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MARCH 31. 1021. Ufje BLUE MOON —MW* 1 — 1,1 ! —■■■ I— jj Tale of the Flatwoods By DAVID ANDERSON (Copyright by tb4 Bobbt-Murill Oompui f) 'No! No' I do believe you Her face had come close to the win dow. lie could see her eyes—like star spots in the dark —big with startle ment, for they had caught sight of his tattered blouse; the dried blood on him, and dotted in his hair. With a cry, her hands went to his face. “Why, your head Is bleeding! And your face!” “Scratches! Nothing but scratches!” he hastily reassured In tones that cau tion held low; pained at her distress; pleased, too; his eyes alight. “But this one on your head! It’s a cut —deep—and still bleeding.” Her voice was steadier. “You must let me hind up this one.” He glanced toward Fallen Itock. “We dn’sn’t risk a light,” he said. “For your sake we da'sn’t. The night has eyes. And they’ll comb these woods tomorrow.” She shrank back into the room. He drew half a step nearer, laid his arm on the ledge and stood fumbling the casement, lost in thought. “And yet I’ve that to do that must have light,” he mused, more to him self than to her, raising ifis head after a time and glancing toward the dim outline inside the window. “Is there a blind on your window that would hide a candle?” "Why—yes—” she answered, puz zled and slow. It was a long time before he rfpoke again. Had the light served, she might have seen in his eyes the struggle he was going through. He rubbed his drawn lips together to loosen I hem. “Will you trust me in your room?” The girl started. Her hands clutched each other. She knew it was not to have his wounds dressed that he asked. Short ns her acquaintance with him had been, she knew it was not that. It was no light reason that had driven him to ask such a privi lege. It gripped her, shook her, but strangely enough did not frighten her. “I’ll trust you.” Not often In a man’s life does he hear such gracious words. Nature Is not lavish of such gifts. The shoul ders of the I’earihunter lifted. The droop left his head. “May I come now? The night is go ing. The moon will be up in another two hours.” “Yes !” She stood farther back in the gloom. He slipped lightly In over the sill. “Please draw the blind before you light the candle," In- directed. He saw her arm reach up along the casement. The blind came down, within touching distance of each other they stood in pitch darkness: u man and a woman —alone —wrapped In the silent secrecy of the deep woods. He heard her quick breath. Ills heart bent up into Ills thront. Her gar ments brushed against him. lie heard her slippered feet feeling their way across the floor. There came the guarded scrape of a match. A sputtering, tardy flame was laid to the wick of a candle on a small stand In the corner under n mir ror. The wick caught; smoldered; flared to full strength. THe wonder of her hair and throat and arms sprang out of the night She laid the burnt match upon the cnndlestick and “Forgive Me That I Come Before You Like—This." turned. A gasp broke from lier at the night of him —tattered. hntless; bruised and bloody. “Forgive me that I come before you lfke —this,” he stammered, ijfc. An impulsive step brought her to fcls side, "'‘Forgive me!” she repeated, her voice still a-quiver; her face pity-ten dered. “You must let me dress your hurts." He shaded the candle with his body while she raised the curtain over the door and slipped out to the kitchen. She was hack before he could have believed it carrying a basin of cold water and some strips of muslin, all of which she hnd managed to get to gether in the deep dark. Drawing a chair near the candle, she made him s't down —a qirtte obvi ous necessity, if she was to reach his head. But she didn’t stop with wash ing the clots out of his hair and bind ing up the scalp wound. The cuts and bruises on his face arid chest came In for their share. When her ministra tions were over he was another man. All unsuspecting, the girl did other things for him that night besides washing his wounds. Nothing can so refine a man as the ministry of a good woman’s hands. It never leaves him quite as it found him. He can never again he quite the same. His life out he will be a grain the finer for it. So great is the grave of nature that no man is denied that touch. Once to every man it comes—to recreate; to make him new; to call him up to his higher self. It came that night to the I’earihunter. The girl seemed to lose all fear of him; to forget tHat he was in tier bed room in the secret night. She even smiled a contented smile of satisfac tion as he rose and stretched himself. He fumbled in his tattered blouse and drew forth the draft. “Have you a pen and ink?” he asked, his voice, his manner, again the voice and manner of the alert, keen woods man. Wondering, she opened the drawer of the small stand under the mirror and placed pen and ink before him. lie picked up the pen, awkwardly—a fish spear, an oar. or a six-gun fitted his hand better —dipped it in the ink ; laid tlie draft upon the stand; squared himself; and after no small pains suc ceeded In writing the word “Peaiihunt er” across the back. It was quite evi dently a relief when the unaccustomed task was over. He laid the pen down as if glad to lie quit of it and handed the draft to the girl. “It means that I have five thousand dollars in the bank,” he said, “and any body that takes this draft there with my”—he hesitated —“name across the back can get the money. The banker said so.” Her face showed how little she guessed what his words were leading uii to. It was some time before he went on. “I’m askin’ you to keep it,” he said. “And if anything should happen to me. I’m askin’ you to keep the mon ey. too.” The girl caught his tattered sleeve. “No! No !” she said. “Don’t say— that!” He looked down at the hnnd on his sleeve; picked it up; held it an In stant; suffered her to take it away. “I know who killed Louie Solomon,” he said slowly. "I know who has the Blue Moon —absolute knowledge, but no proof. He’ll be on my trail tomor row; and his eyes are the most danger ous eyes in the Flatwoods. He’d ask nothing better than a chance to kill me. And lam any man’s game now.” It is marvelous how o woman’s In tuition will drive at the very heart of a matter that puzzles men. She saw at a flash what had escaped the wits of the whole village. "You mean the —the —timber buyer,” i she said. “I mean the timber buyer,” he an swered, with a quick look at her. "His eyes see everything. You must destroy these bloody rags, and you must rake the yard In the morning. Itnke the east yard first, and then the west. I’m not aiming to leave any tracks, but It’s so dark I can’t make sure." He was talking rapidly. “I’m not expectin' to leave the Flatwoods, and—you, un less they crowd me hard; not till I’ve run him down and found my proof. But the odds are against me. If any thing should happen, I want you to have this money. And the minute you hear they’ve got me, you must go strnlght to the sheriff. Don’t risk the woods another hour. Put yourself un der his protection, and tell him why; have the money transferred to you; and —send for that surgeon.” The tears beat their way up into the girl’s eyes In spite of her, nnd ran down her cheeks. Her head bent low. It was the one thing he knew not how to face. His hard life hadn't taught him that. The tears hurt him. What had caused them? Maybe It was Just a woman's way. Maybe he had done wrong to come to her with his cuts and blood and danger. She raised her face after a time. He drew a long breath; dropped his hand to his side; stared In astonishment. She was smiling—smiling through the tears —nnd the dimples were back. The ways of woman—utterly beyond him, nnd past finding out! She smoothed the draft out in her hands and was looking at him over it. "I wonder if I ought to take it," she mused to herself, us much ns to him. He took the paper out of her hands, folded it and with a'masterful air thrust It under a fold of the loose gar ment across her bosom. “I haven't a soul In the world to leave It to but —you." Ills slow eyes left her fnce and stared hard at the basin of red water. Stepping over to the stand, he stooped and snuffed the candle. The huge shadow of him filled the room. Turn ing away, after he had the candle again at full flame, his eyes came back to the thoughtful face of his compan ion. “That revolver I saw' yesterday on the mantel—is It loaded?” “1 think so.” She looked up in curious half sur prise, as if the question had brought her thoughts back from afar. “May I see It?” “Why—yes—” He shaded the candle again while she lifted the curtain over the door; paused a moment to listen to the heavy breathing of the sleeper In the west room; crossed to the mantel over the fireplace and brought him the re volver. Several minutes the man spared to its Inspection: testing the action of the hammer, cylinder revolution and trigger pull; replacing the ssrnewhat corroded caps on the tubes witli ones; even packing fresh grains of powder into the tubes where he thought necessary. “Do you know how it use It?” he asked, looking up from his inspection. “I’ve shot lots of squirrels with it, sometimes clear in the treetops,” she answered. “And once I killed a hawk that pestered the chickens.” A grin puckered his eyes for a mo ment, then his brows lowered. An other question, a hard one, had to be asked, that set him raking over his slim f took of words for ways to ask it “Do girls—l mean —have you got any place about you- your dress—to car ry it?” She was looking at him, her eyes frank and wide —eyes that had no need to narrow. “I haven’t,” she “but I can make one." “I advise you to.” He laid the revolver on the stand and turned back to her. The time had come to go, and they both knew It. For a while they stood silent. Once his hand reached toward her, but he drew it back. “Will you be ready to raise the blind when I blow- out the candle?” he said at last. She went to the window and the next moment the room was In dark ness. Two fluttering spots of white in the gloom rolled up the blind, found the strings that held it and them into a knot. Then the girl stepped back. The man crawled through the window —with extreme care not to scar the ground outside. It is past all knowing how her hands happened to get into his. He bent his head and lnid his face upon them; suffered them to slip out of his fingers at last; and turned away. He was gone on the instant —gone ns a shadow goes—never knowing thnt for long and long the dull window framed a white face listening for some sound of him to come back out of the night. * ****** The woodcraft of the Pearlhunter was profound. It was about all life had taught him, but it had taught him that. With the logical precision of a schoolmaster passing from one step of a problem to another, It led him straight to the trail of the man he had been following a short time before — which, of course, took him In the di rection of Fallen Rock. The man he followed had doubtless gone hack to the village by this time. This prob ability he had already estimated and set down In his reckoning at its proper value. But he had another pur pose in turning his steps toward Fall en Rock, ne was deliberately going hack to the cabin. With every caution to leave no trail, he picked his way through the woods to the edge of the bluffs, stole over and down toward the cabin. The first glance at the black bulk of it, squat ted In the deep gloom under the up standing rocks, brought him to In stant pause. There was a light with in. lie crouched down In the hushes to consider what this unexpected cir cumstance meant before venturing an other step. No sound came from the cabin. The night wns Intensely still. Not an oar stirred the river. The waterfall alone fretted the silence. The Pearlhunter flattened himself In the weeds nnd bushes and foot by foot worked his way until he was able at last to bring his fnce level with the tiny opening. With his eye close, the chink nfforded a tolerably clear view of the Interior of the cabin. He burely restrained a cry at what he saw. Stooped over the small, hair-covered trunk, his hat off, stood the Red Mask. He had pried open the lid and had laid the contents of the trunk out with seeming care in rather neat heaps upon the floor. In his hand he held Jhe picture of the Iron-Gray- Woman. The Pearlhunter’s gorge rose at see ing ills mother’s picture in such hands, and his breast burned to dash into the cnhin and settle his score with the sacrilegious wretch once nnd for all. But it was not his to do as he pleased that night. Ills activities for the mo ment were limited to keeping his eye fast to the chink. The man by the trunk straightened, can-led the picture to the candle and stood looking long upon It. He laid It to his lips, again and again, as if he would drink up the beautiful face from the card. He pressed the picture to his bosom; held It again to the candle and whispered to it in tones that did not carry to the ear of the amazed listener. He strode up and down the room; and there was on his face a look that no man had probably ever seen there before, nnd probably would never see ngnln. After long moments he roused him self, unbuttoned Ills .vest, and put the picture carefully away In an Inner pocket. The watcher outside the wall winced; Ids lips drew together in a tense line. But there was much to be seen just then. The man inside had risen, crossed the floor, put the things back In the trunk, closed the lid and picked up his hat. Next moment the THE WINDER NEWS Stood Looking Long Upon It. can (Tie was "blown out. The TearThunt er barely had time to creep into the fringe of weeds when the cabin door opened and softly closed. With a brisk step that Indicated he had flung off the spell of the past, the notorious renegade walked around tlie west end of the cabin, past the spring, and straight to the tiny pool under the waterfall, where the Pearlhunter, who hnd stolen along the north wall of the cabin had his second astounding sur prise since coming down the bluff. Jumping lightly from rock to rock In the shallow water of the pool, the bandit approached the cataract, the third leap landing him upon the flat top of a rock almost within the very wash of the falling water. Pausing an instant to pull his hat tight and turn up the collar of his coat, he sprang straight into the thin blade of the falls, nis leap must have car ried him completely through to the other side. It was the first the Pearl hunter knew, or even suspected, that there was an open space beyond. So completely did the falling water hide everything back of it that probably the man who had just leaped and the man who -Watched him were the only two who knew there was any thing back of it. The Pearlhunter stretched himself flat under cover of a clump of sprouts growing about an old white oak stump, and kept his eyes fixed on the waterfall. (Continued next week.) Arsenate of Lead kills potato bugs. Sold by Smith Hardware Cos. T " FOR SALE—One mahogany eliif ferobe $35. One dressing table and chair sls. All practically new. Tel ephone 38. ltpd. Aluminum Percolators $1.35 at Smith Hardware Cos. You get more mileage on Gulf. There is more power in Good Gulf. Good Gulf starts ’em easier. THE UNIVERSAL CAR NOTICE FORD OWNERS. We have secured for our service manager Mr. F. F. Linn, who has been with the Ford Motor Cos. for the past ten years. w. , His business will be to furnish the Ford owners of Barrow county the most reliable service which is ever behind Ford cars, trucks and Fordson tractors. This is positive assurance to the owners of Ford cars of the constant use and service of their cars. Our skilled Ford mechanics know how to adjust or repair Ford products so that they will serve to the maximum of their efficiency. They understand the Ford mech anism thoroughly, and call make adjustments or replacements quicker than other repair men who lack Ford training. There is a standardized way for making every repair and adjustment on a Ford car. It is the quickest, surest way; and in all their work our mechanics follow the methods recommended by the Ford Service School at the Ford factory. The standardized repair jobs are covered by reasonable Ford charges. Thus you are assured of having your work done properly, promptly and at a reasonable price. Genuine Ford parts, Ford mechanics, Ford special tools and machinery and Ford charges are an unbeatable combination. When you require service we are at your immediate command. Mott-King Motor Company AUTHORIZED FORD DEALERS • * Classified Ads. * * Brighten up your Porch Sets, Swings, Furniture and Flower Boxes with paint from Smith Hardware Cos. FOR SALE.—One 5-H. P. Westing house motor, for SOO, in tine shape, also shafting, belts and pulleys at bargain prices.—Winder News. *. * They run smooth on Good Gulf. Har grove Bros. THE PLACE WHERE YOUR MONEY BUYS THE BEST AND THE CHEAPEST 10 lbs Silver Leaf Lard 5 lbs. Silver Leaf Lard SI.OO 10 lbs. Simon Pure Lard ~... ...... ..... $2.25 5 lbs. Simon Pure Lard ................. $1.15 8 lbs. Snow Drift Lard . $1.50 4 lbs. Snow Drift Lard .. . .80 Best quality Side Meat ... ... .. .18 Crisco, $1.25 Bucket .75 Good Patent Flour, per Bbl. .......... ...... $9.00, Fine Patent Flour, per Bbl. ... 10.30 Holiday’s Special Sweet Green Feed 100 lbs ... ~ $2.60 Pride of Bedford Tomatoes 9c can, 3 for .25 2 cans High Grade Corn .25 Temple Garden Tea, SI.OO pkge .60 Temple Garden Tea, 50c pkge ....... . . .. .30 Temple Garden Tea, 25c pkge ....... .... .15 Chum Salmon, per can ...... . . ... ..... ... . .10 Pink Salmon, per can ...............15 Government Roast Beef, per can . ... ... . .25 Cane Seet, per bushel ... ... . . ... ~. .... $1.75 Seed Irish Potatoes, per peck ......... .65 Winder-Maid Bread, hot from the stone ev ery 2 hours. Butternut Bread every day. No. 2. Gr. Pineapple, per can . . 33 = 2 packages Charms ~... ............. . ....... .05 12 cans Libby’s Milk . 90 Libby’s Condensed Milk, per can 18 We have fresh beans, tomatoes, squash, new Irish potates, celery, iceberg lettuce, in ‘ fact everything that is good to eat. Bring us your chickens and eggs and re ceive highest price. Hargrove Bros. Phone 151 ' Winder, Georgia SUBSCRIPTION: $1.50 A TEAR YOFIi OPPORTUNITY FyR MARCH —A $lO bell buys a sls Fowler Buzzard Cultivator at Smith Hurdward Cos. * * Porto Rica Potato Plants now ready to ship. 1,000 for $2.00; 5,000 and up $1.50 per 1,000. —I. L. Stokes, Pitts, Ga. Mcb 31,-St.-pd. Get a Garden Plow, Garden Hose, Hedge Trimmers, Garden Trowels, Tree Pruners, Garden Wire Fencing from Smith Hardware Company. Good Gulf is full of pep.