The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-16

ooi the trees as II 1t found its task
OF gathering the waters from this
part OF the Flatwoods, pitching them
over the fills and down the slope into
the river, task to be laughed about
ana chuckled over every inch of the
way. Redwood and ironwood brushed
their slim and plant boughs over its
surface. The rocks carded it into
skeins of spun silver. Sunshine and
shadow checkered it's surface into the
likeness of Highland shepherds
plaid.
But even reckless little woodland
streams can not go on being tossed
ana tumbled always There must
come to all things moments of relax
alton Such moments came to Wolf
Run where it gathered itself into an
occasional pool and there snatched it's
delicious little wink of rest.
1t was upon the gravelly margin of
such a pool that the Pearlhunter
stopped to wash the elecampane roots,
and cut them loose from the clusters
IN winch he had been carrying them.
He had finished the task and was
storing them away in the pockets of
ms blouse when the song of a thrush
from somewhere up the stream grad
ually worked itself across his con-
seriousness. He had been listening for
some time before waking to the fact
tnat ne was listening. He had risen
and taken off his hat to thrust back
riot OF crisp brown hair, when the
song first took hold of MIN. The sun,
slttlns through the still twigs, picked
out every line of his face-a good
face; bold, clean cut; a mans face.
The song puzzled him. There were
notes-certain little foreign flights; a
deeper wltchery-that he could not
have believed possible to a thrush's
throat. The Pearlhunter had a nice
ear for the sounds of the woods. Re
placing his hat, he stole cautiously
up the bank. The sound, when he
had drawn quite near, did not appear
to come from any tree, but from some
place down close to the water of an
other pool-some spot just ahead
where the water stopped to rest.
Parting the bushes with the utmost
caution, he crept up to the edge Of
the pool and peered forth. A woman
"a girl-sat on a flat rock jutting out
from the opposite bank, her bare feet
swinging in the water her body bent
slightly back ard propped on her
hands, her face uptilted, her puckered
lips pnoring forth the song that had
drawn him to the spot A sunbonnet
lay upon the rock beside half and
armful of wild roses.
A twig flipped back into place as
the Pearlhunter strained his face a
little closer. The song stopped the
girl whirled her eyes toward the
swaying twig. The man flattened
and held his breath.
But the woodland song was done.
She slid back on the rock and reached
for her shoes and stockings. Such
feet! The rough shoes she picked up
dishonored them. 1t would be giving
the Pearlhunter uncertain praise to
say he didn't look. Besides, it would
not be true. He did look. It is but
simple justice. to him to state, also,
that after one glance-a glance he
could not more help than the branch
could help flowing-he dragged his
eyes away and held them away till
he heard the girl scramble to her feet
on the rock. AS she gathered up her
armload of wild roses he had leisure
to observe her.
With the mass of color close to her
face, it was hard to tell the one from
from the other-the flowers from the
lace, "neTS the roses leIC OH ana the
face began. Her hair hung loose, soft
and wavy-the kind of hair a roguish
shaft of morning sun can change to
gold; lips like the song moment ago
upon them; eyes like the little patch
of sky at the bottom OF the pool
eyes that opened wide; that had
nothing to conceal.
She was turning to spring to the
bank when the Pearlhunter rose and
quietly stepped through the bushes.
She whirled; and the two stood star
ing at each other across the pool.
The flowers stra ggled from her arms
and dringled down upon the rocks.
The Pearlhunter's eyes were the
first to fall. Dragging off his bat
tered hat, half awkwardly, he bowed
his head and strove for a word to
justify his intrusion. But he was slow
of speech. Words came hard to him.
After time, his eyes travelled back
across the pool; past the patch of sky
at the bottom; up the side of the rock
where her feet had dangled.
The rock was bare. The girl had
gone.
(To Be Continued.)