The daily Alaskan., 1920-10-26

StrlD along the north Dank. A HluHe
 of rulch and cliff, of gully and bluif;
 a1l bearded thick with trees and dense undcrbrush; 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, ur.fl it turned sharply and led up the
 east bank of Wolf run, the little stream ln which the Pearlhunter had washed the clccampane roots.
 A short distance above the pool, so
 near that the Pcarlhuntcr wondered
 he had not seen 1t before. a three.
 gaNcd. ouo-srory log cabin snuggcd back against the blurs just where they lprr -Nr bank of the stream and curyca
 fo the east. 4 step farther, a Sma.. rlot of crec}. bottom had been cleared
 arr -cnrcG-what the FlatwooGs called
 ".g~lru ra,ch." Back of the gar
 don. a stable hvrgcd the hIuff, buy it
 was half hidden by rank weeds.
 The cabin was built of hcwn logs,
 rn.al.l arGsucally at the corners. The roof projected well beyond the
 walls: the ch,umeys were Of rcd brick; e.r doors and windows of 9 finish
 v,lrr more prctcntlous than was common in the woods. There were
 three wings. extending at right an- -.rs from a common center. making
 four rooms. in gil. three along the
 front. with another probably the kitchen. extending bacE from the cen
 trL room
 Where lhc path left the stream to rn~ toward the door the girl paused and held ou; her hand for the basket. Slowly .ho Faavlhuutor passed 1t over.
 It was ga awkward moment. His
 uyns ,ravrlrd past hcr 10 ihc tiny garden. He noticed that the fence around ft was saegcd and broken. 'rnr garden. however. appeared to be cSan and wol-Ecpt. Aside from thls-aaI tbe ilowcrs-;hc place showed very sad Jack or care.
 Tho urlcrhyHsh along tho bluffs t~aurlpl slightly, hut enough to at r~arr ghr waoIsman's eyes. NoisclcsS- lv tIe swav.ng huehcs rartcd-as ro.sa,nss ss the unfolding of a flower and fn inc narrow opening, framed Iv ifs border of Quak'ug leaves, there grow facc-sal and vacant with g-nruI eyes: unm'Stak0hIy, though he ltf ucvrr eca0 it before, the gaunt, gray Ctsc o- the Wild AIan. Trr P.wIluntcr glanced quickly at ,lc girl. .n find her eyes still fixed ! ou h,r luHsrt, and when he looked .mm at the bushes, the face was gone
 As his gaze searched the under
 Hr~sh. glimpse Of a gray shadow
 GatcI along under the cIlr and dis.
 a"rea~n1 behind the cabin. He
 ru.'Iu't leave Ear row-and yet, by what excuse could lc stay?
 You have a pretty place here" he sar1. probably Inr@uso hc couldn't
 think of anything else To sly. "A
 rrrrr p'u.r-aI so natural; the
 s.u.- ara rnr,'y disturbed a bit-but
 ug.rs yov-a.ra1="
 "l haven't been ull-toaay." She raised her eyes lo a.s tarr The store
 keepers story nauc ta her miud;- . rla rave ut Fallen Rocks; the lonely
 cnHu to which he would have to re-
 turn. And he had just rendered her srrvicc-thr aga-oId service Of man
 fo woman. "Wun't you come up to thr House?"
 The pear!huuter little knew how l flot simple invitation honored him. ! No other man had ever received it. I'd Ike to-"
 He said It so seriously that the girl
 laughed
 l Carrying tho light basket between
 them they walked up what might be called. for want Of better word to name 1t, the front yard. There was not the least necessity that two hands l should be laid to that one light basket. 1 It just happened, as do so many other | pleasant things h illS delightfully."- uh- { orderly world.
 At the door she stopped and faced him. A deep seriousness had filled tp the dimp'es.
 "NIr.-pcarlhunter-" Tne 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 off the Mir" The dimples came back, but only ! for q moment.
 "-Pearlhuntcr." The name came strange to her. You wifi 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 at what you see"
 From behind the closed door of the cabin came a grOan-uot of physical pain, but one that seemed to mutter ! up out of a wrackcd soul. The girl dropped her side of the basket handle. "D.IHv u' she cried md dashed the