Cleveland County herald., 1921-01-20

of froth and blood; he stiffened; his face frightened horribly; he fell heavy against the arms of the sheriff-dead.
 The girl turned away from the grue- some sight, stole half faltering glance at the bewildered face of the Pearlhunter, threw herself down by the side of the couch and bowed her face upon the old mans bosom.
 "Unsay it, Daddyl Oh, Daddy, un- say it!"
 He softly stroked her hair with his great, gaunt hand.
 Its the truth, Dotty, and can't be unsaid. But you owe him no respect a parent only, never a father. He de- serted you, and killed your mother iq ways unspeakable killed her-a woman of the high blood of the Dawns." He fumbled the picture up off his breast, held 1t before his face a moment, laid it back. God" he groaned. ''The ruin he wrought! For years I searched for her"-he spoke the name in reverence, land you, my son."
 His hand found its way back into the Pearlhunter's; his eyes strained hard toward the face bending over him.
 They seemed hungry to know many things-the twenty years of wander ing; the death of the woman of the | picture; how the young man came to be just there; of his wounded arm. But with the steady courage of sol dier who knew the end was near, he put them by, and dropped his eyes to the girls hair.
 "Your grandfather, Dotty, old God frey Dawn, cast your mother off when she married Martin Redmond. Alone, and dying in poverty and want, she sent for me at last" The girl was crying softly. He stopped, put his arm about her and drew her close. 'I had the privilege-and honor-of mak- ing her last hours less terrible. She died without-seeng you. You were three years old when I gave up the search, left everything in the hands | of my good friend, Judge Eskridge and came up here to lose myself in these vast woods along the Wabash, a present from General Jackson"
 His eyes closed wearily. He lay so still, and the pallor on his face was so ghastly that the Pearlhunter bent anXiously over him. But the heavy lids presently unclosed; the voice. l queer and hoarse from long disuse and noticeably growing weaker, fal- tered on.
 "Seven years It seems only this morning he shot mel And yet, it couldn't be, or Dotty wouldn't be the 1 wonderful woman she has become, nor l you, my son, the man you are-the man 1 was when l led Jackson's rangers. Hesper Dawn Red" the quavering voice hestated NO, no, let that name perish with his who disgraced it. The judge knows. Hesper Dawn :; | David Wulf Warbritton. Both of the high blood of the Dawns; your moth CTS both named Hesper Dawn, distant cousins, both the same name, and both of the same high blood. Neither need you be ashamed, my son, of your name | of Warbritton. It has been more or less on the tongues of men since the brave days of Saxon Harold Share your estate with Dotty. It is in the will that you do so, and there's ample for you both. The judge will know" | The Pearlhunter was on the point | of mentioning the letter-the death | of the girls grandfather his relenting his will. But the faltering voice left him no opening.
 l My son, you are man grown, but you will not deny your father the | heart hunger of twenty bitter years." | His voice was fast failing; his eyes | strained hard to find the Pearlhunter's | face, though he was bending low over | him. The young man read the mean 1 ing, the twenty years of longing, in | the straining eyes. He knelt down and | laid his face against the old mans cheek. An arm stole about his neck and held him close.
 long time the old man lay still, his right arm around the girl kneeling | at one side of the couch, his left arm around the man at the other So still. so motionless he lay that the deep silence became burdened with a heavy fear The sheriff at the foot of the couch bent forward. The Pearlhunter turned his face. looked and bowed his head The girl raised her eyes, gazed intently at the placid features, threw herself across the motionless body and wept aloud.
 The graceful musician, the intrepid soldier-waS dead.
 CHAPTER XIV.