The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-03-04

rather more pf0temtlOu6 tn0n was
common in the woods. There were
three wings, extending at right an
giles from a common center, making
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 1t over.
It was an awkward moment Ills
eyes Travelled past her to the tiny
garden. He noticed that the fence
around 1t was sagged and broken. The
garden, however, appeared to be clean
and well-kept. Aside from this-and
the flowers-the place showed a very
sad lack of care s~
The underbrush along the blu1s
trembled slightly, but enough to at
tract the woodsman's eyes. Noiseless-
ly the swaying bushes parted-as
noiseless as the unfolding Of flower
and in the narrow opening, framed
by its border Of quaking leaves, there
grew a face-sad and vacant, with
pitiful eyes; Enthusiastically, 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 when he looked
again at the bushes. the face was
gone.
C tS 90 od unhkar-
brush, glimpse of 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 stay?
you have a 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-afraid?"
II haven't been till-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
a service-the age-old service of man
to woman. wont you come up to
the house?"
The Pearihunter little knew how
that simple Invitation honored him.
No other man had ever received 1t.
"Td like to-"
He said 1t so seriously that the girl
laughed.
Carrying the light basket between
them they walked up what might be
called, for want of better word to
name it, the front yard. There was
not the least necessity that two hands
should be laid TO that one light basket
1t 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 filed
up the dimples.
Mr-Pearlhunter-"
The slow eyes of the 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 dimpIes 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 doorstep
| in seven years." Her voice fell very
low. "You must not be surprised af
what you see."
| From behind the closed door of the
cabin came groan--not of physical
pain. but one that seemed to nmtter
up out of wracked soul. The girl
dropped her side Of the basket handle
Daddy" she cried; and dashed the
door open.
The Pearlhunter was hard mar
to jar out OF his habituaI calm. but
the sight that met him as he followet
her across the doorstep struck him
rigid and staring
A huge iron gray shell of ma,
rose slowly in the shadow the late af
ternoon cast over the room. IN,
light that fell In at the open dool
brought out the pathetic, nervou,
culver of his face, the solemn yacanc,
Of his pitiful eyes, Itawas the wilt
Man. W
The girl ran to him and put he
arms about his shoulders. He SCENE,
not to feel her touch. Slowly an;
noiselessIy he approached the Pearl
hunte-. A leaf couldn't have drifte,
across the floor more silently, o
more involuntarily. Some extraneou
force seemed to drive him.
The girl clung TO him and tried t
coax him. even drag him, back int
his chair. He seemed to be utterI
unaware of her weight. There was
knife in his hand. His hollow eye
never left the Pearlhunter's face.
. With all the girls assurance tina
he was harmless, that there was II
danger, 1t took all the Pearihunter'
resolution to abide the coming of tha
, | gaunt apparltion- His breath cam
|; | fast. He set the basket down on tn