The Little River news., 1920-12-22
CHAPTER V.
Cabin of the Three Gables.

For some distance back from the river the Earthmaker scrambled the Flatwoods. Scrambled-that's exact ly what seems to have happened to strip along the north bank. A maze of gulch and cliff, of gully and bluf ; all bearded thick with trees and dense underbrush; all alive with the teasing mystery of growing things.
 The path the girl travelled wound itself, or rather unwound itself, right through the heart of the hills. deep into the mystery of the thick woods. until it turned sharply and led up the east bank of Wolf run, the little stream in which the Pearlhunter had washed the elecampane roots.
 A short distance above the pool. so near that the Pearlhunter wondered he had not seen 1t before, a three gab}ed, one-story log cabin snugged back against the bluffs just where they left the bank of the stream and curved to the east. A step farther. a small plot of creek bottom had been cleared and fenced-what the Flatwoods called a garden patch" Back of the gar den, a stable hugged the bluff. but 1t was half hidden by rank weeds.
 The cabin was built of hewn logs. notched artistically at the corners. The roof projected well beyond the walls; the chimneys were of red brick i; the doors and windows of finish rather more pretentious than was common in the woods. There were three wings, extending at right an- gles from a common center, making four rooms, in all, three along the front, with another, probably the kitchen, extending back from the cen tral 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 1t over. It was an awkward moment. His
 eyes travelled past her to the tiny | garden. He noticed that the fence around 1t was sagged and broken. The garden, however, appeared to be clean and well-kept. Aside from this-and the fowers-the place showed very sad lack of care.
 The underbrush along the bluffs trembled slightly, but enough to at | tract the woodsman's eyes. Noiseless- ly the swaying bushes parted-as noiseless as the unfolding of flower | and in the narrow opening. framed by its border of quaking leaves there grew a face-sad and vacant, with spitiful eyes; unmistakably. though he had never seen 1t before, the gaunt gray face of the Wild Man. The Pearlhunter glanced quickly al
 the girl, to find her eyes still fixed on her basket. and when he looked
 again at the bushes. the face wal gone.
 AS his gaze searched the under brush, a glimpse of gray shadow fitted along under the cliff and dis appeared behind the cabin. Hs couldn't leave her now-and yet by
 what excuse Gould he stayl 'You have pretty place here," h'
 said, probably because he couldn'
 think of anything else to say. "A | pretty place-all so natural; thu Woods are hardly disturbed bit -bu
 aren't you-afraidT
 q haven't been till-today." Sh,
 raised her eyes to his face. The store
 keepers story came to her mind ;-
 the grave at Fallen Rocks; the lonel!
 cabin to which he would have to re
 turn. And he had just rendered he
 service-the age-old service of mal
 to woman. Wont you come up t.
 the housew
 The Pearlhu1ter little knew how
 that simple invitation honored him sNo other ffsaR had ever received it. l 'I'd like to-"
 He said 1t so seriously that the gir laughed.
 Carrying the light basket between them they walked up what might bs
 called, for want of better word t<
 name 1t. the front yard. There wa,
 not the least necessity that two handl should be laid to that one light basket It just happened, as do so many other pleasant things in this delightfully."- un. orderly world
 At the door she stopped and faced him, M 4 deep seriouspesa had. nllad dp the tiinpies s "Mr.-Pearlhunter--r
 fHh0 cY 1A