Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-05-31
sxxors1s.

The Pear Hunter, a young man near
ing his 2lst birthday, and his mother,
river.
AS the story opens. she is precariously
~, and evidently believing the end to be
near, she tells her son OF the tragedy
that has Swallowed her life. When q
young girl she lived in the house of a
Wealtny sreat-uncie, and she a two
love. she married. and the other. who
later proved to be a %scoundrel, marrying
her cousin. In a year, a son. tthe Pearl
Hunter) is born, and shortly afterward.
the former sutton, married to her cousin.
returns TO- her home one night. to tell
her that h4 still is in love with her. The
husband Of the lion Gray woman enters
declarations. and permitting no explana-
ton Of the Gene, he believes his wife to
be carrying on an affair with her former
lover.
During the night following, the Iron
Gray woman leaves her home, taking
with her the baby. She is unconscious
for some time, and awakes to find that
kindly family Of pearl.hunters. For
nearly p years they have lived on house
boats, the woman maintaining silence
until this time as TO the reason for their
suffers a relapse after the recital of
her story. and while the Pearl-hunter is
gathering curative herbs to prepare for
uSl, IG hears d feminine voice Singing,
and discovers a beautiful girl, who dis
appears into the wood when she finds
that she Is observed.
The Pearl Hunter moves his fother to
Q vacant cabin on the shore. thinking to
benefit her health, and during their first
evening there. a strange man entered,
and resents their presence in the cabin,
The Iron Gray woman recognizes the
man as a former lover who has been the
cause Of her unhappiness. and he leaves
hurriedly, unintentionally leaving behind
him a red mask.
Within a day or two the Pearl Hunter,
while fishing with "the boss" (his com.
panion and guide for many years. has
the good fortune to discover an immense
CHAPTER v.-(Continued.)
Il never seed a one b'fore," cried
the oldest "clammer" present, "but 1
knowed hit were - Blue Moon tn
minute 1 lamped tn she'll"
Huh" snorted another. "Who
wouldn't "a knowed a Blue Moon! I
never seed one b'fore, neither, but
once't. Tht wus tn one they h'isted
down blow Vincennes."
h pearl, passing from hand to
nand, 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.
II seed that'n they h'isted down
blow Vincennes in 81, too," he OBJ
served ~meditatively, glancing around
at the others. ALSO that'n the In
jun picked up in tn Wisconsin in Al.
But neither n wus a patchin' t. this.
to the young man. you shorely air
lucky! You've found y'ur pearl-an'
a fortune it were!"
Then it's you that's lucky" was
the slow answer. Its not mine"
Had. the others not been too excit-
ed, they might have noticed that his
lips were drawn: his voice strained.
The1grizzled old river Boss gripped
his calloused hand shut upon the
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
Iputed. But the expression passed.
He threw back his head and laughed:
raucously; as il to scare away some
specter hat had just faced. him. He
thrust the pearl back into the young
mans hand as though half afraid OF
Say" he growled, what do you
think 1 ann"
ut vas taken from your boat. in
waters you expected to fish tomorrow.
You'd have 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, I'll be damn'd!" he chuckled
good-naturedly to himself, still study.
ing the other from under the edges of
his eyes. Say" he continued, look
ing up frankly, 81 hain't got a iern
bit more claim to it than I got to the
Bank of Ingland. If you fancy l have
got claims. I hereby gives an on
veys EN- t. yoa-an' if that hain't
good law, it's square dealin' b'twixt
man an man; an that's bettern law
any day"
you mean it," .
The younger man fingered the
pearl as if it had suddenly assumed a
new value.
IF you wan t insult me, jist let on
like y'u think I don't"
Hero-worshiRers all. after. the
manner of their kind, the other pearl
fishers, as if by common impulse,