The Holbrook news., 1921-01-21
6be Blue Moon
cA Tale of the Flatwoods

the Warbritton lands, and enters the woods. The girl took this path. She was in the act of climbing the fence low. and broken where the path crossed it-when, with a prodigious step or two, the man following caught up with her and took hold of the basket
 Allow me to assist you," he said
 The Pearlhunter, from where he had darted behind clump of hazel growing rank along the side of the road. could just distinguish the words
 Without answering, the girl sprang to the ground on the opposite side of the fence, but without letting go of the basket. Neither did the other let go. Placing his disengaged hand upon the top rail of the fence, he vaulted lightly over. The .Pearlhun- ter seized the favorable instant to steal nearer. The supbOnnet hid the girls face so that he could not see 1t, but he fancied the plump brown hand on the basket handle was trembling. The smile on the face of the man clinging persistently to the other side of the basket meant things that smile has no business to mean.
 "Why do you always avoid mel" His voice was low, soft, musical-too musical. "Sureiy it's no crime for man to admire pretty girl. The cat may look at the queen,' you know"
 He laughed Something altogether different from mirth in that laugh something altogether different from mirth behind it. The girl made no reply-if the heaving of her bosom gave any index to her feelings, she probably could not reply. She did not even raise her eyes.
 "You ignore me there in the vil- lage," he pursued. "But out here in the woods-well, it's out here in the woods You've got to HIT"
 The exclamation was surprised out of him. The girl had suddenly dropped her side of the basket and whirled. But quick as she was, he was quicker. AS the basket clattered to the ground he seized her arm. There followed some muttered words, and smothered cry that the Pearl hunter was too busy just then to un- derstand
 The girl was still struggling, her as- sailant muttering, and trying to de- tain her without too great show of violence, when a grim face scowled up from behind the fence, a long arm shot over, the fingers of a callOused bopd fIrIStad 4homcoIUac into tha pOl- lar of the assailant and slammed him back against the rail with a force that took the breath out of him in a grunt Nor was that all. The same long arm dragged him backward over the fenfe and chucked him head first down into the path on the other side. where for a moment he lay half stunned, gasp ing for the breath that had as good as gone. and gazing half foolishly up at the man who stood over him.
 But 1t was only for a moment. With face like the flames of hell he sprang up. The body of the Pearl hunter crouehed; frightened.
 There Is just one thing to expect In such situation; but the expected failed to happen. For the second time that day the Man-in-the-Fancy-Vest treated the Pearlhunter to a very genuine surprise. The flame of anger in his eyes slowly changed to a naughty contempt, infinitely ranking. He turned. and, without backward glance. stalked down the road to- ward the 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 hand2 Was he biding his