6AV0 up Ill L1le IdDL
lick was struck. Something she had
said a few minutes before happened
Unto his thoughts.
when your father is we'll thererl
be more money coming to Box %.
He can pay me back then himself"
He said 1t slowly-like a man lay
ing his last card on the table, and the
odds against him.
But the effect was utterly opposite
TO what he had dreaded. Her Eyes
spraDs to his face, and there was
something in them he had not seen
There before. He knew in that in.
start that she had not misunderstood
him. Her face had become like the
Ills when the dawn wakes them out
Of night: her eyes, like the sun trail
across the Wabash. With a fresioEr
from which the high moment took
even the tiniest semblance Of bo!l-
f1iess. she stepped toward him and l5id,
her hand on his arm.
You're wonderful! I don't sup
Eose anybody else in the world would
do such a thing for folks like-us-
for strangers. Forgive me that I
d idn't thank. YOU 1t was all go
marvelous: But I do, 1 do, over and,
over!' d
The puzzled rnisstvings on the
wind -seaso lace Of the man raelt1
ed up into a Aow smile.
TITS nothing" he said.
That. was the best he could do, tI,s
utmost syllable he could muster.
Nothing, When Daddy is 10 BE-
fback! How an I ever thank your
Its nothing" he repeated "1'd
just Al soon you"-hef hesftated: hnal-
ily added the word: ."folks-had.Eths
Imoney for a while as-to let IL stand
Etheresin the bank idle"
-Yes, but how many would look at
| i ,shsa va nor "a a,a a ss5s the nor e sny.
body-rbut you. Except DADDY she
added. HE wopld--when ne we
well. He was 1ike-you.''
The remark scer1ed to call for no
reply. A. any rate the Pearlhunter.
But though he often lacked wordsl
|thoueh the moods and manners of,
him. there WAS no sight nor sound
lof the woods and. streams Whose
meaning he could not read. The fail.
ling light drew his eye TO The open
door. The hr6t soft footed spies II
Itwiight-were stealing oyer the slope
They had tramped the sparkle out az
the bEaanchs and II lay dim and darkl
ls eaSss 81 II :t hSE SUP nas Spared an.o tss
|xSods m crimson shafts. A thour
sand clucksy md chuckles told him
that the fduAeIasMood-f0lk were cuda
ding I'M Tor the nigh, and ths
rognss Wefte watkins.
anyhow, he rid az n cpntinu.
|,ns zone re } sss'i ses sss9ef sss.nso9E nsni T.:
over In hiS mind. since he had let fan.
sell t11e pearta
he stepped toward fhs open door.