The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1921-02-17

strings thar held II and whipped them
into a knot. Then the girl stepped
back. The man crawled through the
windOw-with extreme care not to
scar the ground outside.
1t Is past all knowing how her hands
happened to get into his. He bent his
head and laid his face upon them (;
suffered them to slip out of his fingers
ut last; and turned away.
He was gone on the instant-gone
as shadow gOes-never knowing
that for long and long the dull window
framed white face listening for
some sound of him to come back out
Of the night.
The wOOdcraft OF the Pearihunter
was profound. 1t was about all life
had taught him, but 1t had taught him
that. With the logical precision of q
schoOlmaster passing from one step o.
problem to another. II led him
straight to the trail Of the man he had
been following short time before
which, Of course, took him In the d.
rection Of Fallen Rock. The man he
followed had doubtless gone pack to
the village by this time. This prob
ability he had already estimated and
set down In his reckoning at It's
proper vaIue. But he had another DUR
pose in turning his steps toward fall
en- Rock. He was deliberately going
back to the cabin.
With every caution to leave no trail,
he picked his way through the woods
to the edge OF the bluffs, stole over
and down toward the cabin. The first
glance at the black bulk OF 1t, squat
ted in the deep gloom under the I'D.
standing rocks, brought him to In
slant pause. There was a light with
In. He crouched down In the bushes
to consider what this unexpected cir.
cumstance meant before venturing an.
other step.
No sound came from the cabin. The
night was intensely still. Not an OR
stirred the river. The waterfall alone
fretted the silence. The Pearlhunter
fiattened himself In the weeds and
bushes and foot by foot worked his
way until he was able at last 10 bring
his face level with the tiny opening.
With his eye close, the chint afforded
tolerably clear view Of the interior
OF the cabin. He barely restrained q
cry ut what he saw.
STOPPED over the small, hair.covercd
trunk his hat off, stood the Rcd Mask.
He had pried open the lid and had
laid the contents Of the trunk out
with seeming care In rather neat
heaps upon the floOt. In his hand he
held the picture of the Iron-Gray.
Woman
The Pearlhunter's gorge rose at see
ing his mcther's picture in such hands,
and his breast burned to dash into the
cabin and settle his score with the
sacrilegiOus wretch once and for all.
But 1t was not his to do as he pleased
that night. His activities for the m0
ment were limited 10 keeping his eye
fast to the chink.
The man by the trunk Strengthened.
carried the picture 10 the candle and
stood looking long upon it. He laid IL
to his lips. again and again, as If he
would drink up the beautiful face
from the card. He pressed the picture
to his bosom; held II again to the
candle and whispered to It in tones
that did not carry to the ear OF the
amazed listener. He strobe up and
down the room; and there was on bis
face look that no man had probably
ever seen there before, and probably
would never see again.
After long moments he reused him
self, unbuttoned his vest, and put the
picture carefully away In an inner
pocket. The watcher outside the wall
WINGED; his lips drew together In q
tense line. But there was much to be
seen just then. The man inside Ind
risen, crossed the floor, put the things
back In the trunk, closed the lid and
picked up his hat. Next moment the