Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-11-02

BOBBS-NERPIIL COMPANY
garden, however, appeared to be clean
and well-kept. Aside from this-and
the fiowers-the place showed very
sad lack of care.
The underbrush along the bluffs
trembled slightly. but enough to at
tract the woodsman's eyes. Noiseless-
~ the swaying bushes parted-as
noiseless as the unfolding Of flower
and in the narrow opening. framed
~ Its border of Quaking leaves, there
grew 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
the girl, to find her eyes still fixed
on her basket. and when he looked
again at the bushes, the face was
gone.
As his gaze searched the under
brush, glimpse Of a 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 stay?
"You have a pretty place here" he
said, probably because he couldn't
think of anything else to say. "a
pretty place-all so natural; the
woods are hardly disturbed bit-but
aren't you-afraid?"
Il 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
a service-the age-old service of man
to woman. Wont you come up to
the houseT
| The Pearihunter little knew how
that simple invitation honored him.
No other man had ever received 1t.
| I'D like tor
He said 1t so seriously that the girl
laughed.
Carrying the 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
should be laid to that one light basket.
It just happened. as do so many other
pleasant things in this delightfully."- I'M
orderly world.
At the door she stopped and faced
him. A deep seriousness had filed
up the dimples.
"Mr-Pearlhunter-
The slow eyes of the man found
her face. and she paused.
"You told me to leave off the Miss.
I'm askin' you to leave off the Mr."
The dlmples came back, but only
for a moment.
-Pearlhunter" The name came
strange to her. you will 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-not of physical
pain, but one that seemed to mutter
up out of wracked soul. The girl
dropped her side of the basket handle.
Daddy" she cried; and dashed the
door open.
The Pearlhunter was 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 Wild
Man.
The girl ran to him and put her
arms about his shoulders He seemed
not to feel her touch. Slowly and
noiselessly he approached the PEARL
hunter. A leaf couldn't have drifted
across the floor more silently, or
more involuntarily. Some extraneous
force seemed to drive him. .
The girl chung TO him and tried to
coax him, even drag him, back into
his chair He seemed to be utterly
unaware Of her weight. There was a
knife In his hand. His hollow eyes
never left the Pearihunter's face.
With all the girls assurance that
he was harmless, that there was no
danger, 1t took all the Pearlhunters
resolution to abide the coming of that
gaunt apparition. His breath came
fast. He set the basket down on the
floor, dropped his hat beside 1t, and
kept his eye on the knife.
A pale fire burned away back In
the Wild Mans vacant eyes, and his
beard writhed with the culver of his
features He even raised his hands
and ran them over the Pearlhunter's
face, as a blind man might In search
ing for some recognizable feature.
Apparently he did not find 1t. The
pale fires died out Of his eyes; his
face quiyered; his breast seemed to
collapse; the tense silence shivered
with groan. The thrush of strength
that had seemed to dover his vast
frame with irresistible force fell
from him as a mantle. He tottered
as the girl led him, like tired child,
back to his chair.
Her father The daughter Of the
Wild Man!
He stepped aside out Of the open
door and let the sun In. 1t streaked
across the floor and caught her
where she stopped over the old mans
chair.
She seemed for the moment to have
forgotten his presence. He glanced
around the cabin. It was really four
cabins-four rooms-under one roof
The door by which they had entered
faced south. He stood In the center
room. or center cabin. A curtafned