The state herald., 1921-01-25
CHAPTER ii-continued.

A sudden Impulse seemed to sweep
the man. Involuntnrily his hand felt
for the pistol at his hip; he whlrled
toward the door. The woman clntched
his arm. He caught the appeal in her
the tnbie.
A tense bit Of pantomime II had
been. full enough OF meaning. OF hui
man interest. to anyone able to trace
back through the years the snarled
lifethreads of the actors: the two
river waits staring down at the mask;
the hard man strlding away up the
river road.
The woman went back to her chair
and resumed her quick. nervous rock
ing.
"And so he has come to this!' she
muttered. "My poor. poor cousin
What must have been her fate!"
She leant forward and sat still and
thoughtful. her face propped In her
palm. The man stood by the table.
lingering the bit OF cloth. his eyes,
stern and severe. still i-resistibly
drawn in the direction the Intruder
had gone.
A hail came up from the houseboat.
The sudden cry half startled them
both. coming SO close as II did on the
heels Of that tense moment barely
gone.
"It's the Boss. promised to go
spearing with him tonight"
Stepping to the door. he opened II
and answered the hail: came back:
slid the tenkettle OF the fire; closed
the dnmper OF the stove; and snuffed
the candle.
"Now. mother. don't attempt to
clear away the dishes. Leave them
tIli get back. I'll only be gone lit
tie while"
The woman made no answer. The
red mask still lying upon the table
caught his eye. Rolling II up. he hid
II under n loosened chlnk In the cabin
wall. picked up his hat and started
for the door: besitated: came back to
the rocking chair.
"You won't be-afraId-r
She looked up at him In quick sur.
prise. A hnif frown clouded the ius,er
Of her eyes.
"whnt n question !"
He turned and left the cabin: closed
the door after him and strobe down
the slope to the housebont.
The men who hunted the river mus.
sci along the Wabash before the days
OF the button industry hunted II for
the pearl sometimes found lmbedded
between Its flesh and shell. Struggling
up and down the streams. often singly,
sometimes In crews. they were n shift.
less. fiery, reckless brecd-of n fenther
with the buccaneers OF other days. and
led on by the snme lure: n chance
fling ut fortune. A pearl OF great
value was sometimes found--even run.
ming well up into The Thousands. But
the chance Of fndln. such a pearl wns
small. SIN there was the chance. and
II IL surprising what u certain type
OF men will endure for snch chance.
when the same ends might be ut.
tnlned. certain md sure. by patient In.
dustry.
A grixxled old river man snt with
the nose OF his skin jammed up on the
gnvei by the bow OF the houseboat
when the PcnrlhuEter came down the
slope. The Boss they called him. the
river men, because In his long yenrs In
the industry he had managed 10
scHpc together nm "outnt" and work
4 crew Of "clammcrs'' too poor to hunt
alone. His hands were still upon the
oars. The Pearlhunter pushed the
boat of md sprang In. directing the
Boss TO row around by the stern Of the
housebont nfter the nsh spear he had
been Ming that afternoon.
See y'u've moved" the Boss oh.
served ns the skiR slipped out into the
stream.
Mothers cough" was the answer
-shc thought Il would help her TO gel
up there under the trees"
"rhat cough-it'li git nwMy with 'sr
n she hnin't kecrful. She oughta have
medicine"
~ told her 20, but she won't hav'
II"
The Boss did not pursue tho point
A wsman's will was something b.
ssver took the trouble 20 question
nAvlne rVve1 ous Int ~ eusrsns