The Lamar register., 1920-09-29

Ole
B L u e
MOON
Il Tale of the
Flatwoods
By DAVID ANDERSON
4
By DAVID ANDERSON
toopyrishi by the Bobss.Hsrrin Company,

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:
the doors and windows of a finish
rather more pretentious than was
common in the woods. There were
three wings. extending at right an.
giles from 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
ana held out her hand for the basket.
Slowly the Pearlhunter passed II over.
II was an awkward moment. His
eyes Travelled past her to the tiny
garden. He noticed that the fence
around II was sagged and broken. The
garden. however. appeared to be clean
and well-kept. Aside from this-and
the fiowers-the place showed a very
sad lack of care.
The underbrush along the biuffs
trembled slightly. but enough to at.
tract the woodsman's eyes. Noiseless-
ly the swaying bushes parted-as
noiseless as the unfolding Of d 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 1t before. the gaunt
gray face Of the Wild Man.
The Pearlhunter glanced quickly at
- - a. hAr
on her basket. and when he looked
again at the bushes. the face was
gone.
As his gaze searched the under
brush. glimpse Of gray shadow
fitted along under the cliff and dis
appeared behind the cabin. He
couldn't leave her now-and yet. BY
what excuse could he stayf
you have a pretty place here" he
said, probably because he couldn't
think Of anything else to say. "A
pretty place-ali SO natural; the
woods are hardly disturbed bit-but
aren't you-afraidT"
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
Il service-the age-old service Of man
to woman. Wont you come up to
the housefH
The Pearlhunter little knew how
that simple Invitation honored him.
No other man had ever received IT.
'Td Ike to-"
he said It so seriously that the girl
laughed.
Carrying the light basket between
them they walked up what might be
called. for wnnt of better word to
name II. the front yard. There was
not the least necessity that two hands
should be laid to that one light basket.
II just happened. as do SO many other
pleasant things In this delightfully."- un.
orderly world.
At the door she stopped and faced
him. A deep seriousness had filled
up the dimples.
"Mr.-Pearlhunter-"
The slow eyes OF the man found
her face, and she paused
you told me to leave OF the Miss.
I'm askin' you to leave of the Mr."
The dlmples came back. but only
for a moment
"-Pearlhunter." The name came
strange to her. "You will be the frst
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 at
what you see"
From behind the closed door Of the
cabin came groan-not Of physical
pain. but one that seemed to mutter
up out Of a wracked soul. The girl
dropped her side of the basket handle.
"Daddyi" she cried and dashed the
door open.
The Pearlhunter was a hard man
to jar out of his habitual calm, but
the sight that met him as he 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 af.
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. 1t was the VINO
Man.
The girl ran to him and put her
arms about his ahouldora Ha aAaruad