The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-23


 four rooms. in all. three along the front. with another. probably the kitchen, extending back from the cen tral room.
 Where the path left the stream to turn toward the door the girl paused and held out her hand for the basket. Slowly the Pearlhunter passed it over. It was an awkward moment. Ills eyes travelled past her to the tiny garden. He noticed that the fence around it was sagged and broken. The garden, however. appeared to be clean and weil-kept. Aside from thls-and the fiowers--the place showed very sad lack of care.
 The underbrush along the blufrs trembled slightly. but enough to at tract the woodsman's eyes. Noiseless- ly the swaying bushes parted--as noiseless as the unfolding of a flower and iH the narrow opening. framed by it's border of quaking leaves. there grew face--sad and vacant. with pitiful eyes; unmistakably though he had never seen 1t before the gaunt, gray face of the Wild Man.
 The Pearlhunter glanced quickly at the girl. to find her eyes still fixed on her basket, and ewhen he looked again at the bushes. the face was gone.
 As his gaze searched the under brush, glimpse of a gray shadow fitted along under the cliff and dis. appeared behind the cabin. He couldn't leave her now--and yet. by what excuse could he stay7
 You have pretty place here," he said, probably because he couldn't think of anything else to say. "A pretty place-all so natural; the woods are hardly disturbed a bit-but aren't you--afraidT'
 T haven't been tili--today." She raised her eyes to his face The store keepers story came to her mind ;-- the grave at Fallen Rocks; the lonely , cabin to which he would have to re- turn. And he had just rendered her service-the age-old service of man to woman. Wont you come up to the house2"
 The Pearlhunter little knew how that simple invitation honored him. No other man had ever received 1t.
 'Td like to-"
 He said it so seriously that the girl laughed.
 Carrying the light basket between them they walked up what might bs called, for want of better word te name it. the front yard. There was not the least necessity that two hands should be laid to that one light basket It just happened. as do so many other pleasant things in this delightfully."- un orderly world.
 At the door she stopped and faced him. A deep seriousness had filled up the dimples.
 Mr.-Pearlhunter--"
 The slow eyes os .he man found her face. and she paused.
 You told me to leave off the Miss I'm askin' you to leave off the Mr."
 The dimples came back. but only for a moment.
 "-Pearlhunter." The name came strange to her. You will be the first man, except my father and the doc tor, that has crossed his door-steT in seven years" Her voice fell very low. You must not be surprised al what you sec"
 From behind the closed door of the cabin came a groan-not of physical pain, but one that seemed to muttei up out of wracked soul. The girl dropped her side of the basket handle
 'Daddyl" she cried: and dashed the door open.
 The Pearlhunter was a hard man to jar out of his habitual calm, but the sight that met him as he followed her across the doorstep struck him sigid and staring.
 A huge iron gray shell or a man rose slowly in the shadow the late af- ternoon cast over the room. The light that fell in at the open door brought out the pathetic, nervous culver of his face the solemn vacancy of his pitiful eyes. It was the Wild Man.
 The girl ran to him and put her arms ahent his shoulders. He seemed not to feel her touch. Slowly and noiselessly be approached the Pearl hunter. A leaf couldn't have drifted across the floor more silently, or more involuntarily. Some extraneous force seemed to drive him.
 The gtrl clung to him and tried to coax him, even drag him. back into his chair. He seemed to be utterly unaware of her weight. There was a