The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-11-26

fOg you 90 now
The question caught the Pearlhunter
unawares. He. too. was gazing out
over the landscape, but absorbed In
things Of which the placid little Jew
had not the remotest inkling.
Il hardly know" he answered slow
1 ly, as IL feeling for each word
Thought maybe I'd go to school,
school :" The Jew ridiculed the
word with his hands. Il know Already
men could be professors, undt dey got
noting. I go by school not more as
two weeks for mine life. undt look at
me-"
The Pearlhunter did look at him
hard-faced, red-nosed, yellowish teeth,
potty protuberance swung to the
front OF his waistline. 1t looked like
two weeks wasted.
'Why you don't buy timber? You
can shoot it dis waterfall into a f1ume
undt run a mill vet"
The Pearlhunter made no answer
The little jew talked on.
You can buy it DE Flatwoods a.
ready yet If you handle right your
money" He walked back around the
end of the cabin. The. PearIhunter
followed. we'll, you come long ven
you get ready, hain'dt it?''
He went on down the slope, through
| the bushes toward his slxiff the PEARL
hunter turned in at the cabin door.
Alone at last. he did the very thing
that nine men out of ten would have
done; took the draft out of his pocket
and fingered it over-the concrete and
tangible evidence of a great day won.
He had seen it born at midnight; had
seen it drive in through the gates of
dawn-and now it was forever his. He
spelled out the magic words: Five
thousand, wayy line, no hundredths,
dollars. He said each bold figure over
to himself. Slowly face grew alive
among the words and figures; a face
framed in yellow hair; eyes that
laughed. They had laughed for him.
he had made them laugh. The draft
would make them laugh again. And
tomorrow she should send for that sur
geon.
The sound of grooming came in at
the cabin door from the bushes down
the hill. The face was gone from the
draft. He thrust it back in his pocket
y
first thought was that the little Jew,
none too sure-footed among the rocks,
had stumbled and hurt himself.
The groan came again. He sprang
into the bushes. The Jew had hurt
himself A look so wild and terrible
the Pearlhunter had never seen upon
the face of u man. He had fallen upon
his back, with one arm cramped under
him. The other arm was free, but he
seemed unable to rise. With his free
hand he was clawing desperately at
his bosom, and the fingers of the hand
were mussed with blood.
The PearIhunter leaped down the
hill and bent over him. 1t was then
he saw what the bloody hand was
clawing at-the handle IF knife, hilt
deep in his breast. The Pearlhunter
raised him. and the other hand came
free. 1t clutched a bit of cloth of fam
ing red-a red mask.
The Jew opened his eyes, recognized
the man bearing him up.
DOT timber buyer" he gasped out of
his flooded chest. He choke mel
tear off de mask-he shtick me-" The
stricken Jew dropped the mask and
beat the pocket of his vest. ''Himmel
De pearl! De Blue Moon ~ His eyes
grew vacant; f1ared up again. milne
Colt! Rachel! Rachel -
His mouth quivered open so wide
that his beard rumpled upon his breast.
and the blood welled out over his chin.
His eyes bulged; the smeared fingers
ceased clawing at the knife; he gasped
twice; and dropped back-dead
The Pearlhunter picked up the bit
of scarlet cloth that had fallen from
the dead mans hand. 1t is surprising
how fast man can think when he has
TO. The mystery of the arm thrust in
at the cabin door across the moonlight
cleared. The finding of a red mask be-
side the body would identify the muir
derer to any man in the Wabash coun-
try: the finding of another, upon
search of the cabin, would be deemed
sufficient proof that the tenant of the
cabin was the murderer. i
But why had the bandit planned to
lay the theft of the jewel on him? 1t |
was not his way. He took his toll at
the pistols point and gaIloped away. |
Why had he changed his methods now?
He had laid his plans well, though |
they hadn't worked out quite as he ex-
.pected The killing of Louie Solomon |
had been an accident, forced on him by |
the fact that the little, Jew. in his /
struggles, had CHANGED to claw the /
mask off and had recognized him. 9th
erwise he would have merely choked /
him into Inconsistencies, taken the
pearl and left the mask behind to COM
plete the tangle he was weaving
around another man. He had probably
intended taking the pearl some time
that night, leaving his mask behind,
and aftegward. when the hue and cry
was raised. suggest search Of the
cabin. His chance had come sooner
than he had expected. OF course, he
could not have foreseen that the man
he wished to fix the crime upon would
De the first to find the body.
It was not lost on the Pearlhunter
that he had undoubtedly crowded the
murderer close. else why had he left
the knife? But why all these elaborate
plans against him7 Was IL some an
cient grudge he bore his blood? Did
he wish somebody TO die In his place