The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-11-18
CHAPTER iI--continued.

A sudden impulse seemed TO sweep
the Inv~oluntarily his hand felt
for the pistol Mt his hip: he whirled
toward the door. The woman clutched
his arm. He caught the appeal In her
eyes; bowed his head turned back to
the table.
A tense bit OF p%antomime II had
been. full enough of meaning, of hu.
man interest, TO anyone able to trace
back through the years the snarled
life-threads of the actors: the two
river waits staring down at the mask I:
the hard man stridlng away up the
river road.
and resumed her quick, nervous rock
ing.
"Aud so he has come to this" she
muttered. "My poor. poor cousin (!
What must have been her fate!"
She leant forward and sat stiil and
thoughtful, her face prorped In her
palm. The man stood hy tine tahie
lingering the hit OF cloth. his eyes.
stern and severe. still irreslstibly
drawn In the direction the intruder
had gone.
A hall came up from the househoat.
The sudden cry half startled them
both, coming go close ms II did on the
heels Of that tense moment barely
gone.
TITS the Rosr. I promised to go
spearIng with him tonight"
Stepping 10 the door. he opened II
and answered the hall: came back /;
Flld- the teakettle or the fire; closed
the damper OF the stove; and snuffed
the rnndle.
snow. mother. don't attempt to
clear away the dishes. Leave them
TIL ! get back. I'll oily be gone a lit
tie while"
The made no answer. The
red mask still lying upon the table
caught his eve. Rolling II up. he hid
II under n loosened chink In the cabin
wall. picked up his hat and started
for the door; hesitated: tume back to
the rocking chair.
"YOu won't he-afrntd-r"
She looked up at him IN quick sur
prise. A half frown clouded the Iuster
of her eyes.
"What a question 7"
He turned and left the cabin closed
the door after him and strobe down
the slope to the houseboat.
The men who hunted the river rus.
sel along the Wabash before the days
OF the button industry hunted II for
the pearl sometimes found Embedded
between Its aesh and shell. Struggling
mp and down the streams. often singly.
sometimes In crews. they were n shift
less. fiery, reckless breed-of a feather
with the buccaneers OF other days. and
led on by the same lure; a chance
filng nj fortune. A pearl Of great
value was sometimes found-even ran
ming well up into tie thousands. Bnt
the chance Of finding such a pearl was
small. Still there was the chance. and
1t Is surprising what a certain type
OF men will endure for such n chance.
when the same ends might be at
tanned. certain and sure. by patient In
dustry.
A griEzled old river man sat with
che o Of his skin jammed up on the
gravel By the bow Of the h~ouseboat
when the Pearlhunter came down the
slope. The Boss they called him. the
river men. because In his long yenrs In
she industry he had managed to
scrape together an "outft" and work
. crew Of "clammers" too poor to hunt
alone. His hands were still upon the
ears. Tho Pearlhunter pushed the
boat on and sprang In. directing the
BOss to row around by the stern OF the
1ousc5oat after the Ash spear he had
1een filing thut afternoon.
~See y'u've moved" the Boss OBJ
serted a. the Skin slipped out Into the
stream.
sRsothcr's cough" was the answer.
sShe thought Il would help her to get
M there under the trees"
~That c~ough--i.1i sit away with 'er.
n she haIn't keerful. she oughta have
medicine" x~r
u I'D 49, ", but ~ won't aavs
u, Btss did not pursue the point
y woman's viii We something ne
never tuok the trouble 60 question