The Ordway new era., 1921-02-11

WarU tne village.
The Pearlhunter stood gazing after
him. The Red Mask-and he hadn't
struck Three times affronted. and he
hadn't struck. Each time there had
been death In his eyes. What was
holding his hand? Was he biding his
time? 1t was not pleasant thing TO
contemplate. for any man can Kill
another II he waits his opportunity.
and takes him at a disadvantage.
Why hadn't he struck? Always the
question came back TO that. And
what was holding him TO the Flat
woodsf The Pearlhunter whirled win
the thought, and looked back over the
fence.
The girl was gone.
The basket and bundles were still
scattered about the path. He climbed
the fence and began gathering them
up. He had them all back in the
basket, and was leaning against the
fence, wondering how to get them to
their proper owner, when a slight
rustic among the bushes reached his
ear. He glanced up; the girl stood
before him.
II was the girl of the pool-the
Wild Rose
The woods had hid them; the woods
had nursed them; the woods had set
them face to face-the Pearlhunter;
the Wild Rose-a man; woman.
Strip away from life every nonessen-
tial: bare IT of. every husk OF sham
and convention; pare it right down
TO the red. quick core beyond which
It is not possible to reduce It further.
and you come at last TO a man and n
woman. Six million years the AL
mighty Artist practiced on such sec
ondary studies as stars and suns. and
peopling them with inconceivably d.
trusting his hand on his final master
piece-a man; woman.
They stood staring as at that other
meeting at the pool. And that was
the thought uppermost in the mind of
the Pearlhunter-that other meeting.
And he had looked. Somehow he
wished he hadn't and yet he wasn't
sorry that he had The thought drew
his eyes to her feet. Shifting the
basket. his hand slowly stole up and
dragged off his battered hat.
The blue eyes under the sunbon-
net livened. The girl drew step
nearer. The bushes she had been
bending aside sprang back into place.
She drew another step nearer. As
she moved. an overhanging limb
caught the sunbonnet and dragged It
off. displaying a. very soft and glossy
mass of yellow curls. She turned.
dlsengaged the bonnet from the limb,
and was shaking the curls into shape
to replace It when the Pearlhunter
made a quick step toward her with
hand upraised.
DON'T" ne cried. 'non't-"
A man of slow speech. with eyes
hard to wake, he wouldn't have be-
lieved such words were In him.
The girl stood fumbling the bonnet.
He watched one stray curl lose its
place and come slowly tumbling down.
little by little, till II fell >ver her
shoulder and lay upon the softly ris-
ing and falling bosom. From the curl.
he raised his ewes TO her face. He
saw a smile steal across II. Ii was
only little smile. but 1t grew under
his gaze till II reached up TO her eyes.
and pinched the lids together. and
squeezed out tiny ripple Of merri-
ment that ran out over her face and
settled in two round dimples that
teasingly uptilted the corners of her
mouth-a good. wlnsome mouth.
fringed with full red lips and set
with wholesome teeth. The smile
grew until 1t quite passed beyond her
control. She threw up her head; the
smile became laugh.
IT was the only thing that could
have broken the restraint The laugh;
the slow smile that answered it
their Introduction. She tied the bon
net strings, while he watched her fin.
gers as they formed the knot.
THAT song" he said. 'ft was the
most wonderful thing I ever heard"
The girl laughed again-a laugh like
wafer tinkling over pebbles.
'The birds are my playmates," she
answered simply. ''They fly down al;
over me. had TO learn their Ian
guage."
ilft III MbOuS.
The "earlhunter was long time
asking that question.
Not far from the pool"
And you're not afraid?"
He glanced up the road toward the
village.
"Oh. I live with Daddy" A shade
crossed her face. "Never before" she
added, as II the first statement had
not quite satisfied his question.
Daddy is not very well and l have
to go to the store. Every time I've
gone In the last few days that man
has tried to talk to me- I was fright
ened to death today when he followed
me. He never did that before I'm
so glad you happened along: and I
thank you over and overt"