The Ordway new era., 1921-02-18

three wings, eNlenuluS 1T tight ui-
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 it over.
1t was an awkward moment. His
eyes travelled past her to the tiny
garden. He noticed that the fence
around it was sagged and broken. The
garden, however. appeared to be clean
and well-kept. Aside from this-and
the tlowers-the place showed very
sad lack of care.
The underbrush along the bluffs
trembled slightly, but enough TO at
tract the woodsman's eyes. Noiseless-
ly the swaying bushes parted-as
noiseless as the unfolding of a 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 it 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.
As his gaze searched the under
brush. a glimpse of a 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 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 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
service-the age-Old service of man
to woman. Wont you come up to
the housef'
The Pearlhunter little knew how
that simple invitation hOnored him.
No other man had ever received 1t.
I'D like to-"
He said it 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 1t. 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 filled
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 dimples 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 nj
what you see.'
From behind the closed door of the
cabin came a groan-not of physical
pain. but one that seemed to mutter
up out of wrecked soul. The girl
dropped her side of the basket handle.
DADDY she cried; and dashed the
door open.
The Pearhunter was a hard man
to jar out of his habitual calm. but
the sight that met him as he followed
her across the doorstep struck him
rigid and staring.
huge iron gray shell of man
rose slowly in the shadow the Jate .f.
ternoon cast over the room. Tho
light that fell in at the omen door
brought out the pathetic, nervous
quiver of his face; the solemn vacancy
of his pitiful eyes. 1t was the wild
MIN.
The girl ran to him and put her
arms about his shoulders. He seemed
not to feel her touch. Slowly and
noiselessly he approached the PEARL
hunter. A leaf couldn't have drifted
across the floor more silently. or
more involuntarily. Some extraneous
force seemed to drive him.
The girl rlung TO him and tried to
coax him. even drag him, back into
his chair. He seemed to be utterly
unaware Of her weight. There was a
knife In his hand. His hollow eyes
never left the Pearihunters face.
With all the girls assurance that,
he WAS harmless. that there was no
danger, II toek an the .Pearihunter's
resolution t. abide the couzins n t1,atl
saunt appa1lf5en- His krs61k cn1ne
fast. he ~ 6es'let Z - ! = = = - =