Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-12-18

EleS from Il CpultHon center, making
four rooms. in all, three along the
front, with another. probably the
kitchen, extending back from the cen
trail room.
Where the path left the stream TO
turn toward the door the girl paused
and held out her hand for the basket
Slowly the Pearlhunter passed it over
1t was an awkward moment. His
eyes travelled past her TO the tiny
garden. He noticed that the Fence
around it was sagged and broken The
garden, however appeared TO be clean
and well-kept Aside from this-and
the flowers-the place showed very
sad lack Of care.
The underbrush along the bluffs
trembled slightly, but enough to at
tract the wOOdSmans eyes. Noiseless-
ly the swayng bushes parted-aS
noiseless as the unfolding of Il flower
and in the narrow opening, framed
by its border Of quaking leaves, there
grew a face-sad and vacant. with
pitiful eyes; Enthusiastically, though he
had never seen it before the gaunt,
gray face of the Wild Man.
The Pearlhunter glanced quickly at
the girl, TO find her eyes still fixed
on her basket. and when he looked
again at the bushes, the face was
gone.
AS his gaze searched the under
brush, a glimpse of a gray shadow
fitted along under the cliff and dis.
appeared behind the cabin. He
couldn't leave her nOw-and vet, by
what excuse could he stay?
You have a pretty place here" he
said, probably because he couldn't
think of anything else to say. "A
pretty place-al so natural; the
woods are hardly disturbed a bit-but
aren't you-afraid?"
II haven't been till-today." She
raised her eyes to his face The store
Keepers story came TO her mind -
the grave at Fallen Rocks; the lonely
cabin to which he would have to re
turn. And he had just rendered her
a service-the age-oId service of man
to woman. Wont you come up to
the houSe?"
The Pearlhunter little knew how
that simple tovltation honored him.
No other man had ever received It
I'D like to-"
He said it so seriously that the girl
laughed.
Carrying the light basket between
them they walked up what might be
called, for want of better word to
name It, the front yard. There was
not the least necessity that two hands
should be laid to thas one light basket
It just happened, as do so many other
pleasant things in this deligF fully un-
orderly world
At the door she stopped and faced
him. A deep seriousness had filed
up the dimples.
Mr.-Pearlhunter-"
The slow eyes OF the man found
her face, and she paused
You told me TO leave off the Miss.
I'm askin' you to leave Off the Mr."
The dimples came back. but only
for a moment
"-Pearlhunter." The name came
strange to her. you viii be the FIRST
man, except my father and the doc
tor, that has crossed his doorstep
in seven years" Her voice fell very
low. you must NOT be surprised OF
what you see
From behind the closed door Of the
cabin came a groan-not Of physical
pain but one that seemed 10 mutter
up out OF a wracked soul The girl
dropped her side OF the basket handle.
Daddy" she cried and dashed the
door open.
The Pearlhunter was a hard man
to Jar out of his habituaI calm. hui
the sight that met him as ne followed
her across the doorstep struck him
rigid and staring.
A huge iron gray shell Of a man
rose slowly IN the shadow the late ala
ternoon cast over the room. The
light that fell in at the open door
brought out the pathetic. nervous
culver Of his face; the solemn vacancy
of his pitiful eyes. = uas he wind
Man.
The girl ran to him and put her
arms about his shoulders. He seemed
not to feel her touch. Slowly and
nOiselessly he approached the Pearl
hunter. A leaf couldn't have drifted
across the floor more silently, or
more invOluntarily. Some extraneous
force seemed 70 drive him.
The girl chung TO him and tried to
coax him. even drag him, back into
his chair He seemed TO he utterly
unaware Of her weight. There wis a
knife In his hand His hollow eyes
never left the Pearlhunter's face
With all the girls assurance that
he was harmless that there was 30
danger. it took-all the Pearhunter's
resolution 10 abide the coming Of that
g'iunt apparltion His breath came
.as;. He set fhe s9Sket down on the