The Lamar register., 1920-12-08

can make ONE
II advise YOU to-
He laid the revolver on the stand
and turned back 10 her. The time mao
come 10 90. and rf'ey both knew II.
For n while tliey sT"'d silent. once
his hand reached toward her, but he
drew 1t back.
"Wili you hc ready to raise the
blind when blow qua rhe candle?' he
said NJ last
She Went To- the window and the
next moment the room was In dark
ness
Two flutiering Spots of white In the
gloom rolled up rhe blind. found the
strings thar held il and whipped them
into knot Then the girl stepped
back The man crawied through the
window-with exirem. care not to
scar the ground outside
II is past all knnwing how her hands
happened tu get into his. He bent his
head and laid his face upon them:
suffered them to slip nui of his fingers
at last and turned away.
He was gone on the insInnt--gone
as shadow gors--never knowing
that for long aud long rhe dull window
framed "a white face listening for
some sound Of him 10 come back Out
Of the night.
The woodcraft Of the Pearlbunter
was profound. Il was about all life
had taught him, but II had taught him
that. with tn. logical precision of q
schooimaster passing from one siep ot
a problem TO another II led him
straight 10 the trail Of rhe man he had
been following shori time before
which. of course. took him In the di.
rection of Fallen Rock. The man he
followed had doubtless gone back TO
the village by this time. This prob
ability he had already estimated ami
set down in his reckoning al It's
proper value. BUT he had another pur-
pose In turning his steps toward Fall
en Rock. He was deliberately going
back to the cabin.
With every caution to leave no trail.
he picked his way through the wood
to the edge of the bluffs, stole over
and down toward the cabin. The first
glance al the black bulk Of II, squat
ted In the deep gloom under the up
standing rocks. brought him to in
stant pause. There was a light with
In. He crouched down in the bushes
TO consider what this unexpected cir
cumstance meant before venturins an
other step.
No sound came from the cabin. The
night was Intensely still Not an oar
stirred the river. The waterfall alone
fretted the silence. The Pearlhunter
fiattened himself In the weeds and
bushes and foot by foot worked his
way until he was able at last to bring
his face level with the tiny opening.
n tolerably clear view OF the Interior
of the cabin. He barely restrained a
cry at what he saw.
STOPPED over the small, hair-covered
trunk. his hat OF. stood the Red Mask.
He had pried open the lid and had
laid the contents of the trunk out
with seeming care In rather neat
heaps upon the floor. In his hand he
held the picture OF the Iron-Gray-
Woman
The Pearihunters gorge rose at see
ing his mothers picture in such hands.
and his breast burned TO dash into the
cabin and settle his score with the
sacrilegious wretch once and for all.
But II was not his to do as he pleased
that night His activities for the mo
ment were limited TO keeping his eye
fast to the chlpk.
The man by the trunk straightened,
carried the picture to the candle and
stood looking long upon 1t. He laid II
to his lips. again and again, as II he
would drink up the beautiful face
from the card. He pressed the picture
TO his bosom; held II again to the
candle and whispered to 1t In tones
that did not carry to the ear OF the
amazed listener. He strobe up and
down the room; and there was on his
face look that no man had probably
ever seen there before. and probably
would never see again.
After long moments he reused him
self. unbuttoned his vest. and put the