The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-23
6be Blue Moon A Tale Of the F0tlDOOdS
|Continued From Previous Issue)
H DAVID lAnERsoE
iCopyright by BObbs-MerriIl Col


 meeting at the pool. And that was he thought uppermost in the mind of De Pearihunter-that other meeting. And he had Iookedl Somehow he W1nhed he hadn't; and yet he wasn't Sorry that he had The thought drew 1Is eyes to her feet. Shifting the Basket, his hand slowly stole up and 8ragged off his battered hat.
 The blue eyes under the sunbon- net livened. The girl drew step Bearer. The bushes she had been bending aside sprang back into place. She drew another step nearer. As nke moved. an overhanging limb taught the sunbonnet and dragged it oG, displaying a very soft and glossy mass of yellow curls. She turned. Gisengaged the bonnet from the limb, and was shaking the curls into shape fc replace 1t when the Pearlhunter made quick step toward her with hand upraised.
 "Don'tl" he cried. 'Don't-w
 A man of slow speech, with eyes hard to wake. he wouldn't have be- ]Ieved such words were in him.
 The girl stood fumbling the bonnet. Be watched one stray curl lose it's place and come slowly tumbling down, little by little. till it fell over her 6houlder and lay upon the softly ris- Ing and falling bosom. From the curl, he raised his eyes to her face. He eaw smile steal across it. It was only little smile. but 1t grew under his gaze till it reached up to her e~es. and pinched the lids together and ! Squeezed out tiny ripple of merri- nent that ran ont over her face and settled in two round dimples that teasingly uptilted the corners of her mouth--a good. winsome mouth fringed with full red lips and set with wholesome teeth. The smile grew until it quite passed beyond her control. She threw up her head; the 5 gmile became a laugh. # It was the only thing that could have broken the restraint The laugh {; the slow smile that answered it-- their introduction. She tied the bon net strings. while he watched her fin- gers as they formed the knot.
 "That song--- he said, s1t was the most wonderful thing I ever heard" \ The girl laughed again--a laugh like water tinkling over pebbles.
 'The birds are my playmates," she answered simply. 'Tb7y fly down all over me. had to learn their lan- guage"
 You live in these woods?" Fl The PearIhunter was a long time asking that question. Not far from the pool" And you're not afraid7" He glanced up the road toward the village.
 "Oh, live with Daddy" A shade crossed her face. Never before" she added. as If the first statement had not quite satisfied his question. Daddy is not very we'll and have to go to the store. Every time I've gone in the last few days that man has tried to talk to me I was fright ened to death today when he followed me. He never did that before. I'm so glad you happened along; and thank you over and overl' ''It was nothing he said simply, twisting his hat in his hand. He didn't tell her 1t wasn't matter of hap pening.
 She shook the curl of her bosom and back over her shoulder. He was sorry for that
 He is a gambler; at least so the grocery man told me today--and a. a--man killer
 The Pearlhunter could have added quite startiingly to the information imparted by the grocery man, but he only said:
 He's all that-and more"
 She glanced across the fence and up the road. He fancied a slight shiver lifted her shoulders.
 -Mlss--I don't know your namel"
 Two rcguish little points pinched up the girls eyes. The two dimples played hide-and-seek with the corners of her mouth-artless as the fiicking wings of a Lady Cardinal.
 "A little bit ago you called me-"
 ''The Wild Rose" he finished.
 'T like--thatl" she stammered, lever so much better than any-other name"
 Again that slow smile broke across the face of the Pearlhunter. He knew he ought to say something--but whati
 Well, Miss--wild Rose" he final ly yentured, with no idea of what else he was going to say.
 'Leave of the Miss. please It was q timely rescue. Miss seems- well-so- -dignifled for the woods. And you are-T'
 He shifted the basket to the other arm and stood gazing up and down the ragged fence row.
 sThey call me the---the--Pearihunt- er," he stammered after time.
 The girl seemed to ponder the word. She was fast losing her first distrust' inst as any other creature of the woods loses it when convinced no dan ger threatens.
 'T knew--that,r she answered. sThe storekeeper pointed you out to- day when ycn went to the bank. ! mean your-ofher name"
 The blood leaped to his face The innocent question staggered him. lie stared past her into the trees.
 'sIt's all the name heveF