The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-10-30

A thought Swallowed his face-the
old thought that always brought the
cloud. His eyes narrowed; the lines
of his mouth drew tense. Drawing
the stems of the three roses through
a buttonhole in his blouse, he stroue
away down the branch back to Falleh
Rock.
; The languid eyes Of the 1ron-Gray-
Woman turned toward him as ne
sprang In over the saving gangplahh'
pushed aside the rumpled curtain, ana
entered the tiny cabin OF the mousse
boat. There was not so much fire IN
the eyes. The fever was going down
with the sun. The thought his re-
turning step had brought came out In
her first words.
"They who own the old cabin might
not like US to move in"
"They can only make us move out
again." was his CHEEKY answer. "Ahd'
mother, you never saw such vie"
as you get from up there. And you
can drink right out of the spring"
Something came to the face OF the
Iron-Gray- Woman that had long been
stranger there. Not smile-a mp
pie, like the swath a chance breeze
ruffles across still water.
"But you can't carry everything"
Everything. And the first load
shall be YOU"
"Mew
at would set you coughing to CLIMB
the slope"
The woman dropped her eyes, After
all, weakness is not pleasant fact 10
face. The loss of power, the inability
to do accustomed things, always
comes as a shock Life had brought
to the Iron Gray-Woman little enough
j-pitifully little enough. But though
life be ever so bare and gray, no one
likes to sit helpless and watch 1t 60.
HAPPY the young man sensed moth
ing Of this, but was already busy
gathering together such of their
meager stock Of household goods as 1t
would be absolutely necessary to
carry up to the cabin under the Gill
If the coming night was to be spent
| ashore.
Nothing remained but the actual
going ashore. His mother came first,
as he had said. While packing, he
had planned to help her up the hill TO
the spring and leave her there while
he swept the old cabin, aired 1t out
put ND the cook stove, and otherwise
made the place as sweet and inviting
as possible for her occupancy.
Just before passing through the
rumpled curtain Of the houseboat she
stopped and gazed over the tiny cabin
| "Just one look before CO." she
said.
He was astonished at the wistful'
ness in her tones.
"why, mother, you can come back
any minute"
at has been my home for twenty
| years." she said as she turned away
her tone more the voicing of refiec
ton than the statement Of fact.
Across the gangplank and up the
| slope among the trees he led her
| carried HEREWITH all the tenderness
due from a man to his mother; fol
the Iron-Gray-Woman had the man
ners and speech of "lady of high
degree" and she had taught him al
she knew. He had brought along 8
| cushion. which he spread for her upor
a moss-upholstered rock. With the
spray of the waterfall in the air. witt
the cup in her hand, the cool spring
within reach. he left her and hurried
back to the houseboat.
The sun was dipping low TOWARD
the distant bend in the river wheI
the last of the moving was done. 4
purple twilight had given place tt
dark before he had the cabin put u
rights. his mother in her easy chair
and supper on the table: bass, takel
from the nets only that morning
fruit from the woods; baked pota
toes; toast, crisp and brown; and tea
which she had left her chair loni
enough to draw.
In the contented silence that oftel
falls after the evening meal, the mai
sat covertly studying her face. I'm
fever had gone. It was face almos
serene. She appeared, as he watches
her. to be listening to the sound
the waterfall floating in through tn
omen window upon the pulse OF tn
night. The move had done her gooc
He thought how beautiful she mus
have been-how beautiful still.
Her words that afternoon cam
back to him-the only word that ha
ever come to him out of the past. Th
desire to learn more grew In him, an
vet he dreaded to speak. The 1ror
; ray-Woman was not one to iavit
condolences. And yet man ought t
: know something Of the manner OF nj
coming into the world.
The cabin had settled to deep quiet
the lap of the waterfall had swelie
to full strength upon the silence
when the cabin door banged open an
a man stormed in. The Pearlhunte
| whirled up out of his chair and face
; | him.
The intruder was man OF fort,
| possibly more, lacking somewhat
, the Pearlhunter's height and massiv