The Lamar register., 1920-09-15
CHAPTER u.
The Red Mask.

iht FtSA
Amazed al the woodcraft that had
enabled the girl to disappear under
his very eyes, without SO much as the
CULVER of leaf. the Pearlhunter
crossed the brHnch on the rifle al the
lower edge OF the pool, by springine
fron stone to stone, and went up to
the rock. There lay the flowers IN
scattered confusion-a tuInbled mass
Of refreshing 'Olor: the half an arm
ful of pink and white aud red wild
roses. He picked up three-a pink /;
red; a whlte-and stood gazing
down upon them The true woods
man is instlnciively u gentleman. He
did not know-he did not try to know
that the girl watched his every
move from behind a big oak few
yards up the bank.
Like her--somehow." he muttered.
"Wild Rose! IL might be her nBme.
name, wonder what It's Ike to
have name!'
A thought shadowed his face-the
old thought that always brought the
cloud His eyes narrowed; the lines
of his mouth drew tense. Drawing
the stems OF the three roses through
d buttonhoie In his blouse. he strobe
away down the branch back to Fallen
Rock.
The languld eyes OF the Iron Gray
Woman turned toward him as he
sprang In over the saving gangplank.
pushed aside the ruinpled curtain. and
entered the tiny cabin OF the house
ThAr.. much hr.4 "a
the eyes. The fever was going down
with the sun. The thought his re
turning step had brought came out In
her first words
'Tbey who own the old cabin might
not like US TO move In"
They can only make " move out
again" was his CHEEKY answer. And.
mother. you never saw such a view
Ne you get from up there. And you
cnn drink right out Of the spring"
Something came to the face Of the
fron-Gray Woman that had long been
stranger there. Not a smile-a rip
pie, like the swath chance breeze
ruffies across still water
But you can't carry everything"
Everything And the first load
shall be you-"
Mel"
at would set you coughing to climb
the slope"
The woman dropped her eyes. After
all. weakness is not pleasant fact TO
face The loss OF power, the inability
TO do accustomed things, always
comes as shock Life had brought
10 the Iron on-Gray-woman little enough
-pitifully little enough. But though
life be ever So bare and gray. no one
likes to sit helpless and watch II go.
HAPPY the young man sensed moth
ing Of this but was already busy
gathering together such OF their
meager stock OF household goods as II
would be absolutely necessary to
carry up to the cabin under the cliff
II the coming night was TO be spent
ashore.
Nothing remained but the actual
going ashore. His mother came first,
as he had said While packing. he
had planned 10 help her up the hill to
the spring and leave her there while
he swept the old cabin, aired IL out,
put up the cook stove. and otherwise
made the place as sweet and inviting
as possible for her occupancy.
Just before passing through the
rumpled curtain of the houseboat she
stopped and gazed over the tiny cabin.
"Just one look before 60" she
said.
He was astonished at the wistful-
ness in her tones.
"why, mother. you can come back
any minute"
1T has been my home for twenty
years" she said as she turned away,
her tone more the yoicing OF rehec-
ZION than the statement of fact.
Across the gangplank and up the
slope amopz the trees he led her
-