The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-02

was not lost on the Pearlhunter.
''The storekeeper has been SO good
to me, and trusted me for SO many
things. I'm afraid to think how much
owe him. But he is old, and his wife
has been i'll. It mortifies me to have
to ask him for more credit, but can't
let Daddy starve. Money used to
come to us before he got-hurt. But
found out afterward that it always
came addressed simply to Box %. Not
even the postmaster knows Daddy's
name. Neither-do-I.''
Daddy's Name.
Her voice fell very low. The Pearl
hunter pitied her, for he knew what
name"
THE doctor says" she went on,
"that the bullet broke a piece of skull.
so that it presses on the brain. He
thinks great surgeon he knows might
be able to raise that little piece of
skull and make Daddy well. And that's
what hurts me worst of ail-that
can't have it DONE"
She stopped: turned her head away.
There came into the mans level eyes
look that the hard men of the river
had learned to know.
Listen" he said. You must trust
me. You must let me help you. You
already know the story of the Blue
Moon. Such a find always brings the
pearl buyers. They flock to it like vul-
lures to a carcass. They'll soon be
here-maybe tomorrow. I'll sell the
pearl and you shall send for that sur
geon,''
Like one waking from dream to
find the dream come true-she turned
slowly and raised her face to his. The
full significance of his offer, the big
generosity of it, the immense fact of
it, escaped her in the first moments.
Only mere detail of it reached her.
.1-we-couldnt ever pay you back
1t was on his tongue to say he didn't
expect to be paid back-that he didn't
want to be paid back. but a glance at
her. somehow made such an answer
impossible. The bookcase gave him
an inspiration.
you could let me read these books"
why you could do that anyway"
She looked at him in curious sur
prise Not knowing the hope that was
slowly waking in her. he misinter-
preted the look. He avoided her eyes.
His generosity had overreached his
tact Such an offer couldn't be- made
to girl in the same way it could be
made to man. Al river man in un-
familiar waters. the channel lost, his
eye roved the room in desperation. 1t
lighted finally on the cello still lean
ing against the old mans chair.
you could teach me singin' les
sons"
He said it good deal as man
might consent to a surgical operation,
with the chances dead against him.
But she was too deep in the hope his
offer was slowly bringing to life to
see the hurnor of the situation. She
was gazing down at the easy chair, in
her thought a gaunt, gray form that
had been IN that chair so long that the
days when the noble head was not
gray, the eyes not vacant were far
away in the long ago. It was hard to
bring that distant long ago back into
now.
THAT wouldn't be worth-money,"
she said at last That would just be
fun, fittings were SO l could"
The Pearlhunter picked up his hat
from the table stood fumbling it and
thinking intently. He did not know
that her thoughts were still in the long
ago. To him she was merely refusing
his offer grac.ously.
But the Pearlhunter was a hard man
to whip It went against the grain Of
him to give up till the last lick was
struck Something she had said a few
minutes before happened into his
thoughts.
when your father IS well, therell
be more money coming to Box %. He
can pay me back then himself"
He said it siowIy-like a man laying
his last card on the table, and the odds
against him.
cTo be continued tomorrow.)