Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-21
step. his face beaming--if' such a face
can beam. The Pearlhunter stiffene3

can beam. The Peaplhunter stiffene5
in HIS place behind the curtain. The
girl never changed a hairs breadth
in the narrow opening between sthe
cheek Of the door and the jamb. Her
cold silence was apparently too much
| He seemed to have difficulty In keep
ing together even>the raked up rem
nants Of his smile. .
"Why do you distrust me?"
No answer.
Aren't you going to invite me M"
"My father is away this afternoon.
III can not invite you in"
1t was the first word she had spok-
en-a word cold and hard enough;
but the brazen intruder seemed to
take encouragement from It.
"Then permit me to invite myself"
He advanced a step, laid his hand
to the door, pushed lightly. The mar
row slit between cheek and jamb
Iwidened not a hair.
7 The passions of a Prussian noble
were behind that face outside. They
began TO break through it's thin
veneer of %politeness. He put his hat
the door.
II might choose to come in"
The girl made no answer; neither
did she suffer the door to. yield. The
last vestige of the smile left the mans
face.
,"I might demand to come in,"-
something close kin to a snarl. slipped
into his voice-''to search this cabin
for that notorious de~sperado, the Red
Mask, The murdered of Louie Solo
mon."
"The Red Mask is not in this
cabin"
The answer came slowly, and there
was a peculiar emphasis upon the
8 word lin" doubtless unconscious
e ITO the listener behind the curtains. i,
was As if she had said: MOT in the
. cabin, just in front of it,
The pressure on the door Increased
They P~earlhunter saw the gtfa brace
! her body against it. The door began
TO give a tiny mite at Tristan inch
= two inches -
:. He could stand it no longer. II.
was in the very act of sweeping the
n curtains aside when the girls RICH
arm, the one hid behind the door
d dropped to- her side. He hand wen
into. the folds Of her ress. When ]
Ncane gu i\ held the revolver he hat
cleaned andiput in order the night be
d leaped back. The >door flew open
e The man o the step barely save
e himself from sprawling IN upon tn
floor by clutching the door janh
When he regained his balance, he wa
gazing into the muzzle OF yek
a steady and dependable looking six
gun. At first flush he actually though
n it was a joke,
d you wouldn't shoot a man?"
d .na His voice bad lost its 'aunty .a'su :
II mo" came The cold,x crisp a:rswe
n down the, steady barrel. "b,lt I'd sh:t
d a snake. X
There va. no chance Of ,n;sund"rr
aPs%n'd i ! don't believe ye
is "You know how to find out"
lie He knew. He slowly raised hi
hands,. The expression in his eye
J. might have meant any number 9
. things: first Of all. that he bowed t
s necessity: second, that he WouH com
la again. Astonished. mortified: banle
douStless salved his pride with thu
second thought: he would con
is again. The girl sensed something
what, smoldered deep in the bold cyl
eyes that a good woman cou
3. hardly meet without dishonor. b
there were plans afoot-and 81
g Listen: I'll give you time to &
out of sight, II you walk fast. II "
look back. or II you are in sig
q. when j think the time IL up. I'll sho
ut ana I'll hit Whist I shoot Mt" )
He studied the eyes back OF the I
volver. What he saw whirled hi
he around. his hands still up. and star
AZ ed him back down the path. The "a
Tx ther he went the. faster he went.
u. less time than she had thought,
ry had paased Nhe urn and disa ppeare
Du She clesed, the door, laid the revt
yer ON ,the little table beside the se1
ID ing baaket, crossed the to t
I sofa. The Pearlhunter had come Q
yh from behind the purtatns. admiratit
ng running rot In his eyes.
es II wish I knew. soFpc way to +
lly you" he said "how proud I I'm
ii, know a girl like you. ! don't knt
N. a man that could, have done It. Al
an him the Red Mash! Before You
II feel like a--a-tailor."
We She looked up at him; tried
smile: the smile was a failure. \
II lips %quivered: her eyes fell. TO 7