The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-09
Obe Blue Moon A Tdle Of the HdtUOOdS
ntinued From a Previous Issue)
CHAPTER III.
BY DAVID AHnERSoa
slsIs Copyright by Bobbs-Merrill Col
d Man Without a Name,


 |x way from spring and waterfall to ! 2Io river; June In the heart of a car 1. i|1nal rocking upon the top twig of x11 hickory; December in the heart sW the Pearlhunter.
 Halfway down the slope, beyond < <<e tangled underbrush and in the &tee of the grass-covered open strip {.at bordered the river shore, the 4zeen was broken by a mound of fresh &xth. He had trimmed 1t round with <eals brought up from the river;
 ppB the head had planted a cluster
 orchids, the lady's-sllpper of the <<etwoods. They were like her, the nrAids-a lonely flower; one to a
 r6e stretch of solitude. Nobody but 1e could have found so many, because u5b1dy krew the woods so we'll. As he looked back over the years, 1e found himself pondering the con
 adictions of his mothers life, in the
 M of the story he had heard that nemorable afternooD--the refinement ii the midst of mean surroundings, Xe stern pride that had held her so \ 11ng in exile because of word that tad. mayhap. been long repented. The muck and grime of the river had nerer smudged her. Through it all 6he had kept as pure, as white. as f|lske of snow--and as cold.
 HsNhat air y'u calc'latin' t do with f6em wild roses here in tn tumbler in <He winder-keep 'em r chuck 'em 6ut7 I cavn't find but one more fumbler."
 The voice of the old Boss half 1lmrtled the man on the doorstep. The Eruff old fellow had never left him. 1Ight or day.
 The Pearihunter had forgotten him, <ke rumpled house, the dishes. every 1kIng. He lifted his face from his 1ands, rose, and entered the cabin. Ehe Boss was pointing to three wild Ibses-a red, a pink. white-in tombier of water in the window.
 The vision the Pearlhunter had seen n the rock at the pool came again I vision--it had been just that. only Dat an exquisite picture flashed be- Ore his face and instantly snatched &way--a picture he would never see erain. It seemed unreal as he looked back upon 1t in the light of another hay But no. there were the roses. He bent his face down and caught the a-oma of their breath.
 Let them be-" he said. "They will I6st another day"
 The Boss made no reply. To him fhey were merely faded roses. He was eitang on the doorstep about to light bis pipe when the younger man called bim. With the freshly filled pipe in ene hand, the unlighted match in the other, he rose and stepped back into the cabin. The Pearlhunter was 6tanding before small Undiscovered frunk, scarcely bigger than m ordi- nary suitcase of the present day. It stood open. with the lid thrown back. knactly as 1t had stood two nights be lore when he came up from the river and found his mother dying. Its con tents seemed to indicate that they had been rummaged through by some one whose haste had been great--doubt- less by his mother. It hurt him to re- Call the cause of that haste. The bloodstained glove she had held in her band lay uppermost, probably tossed Where by one of the river men.
 Its time to know what's. in this trunk"
 A certain tenseness fin his voice es- faped the Boss.
 Don't y'u?"
 I've never seen inside of it before" # The Ross was in the act of scraping bis match. He stopped: locked around out of the tall of his eye, but whatever his thoughts, he made no Comment.
 First of all, here's this glove" the soung man went on, lifting the glove From the trunk. You know where we-saw 1t first"
 Xhis match and felt the time-stained &nnd mildewed article.
 "West Point" he mutterec. Hits th' kind them sprigs wears-officer's, Ed say, offhand."
 The other stood considering 1t; laid szit aside; and lifted the next article from the trunk. It proved to be a Hwoman's dress of rich brocade. Little 5 Eas the two men knew of such matters. 1t impressed even them as being of fhe very finest material and of fin lshed workmanship. Under 1t lay kother articles of woman's wear, all equally rich, though now yellow with The stain of time. Down beneath Everything else lay small box which 2 the Boss. from an experience which befell him as soldier in the Tar South. knew to be satinwood. The young man stood with it in his hand, afraid to raise the lid-afraio to put 1t to the test. So far. the trunk had given up nothing. He was stiiI nameless. What if this. too. should \ prove a hlank7
 At last the Pearlhunter raised the iid-some baby clothes. clean and neatly folded; plain gold ring wrapped in q handkerchief or the nnest cambric; and, under all, pic ture-what the Iron-Gray-Woman must have been in her girlhood. He snatched 1t up, carried it to the light Of the door and looked tong upon x. After a time he came back to the trunk Tho safinwood box was the