The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1920-12-09

Of his mouth drew tense. Drawing
the stems of the three roses through
Q buttonhole in his blouse. he strobe
away down the branch back to Fallen
Rock.
The languid eyes Of the Iron Gray
Woman turned toward him As he
sprang In over the saving gangplank.
pushed aside the rumpled curtain, and
entered the tiny cabin Of the house
boat There was not 10 much IRE In
the eyes. The fever was going down
with the sun. The thought his re-
turning step had brought came out In
her hrst words.
"They who own the old cabin might
not like us to move H."
"They can only make M move out
again." was his CHEEKY answer. "And.
mother. you never saw such q view
a. you get from up there. And You
can drink right out Of the spring"
Something came to the face Of tia
Iron-Gray- Woman that had long been
a stranger there. Not smile-a rip.
pie, like the swath chance breeze
rufieA across still water.
"But you can't carry everything"
Everything. And the nrst load
shall be you"
MET"
ut would set you coughing to climb
the SLOPE"
The woman dropped her eyes. After
all. weakness 10 not pleasant fact to
face. The loss u power. the inability
10 do accustomed things, always
comes a. q shock. Life had brought
to the Iron Gray-Wom little enough
l-pitifully little enough. But though
life be ever 20 bare and gray. no oos
likes to sit helpless and watch It 90.
HAPPY the young man sensed moth
ing Of this, but was already busy
gathering together such Of their
meager stock Of household goods - n
would b absolutely necessary to
carry up to the cabin under the eii6
II the coming night was to b spent
ashore.
Nothing remained but the actual
going ashore. His mother came drst
- he had said. While packing. hs
had planned to help her up the hill to
the spring and leave her there while
be swept the old cabin. aired 1t out.
put up the cook stove. and otherwise
made the place a. sweet and inviting
a. possible for hes occupancy.
Just before passing through the
rumpled curtain Of the houseboat she
stopped and gased over the tiny cabin.
"Just eoe look before I Co." she
said. go
He was astooished At the wistful
ness in her tones.
"why. mother. yo~ can come back
any minute"
"lt has been my heme for twenty
years." she said a. shs turned away.
her tone more the voicing Of . refiec-
ton than the statement Of Q fact.
Across the gangplank and up the
slope among the trees be led her
carried her-with all the tenderness
due from . man to his mother: for
the Iron Gray. Woman had the man.
ness and speech Of "lady Of high
degree:" and she had taught him all
she knew. He had brought along
cushion. which he spread for her upon
q moss-upholstered rock. With the
spray Of the waterfall In the air. with
the cup in her hand. the cool spring
within reach. he left her and hurried
back to the houseboat.
The sun was dipping low toward
the distant bend In the river when
the last Of the moving was done. A
purple twilight had given place to
dark before he had the cabin put to
rights, his mother In her easy chair.
and supper on the table: bass. taken
from the nets only that morning;
fruit from the woods: baked pota.
toes: tnast. crisp and brown: and ten.
which she had left her chair long
enough to draw.
In the contentei silence that often
falls after the evening meal. the man
rat covertly studying her face. ~
fever had gone. II was . face almost
serene. She appeared. - he watched
her, to be listening to the sound Of
the waterfall floating In through the
open window. upon the pulse Of the
night. The move had done her good.
He thought how beautiful she must
have been-how beautiful still.
Her words that afternoon came
hack to him-the only word that had
ever come to him out Of the past. The
desire to learn more grew In him. and
vet he dreaded to speak. The Iron.
GrAy.Woman was not one to invite
condolences. And yet q man ought to
know something Of the manner Of his
coming into the world.
The cabin had settled to deep quiet:
the lap Of the waterfall had swelle,i
to full strength upon the silence;
when the cabin door banged open and
n man storined In. The Pearihunter
whiried up out Of his chair and fnced
him.
The intruder Was 4 man Of forty.
possibly more. lacking somewhat OF
The Peaslhunter's height and massive
build. yet still what would he called
q big man-tight and well set up