Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-09-16
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER I.-Never having known his
Gather, and living with his mother on a
aouseboat on the Wabash river, 1.-THE
Pearlhunter'-the only name he has
learns from her a part Of the story of
her sad life. The recital Is interrupted by
a fearful fit Of coughing and he hurries
ashore to seek a root that affords relief.
Returning with the root, he meets a
young girl whom he mentally christens
che wild Rose" She eludes him before
he can make her acquaintance.
CHAPTER ia vacant cabin on the
shore has attracted the attention of the
ailing woman, and they move into 1t.
Their first meal is interrupted by a
stranger who resents their presence. The
youth drives the man from their home.
His presence has strangely affected the
mother. That night the youth finds with
In g. mussel the largest pearl that has
been found on the river, the Blue Moon"
Returning exultant to the cabin, he dis
covers his mother dead, she having sue
cunbed while endeavoring to leave a
message revealing the secret of his par
ertage.
He snatched it from the hand of his
companion and held it under the full
Slu1C oL LIZ JuCh 1lSllI. lNcAL ulOIlcuL
he had handed it back and was driv-
ing the boat to shore, where the first
glance at the peculiar markings of the
mussel instantly threw the whole
camp into the widest excitement.
They spread down by the light Of
the fire the whitest cloth the camp af-
forded, and the Boss cut the mussel
open. One pearl, large, %lustrous,
dropped out upon the cloth and lay
twinkling up into their faces like a
fallen star. 1t passed from hand to
hand, the pearl fishers struggling with
each other for the privilege of holding
1t.
Il never seed a one b'fore," cried
the Oldest "clammer" present, but 1
knowed hit were a Blue Moon tn min
ute I lamped tn shell"
The pearl, passing from hand to
hand, had come round to the Boss
again, who, STOPPING close to the fire.
light, examined it through a small
hand lens such as most pearl fishers
carry. "Pearlhunter," he said, turning
to the young man, you shorely air
au(AS Aou VIC Jul y III pCdll~Uu
q fortune it were!"
'Then it's you that's lucky" was
the slow answer. cts not mine."
Had the others not been too excited,
they might have noticed that. his lips
were drawn; his voice strained.
The grizzled old river Boss gripped
his calloused hand shut upon the
90. 1s- oa,,- ia ra.. llo-~I
and there sprang up in his deep-set
eyes an expression not unlike the ex-
preston in the eyes Of a hawk when
title to the prey in his claws is dis
puted. But the expression passed. He
thrust the pearl back into the young
mans hand as though half afraid Of
it.
"Say," he growled, what do you
think I am"
"It was taken from your boat, in
waters you expected to fish tomorrow.
You'd nave found it anyway"
The hawkish glover left the blue
eyes Of the older man, leaving him
the frank-faced old Boss again. He
studied his young friend c%uriously.
well, LII Dt uul1iu u. ne CluCh1cu
:good-naturedly to himself, still study
ing the other from under the edges of
his eyes. "Say," he continued, look
ing up frankly, II hain't got a dern
bit more claim to it than I got to the
Bank of 1ngland. If you fancy I have
got claims, I hereby gives an conveys
'em t. you-an' if that hain't good
DOW ;%31 ~,,o Joo1;-, 1,&-x:-l
an man; an that's better'n law any
day"
"You mean it,"
The younger man fingered the pearl
as if it had suddenly assumed a new
value.
eff you wan t. insult me, jist let on
like y'u think I DON'T"
HerOawOrshipers all, after the man
ner Of their kind, the other pearl fish
ers, as if by common impulse, turned
their attention from the pearl to the
man that found it. He had become an
object of wonder and curious admira-
ton. No other achievement in the
world could possibly have so distin-
guished him in their eyes. Suddenly
one Of their number snatched off his
battered hat and yelled:
"H0oray fer tn Pearlhunterw
The bluffs caught up the cheer that
followed and flung it back in multi
piled echoes, clear and far up and
down the night-bound shore. The
Boss, still hungry for the feel Of the
jewel, reached forth a grimy finger
and meditatively stirred the pearl
where it lay in the finders palm.
"This ones rounder than them
other two. An it's got n SINNER
sheen. Course l cayn't say p'intedly,
but / putt 1t at not less'n five thou
SAM"
The Pearlhunter was restless.
There was q frail woman back in tho
cabin at Fallen Rock to whom the find
ing OF the pearl would mean more
than to anybody else in the world, 1t
would mean-the mans heart warmed