The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1920-09-07

'e'se anu CURIOUS forms or life. before
trusting his hand on his final master.
plece-a man; a woman.
They stood staring. as Mt that other
meeting Mt the pool. And that was
the thought uppermost In the mind of
the Pearlhunter-that other meeting.
And he had looked Somehow he
wished he hadn't; and yet he wasn't
sorry that he had. The thought drew
his eyes to her feet. Shifting the
basket, his hand slowly stole up and
dragged OF his battered hat.
The blue eyes under the sunbon.
net livened. The girl drew step
nearer. The bushes she had been
bending aside sprang back into place.
She drew another step nearer. AS
she moved, an overhanging limb
caught the sunbonnet and dragged Il
OF, displaying very soft and glossy
mass Of yellow curls. She turned,
dlsengaged the bonnet from the limb.
and was shaking the curis into shape
to replace II when the Pearlhunter
made a quick step toward her with
hand appraised.
"Don't" he cried. Don't"
A man Of slow speech, with eyes
hard to wake, he wouldn't have be.
lieved such words were In him.
The girl stood fumblfng the bonnet
He watched one stray curl lose its
place and come slowly tumblng down,
little by little. till 1t fell over her
shoulder and lay upon the softly rls-
Ing and falling bosom. From the curl
he raised his eyes to her face. He
saw smile steal across Il. II was
only n little smile, but It grew under
his gaze till II reached up to her eyes,
and pinched the lids together. and
squeezed out tiny ripple Of merri.
ment that ran out over her face and
settled In two round dimples that
teasingly uptilted the corners OF her
mOuth-a good. winsome mouth.
fringed with full red lips and set
with wholesome teeth. The smile
grew until It quite passed beyond her
control. She threw up her head; the
smile became a laugh.
1t was the only thing that could
have broken the restraint. The laugh /;
the slow smile that answered it
their Introduction. She tied the bon
net strings, while he watched her fin.
gers ms they formed the knot.
THAT song" he said. at was the
most wonderful thing 7 ever heard"
The girl laughed again--a laugh like
water tinkling over pebbles.
"The birds are my playmates," she
answered simply. "rhey fly down all
over me. had to learn their Ian.
guage."
"YOu live in these woods?"
The Pearlhunter was long time
asking that question.
mot far from the pool"
"And you're not afraid?"
He glanced up the road toward the
village.
"Oh, live with Daddy" A shade
crossed her face. Never before" she
added. as If the first statement had
not quite satisfied his question.
Daddy is not very well and have
to go to the store. Every time I've
gone In the last few days that msn
has tried to talk to me. was fright
ened to death today when he followed
me. He never did that before. I'm
so glad you happened along; and |
thank you over and over"
ut was nothing" he said simply,
twisting his hat In his hand He didn't
tell her II wasn't matter OF hap
pcning.
She shook the curl off her bosom
and back over her shoulder. lie was
sorry for that.
"He is a gambler; at least so the
grocery man told me today--and a
a-man killer" ....-, i..,, b. ~
The Pearlhunter could have added
quite startlIngly TO the Information
impaired by the grocery man. but he
only said:
"He's all that--and more"
She glanced across the fence and
up the road. He fancied n slight
shiver lifted her shoulders.
"Miss-Mlss-l don't know your
namel'
Two roguIsb little points pinched
up the girls eyes. The two dlnples
played hide-and.seek with the corners
Of her mouth--artless as the fiicklng
wings of Lady Cardinal.
"A little bit ago you called me"
"The Wild Rose" he finished.
T llke--thatr she stammered,
Fever so much better than any-other
name"
Again that slow smile broke across
the face OF the Pearlluntcr. lie knew
he ought TO say somcthlng-but whntf
"Wel. Mlss-Wild Rose" he final
ly venturcd, with no idea of what else
he was going to say.
leave OFF the Miss, please" II
was timely rescue. = Miss seems,
well-so--dignlhed for the woods.
Aud you are"
He shifted the basket TO the other
arm and stood gazing up and down