The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-01-22

1t was no time to sleep.
The girl, busy with the dishes, heard
the couch creak. and pitied him in his
restless pain.
'Wild Rose!"
She almost dropped the cup she was
wiping. That call was not inspired by
pain. No pain In the world could have
wrung 1t from him. She hurried back
into the room. He had risen and was
standing near a window, look on his
face that made her half afraid Of him,
his eyes like a blade half drawn. He
had heard a step. How he heard It
sensed it-only the hunted know.
The girl sprang to his side, her eyes
followed the motion Of his hand, ana
her lips turned white. A nao was COM
ing up the peth-the man both dread
I'd most to see.
Handsome, jaunty, debonair, smooth
faced except for the aggressive mus
taehe slightly shot with gray, the no
torious bandit swung along up the
walk. The Pearlhunter stood crouched
| forward. His hand dropped to his nip,
closed over the butt Of the revolver,
then slowly Enclosed. He was taxing
his arm out Of the sling when the girl
| caught him, shook him, dragged MIN
back.
"Ouick!" she cried, pushing him
across the floor, my rooml BEHIND
the curtains!"
At the door he hung back, his head
still over his shoulder.
II reckon must hidei' he muttered,
still glaring back toward the window.
"But not there! The Kitchen"
"No. my room. It's safest"
She pushed him behind the curtains.
esBut IL he comes fn!"
"He won't!"
He caught a glimpse of her-white.
hard as the face Of the hills, and the
blue in her eyes like bright steel
touched with fame.
A quick glance at the tiny slit be-
| tween the curtains behind which she
knew the Pearlhunter was standing,
very positive and vigorous shake OF
her finger that said palmer than words
to stay there; and she rose and walked
with a firm step to the door. A mar
row inch she opened 1t and with her
left hand held it SO, with her right
shoulder propped against it in such a
way that her right side and arm were
concealed.
The man on the outside. of the door
drew back a step, and, with a sweep
ing bow-too sweeping, even for the
Flatwoods-his hat came of and his
handsome face put on its most affabie
, smile.
"And how is my wood fairy this aft
ernoon?
The girl made no reply. Her face
: framed in the narrow opening, changed
!: not shade.
, Nothing so disconcerts man as q
/. have his advances met with silence
Some Of the lines and wrinkles tina
die duty for. the smile left the bolt
face of the renegade.
! at was so very lonesome in the VII
!. lage, with the men all hunting tina
: >Sdesperado. that j thought I'd walk GU
: and spend the afternoon with you, ant
talk over with you some very charm
ing plans l have formed. You nav
what / believe to be wonderful voice
! While, to my great regret, you nav
" never sung for me, yet, as nav
I passed back and forth through tn
| woods in my business of looking u
| timber options, have sometime
heard you sing. You undoubtedly nav
| great voice. Now, am rich, wit
/ no one to spend my money on. Wns
| better could I do with it than give
| the world a great singer? If you WI
20 with me, you shall have the De
| training the world affords"
>lI He put one foot up on the door-ste
r his face beaming-if such face ca
II beam. Tho Pearlhunter stihened
Il his place behind the curtain. Tho q
VI never changed hairs breadth IN q
N narrow opening between the cheek
n the door and the jamb. Her cold
III lence was apparently too much ev'
| | for the bold man that faced her.
II AREN'T you going to invite me IN
II .sMy father is away this afternos
II 1 can not invite you In"
n It was the first word she had spo
Il en-a word cold and hard enoug
but the braxen intruder seemed to ia
encouragement from 1t.
'sThen permit me to invite mysei
He advanced step, laid his hand
the door. pushed lightly. The narr'
slit between cheek and jamb widen
{ not hair.
n The passions Of Prussian mol
" were behind that face outside. II
began to break through its thin
neer Of pcliteness. He put his hat ba
:. On, but still kept his hand on
door,
vou II might choose to come In"
The girl made no answer; nett
) 4 did she suffer the door to yield.
ne. last vestige Of the smile left the ma
,elf face
sit Il might demand to come in"-soI
ing thing clese kin to q snarl slipped
his voace-ssto search this cabin
the that notorious desperado, the
Iket Mask, the murderer OF Louie =
the mon"