The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1920-09-04

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whose haste had been great-doubt.
less by his mother. 1t hurt him to re-
call the cause of that haste. The
bloodstnined glove she had held In her
hand lay uppermost. probably tossed
there by one Of the river men.
TITS time to know what's In this
trunk" -
A certain tenseness in his voice es-
capped the Boss.
~ Don't y'u?"
"Tve never seen inside OF II before"
The Boss was In the act Of scraping
his match. He stopped; looked
around out Of the tail Of his eye. but
whatever his thoughts. he made no
comment.
"F1rst Of all. here's this glove" the
young man went on. lifting the glove
from the trunk. "You know where
we-saw It first"
The Boss threw away the stub Of
his match md felt the time stained
and mildewed article.
"West Point" he muttered. Hits
tn kind them sprigs wears--oflicer's.
I'd say. offhand."
The other stood considering II; laid
u aside; and lifted the next article
from the trunk. II proved TO be a
woman's dress Of rich brocade. Little
as the two men knew OF such matters,
II impressed even them as being Of
the very finest material and OF fin.
ished Workmanship. Under It lay
other articles OF woman's wear, all
equally rich, though now yellow with
the stain Of time. Down beneath
everything else lay small box which
the Boss, from an experience which
befell him as soldier In the far
South. knew to be satinwood.
The young man stood with II In his
hand, afraid to raise the lid--afraid
to put It to the test. SO far. the trunk
had given mp nothing. He was still
nameless. What II this. too. should
prove a blank?
At last the Pearlhunter raised the
lid--some baby clothes, clean and
neatly folded; plain gold ring
wrapped In handkerchief Of the
finest cambria; and, under all, a pic
ture-what the lron-Gray-Woman
must have been In her girlhood. lie
snatched 1t up, carried II to the light
OF the door and looked long upon It.
After time he came back to the
trunk. The satinwood box was the
last article In 1t. and 1t had told him
nothing. He laid the picture in It. re-
placed the baby clothes and ring,
closed the box and put II back. He
even took sort Of melancholy salts
faction In replacing with studied
neatness, the glove. the dress and
other articles. after which he closed
the lid, locked 1t, pocketed the key,
and turning to the window, stood star.
Ing out over the river.
He was still man without name.
The Boss stepped back from the
door.
"The Blue Moon" he said. "Hit
orta be putt away SAFE"
AS II the statement recalled
thoughts that had strayed far. the
young man reached In his pocket and
drew forth the pearl, still. rolled In the
bit Of cloth.
The two days Of ripening and the
chafe of the cloth had greatly en-.
HANGED Its hrllliance. Quietly rolling
the pearl up In the cloth again, he left
the cabin and, followed by the Boss,
strobe down the slope through the
trees to the boat, and together they
rowed away toward the village.
The fame of the Pearlhunter had
preceded him. As he came up from
the wharf into the town. the Mud
Hen, the -one saloon Of the place, dis.
gorged a staggering, swearing popu.
latlon that gathered round him. The
Boss crew, camped half mile below
Fallen Rock, and the crew OF Bull
Masterson. camped three miles above,
were both there. Besides these, the
Obenchaln, a small steamer plying be.
tween the ports of the Wabash, had
come In that morning, bringing other
river men.
Caught in the swirl OF the crowd.
the Pearlhunter ana his companion
were swept into the Mud Hen. A hun
dred voices clamored to have the pearl
laid upon the bar where all could file
by and see 1t. There fell few min
utes OF comparative quiet while the
hungry eyes Of the river men were de-
vourlng II. Then followed drinks all
round-at the expense OF the finder;
and-what followed is not a pleasant
task to describe.
The Pearlhunter. remembering that
mound Of fresh earth at Fallen Rock.
kept his head and drank but little.
The Boss, on the other hand, "cut tn
dog loose" as the river men say. BY
noon he WAS singing snatches OF half,
forgotten songs and fighting the In.
dian wars all over again. Coming up
10 where his young friend leaned
against the bar In easy reach OF the
pearl still lying upon its bit OF cloth
he threw an arm about his neck and
leant hard upon him, something he
couldn't have been hired 10 do when