The evening world., 1921-01-10
CHAPTER VIII.

- HE Pearlhunter fingered the
bit of stiff cloth lying across
the girls palm with sucn
quick eagerness that her eyes
sought his face curiOusly The Red
Mask! The slit Of the knife near
an eyehole-no man in the Flatwoods
better able to read the story At toid;
none better able to piece togetner the
fragments Of that seven-year-old
tragedy.
! Up through the eyeholes there
seemed to glow a pair of eyes-'bluc,
like blue ice; eyes that glow black
when reused. He knew what they
looked like when the blue turned 10
black
Another impression flashed uoou
him, and the eyes were gone. In eN-
aiming the mask his fingers had
come in contact with the girls HAND
the sort cushions Of her palm. 10
glowed over him like bath of warm
sunshine.
The Pearlhunter was finding him
self. It was like discovering a new
world. The wonder of it-that he
was there-the thousand other places
he might have been, but wasn't!
The Pearlhunter wanted to say
something-tried to--but for the life
of him couldn't think OF a thing to
say-that would do to say. A spot
of dust on the sleeve OF his blouse
caught his eye. He looked hard II
it; brushed it away
wild ROse!"
Her eyes jumped to his. She lie.
him see how much the name pleased
| her.
NOW. don't think hard OF what Tn.
about to say. And / wish | knew
some nice way TO say it. But l don't
| know any way only just TO say IT,.
| Don't you need help-money, mean
A succession of emotions fitted
| across the girls face-pleasure at tho
name, bewildement as he talked Or
| and at the last a smile. The man
| watched the smile. 1t was a brave
smile, but it had 10 retreat beaten
back by a stronger foe. Her lips drew
together; her chin Quivered: she
bowed her head and buried her face
IN her arms.
| What, had he done! Had she mis-
understood him! The PearIhunter in
| wardly cursed his clumsinesS. He
| searched for some word to comfort
her AS well search a gray sky for =
star. He found his hard hand steal
| ing toward her hair. How helpless
she was--and he had hurt her. His
fingers strayed over the soft locks
| and smoOthed them.
It seemed a long time TO the Pearl,
| hunter before she raised her face. Ne,
half dreaded to see her eyes but
| a desperate glance-no reproach in
them. He had not been misunder-
stood.
II don't know how l am to 60 on -
Her throat and neck and face famed
| crimson at the admission. Il can't
leave to go out to service; and all the
furniture that can be spared [ have
sold"
"Only your own" he blurted out.
! rather imprudently as he reflected
| afterward, for how was she to know
that he had glanced into her room?
: y didn't wish paddy to miss any
thing"
The unseldshness OF her act seemed
not to have entered her mind, but .t
was not lost on the Pearlhunter. II
The storekeeper has been so good
TO me and trusted me for 80 many
things. I'm afraid to think how much
J owe himi But he is old and his vito
has been i'll, 1t mortifies me to have
to ask him for more credit, burt
can't let daddy starve. Money used
to come 10 us, before ne got-Rurt.
But found out afterward that II al
ways came addressed simply to Ro-
%. Not even the Postmaster knows
daddy's name Neither-do-Il"
Her voice fell very low The Pearl
hunter pitied her for he knew whae
n was like not to know "daddy'a
name"
THE doctor says" she went on
that the bullet broke a piece OF skull,
so that II presses on the brain. 0Hs
thinks a great surgeon he knows
might be able to raise that little piece
Of skull and make daddy we'll And
that's what hurts me worst OF all
that can't have 1t done"
She stopped, turned her head away,
There came into the mans level ewes
O look that the hard men OF the fiver
had learned 70 know
Read Morrow's Thrilling install -
mOHE