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HAY. Tshe BLUE MOON mww i— mi vmwwmm Ji Tale of the FlatoooJs By DAVID ANDERSON (Copyright bj the Bobb-MorrtU Corap&nr) S'ht seemed for the moment to have forgotten his presence. He glanced around the cabin. It was really four C(l blns —four rooms —under one roof. The door by which they had entered faced south, lie stood In the center room, or center cabin. A curtained opening led to another room on ihe •west; a similar opening, with the cur tain looped back and tied with a bit of ribbon, disclosed a room on the east. A closed door gave entrance to the third room, probably the kitch en. Jogged a little to allow for a win dow near the northwest corner of the center room. Ills gaze traveled to the fire place. A revolver —a very dependable look ing six-gun—lay upon the mantel. Above It. arranged across a draped American flag, hung a silk sash, a tasseled cord, a pair of silver spurs, and a sword. Looped In the sword hilt were two strands of ribbon, one purple, the other gold. There camo a dim remembrance that he hud once heard somewhere these were the col ors of a famous regiment that great ly distinguished Itself In the Indian wars. The half minute or more he had spent looking over the room had giv en him time to recover his calm, and now his glance came back to the ruin In the chair. The Wild Man was whetting his ki.lfe against his palm, mumbling and muttering. He seemed to gloat over the glitter of It —and the girl within easy reach of his hand. The Pearl hunter stiffened; gathered himself to spring. She happened to look up, caught his eye, and shook her head. Seemingly unconscious of any danger, she came to the door, picked up her basket and his hat and put them on the table beside the vase of wild roses. “You're not afraid?” asked the I'earl hunter. “He wouldn't harm a fly.” "But the knife?” “He plays with It by the hour. That knife.” as If weighing the thought It raised. “He keeps It with him night and day. I fear death will sometime come of that knife 1" His eyes urged her to go on. “Seven years he's been as you see him. Up to that time he was the most wonderful father a girl ever had. He wasn't grny until then, and he didn’t wear a heard. Those who knew him then wouldn’t know him now. It was •even years ago this June —the twen tieth. I remember It because It was m.v birthday—l was twelve. That eve ning I heard a groan at the kitchen door. I ran out, nnd there was Dad dy, holding to the door post to keep from falling, his hands covered with Mood, nnd blood nil over his fnce nnd hair. I helped him In, washed off the Mood nnd discovered It came from n wound In his head. I bound It up the best I could nnd ran to the village for the doctor. “When he came, be said Daddy had been shot. There was n long scar — like a groove—that the doctor said wus made by the bullet. It had caused concussion of the brain. Since that be has been like —this. The knife he must hate taken from the person that shot him, for he had none of his own. It was clutched tight In tils hand when I found him—the knife, nnd this —” She beckoned him across the room to the book case. It was the first car pet theFoarl Hunter had ever walked over. He set his feet down like a man crossing thin Ice. She fumbled out from behind n row of books a small packet, with the cau tl<sn: "You mustn’t let Paddy see It. He will go wild If you do. I used to keep It stuck behind the picture, hut It worked out Into sight one day, and he drove the knife through It before 1 could get It nwny from him. If he ever finds the man It belongs to he’ll serve him the same way, I'm afraid. Sometimes I think that’s why he | haunts ,*’’■* woods—to see If he can find him. 1 e, you can see where the knife A lathrough.” Ske.i this*', unwrapping a fold of Y # per The **d. The sight of Its v ra,fc lrs. Mot a low exclamation posea 011 j o yer. It was a red which j r aiu enrs ay nig.flngored the bit To h S- cross the girl’s k many . trj!e or eagerness that 1 * or U. S. the knife near Hi | °* %srs. Fhe l-'liu woods Vwl UMory It told; ou „ a .® n. ' together the \ £ cur-old trug ■es, er berlain’i HLd and . he , c.lcs there tmjjß harmful m \ eyes— blue. ■H ' han ~,ack B ft , i that J ,at V ml. <^ ied t 0 t'ii tjy ,m th *p K.OU >ort ievt>s ’ The , a pens behind 1 . „ n^nlrled. II'- y onditl/rom his ■ecauke tin , gocrd him with wide, weird eyes. With a step that was ghostly noiseless he crossed the floor. Quite close he came, his dulled senses seeming to need the stimulus of close contact Ills bony hands and long arms were quivering; his hollow face twitching pitifully. “He’s never like this,” the girl whispered. The young man glanced at her and stood still The thin hands fluttered over his face and head. Even their lightest touch was heavy with a strength that must have been prodig ious—as If the fires of his malady kin dled a force In him more than human. Some Impulse of compnssion must have reached the heart of the Pearl hunter, for he stretched his long arm forth nnd laid It about the old man’s shoulders. Instantly he felt the weight of the gray giant upon h.lrn. It might have been the one thing the stricken -man craved in his dumb way—the touch of his kind; the prop of u man’s arm. The situation embarrassed the Pearl hunter. It was like winning the con fidence of a little child, and then not knowing what to do with It. The girl was quick to see his embar rassment, nnd, much as a mother might coax a child away from some one she Imagined It was annoying, she led the old man hack to his chair; then, leaving him, she hurried across the room to the book case. “I never saw him so restless before,” she said, as she passed by. “He seems to like you, though," she continued while finding the book she wanted. "Strange, too, for he’s cross usually, even to the doctor. Won’t you excuse me till I quiet him?” Before he could reply she had found the hook nnd hurried hack to the chair. Opening It, she laid It upon the old man’s knees. He bent his head and felt over the open page with his hand, but the weird eyes could no longer re solve the frozen magic of the words. He fidgeted In his chair and the book slid to the floor. The picture was too distressing, and the Pearlhunter turned his face away. From where he stood he had an almost unobstructed view Into the east room, the girl’s room, nnd before he realized It his eyes had strayed past the curtains. Amazement held them there a moment In spite of him. Tlie room, In striking contrast to what he had seen of the rest of the house, was almost bare of furniture —a car petless floor; the rudest of beds; a broken chair, nnd little else. He heard her walking across the floor and turned away half guiltily. She had her hand upon the curtained entrnnee of the west room, and he no ticed that It was carpeted, and was otherwise furnished quite In keeping with the room In which he stood, cer tainly In very decided contrast to the room upon the east. But he had no time to reflect on all these things, for the girl reappeared In a moment cnrrylng a cello, which she placed between the old man’* knees. She put the bow In his right hand and lifted his left to the strings. He lnld his cheek down upon the In strument; grew quiet. The faltering bow tried to wake the strings, but In vain. The old man’s body seemed to shrink together. His chin dropped down upon his breast. But the next Instant he sat upright and rigid; his wide eyes, groping around, found the Pearlhunter, and he stnrted to rise— grappled up, strained up, as If by a power outside himself. The girl caught the falling bow from his hand; drew the cello to her and deftly twisted the strings In tune. The Pearlhunter stood amazed at what followed. The tones of the cel lo seemed to reach ovit Into the quiet evening, purple with the close of day, and gather up the drowsy sounds of wood nnd stream, nnd bring them In nnd strew them down like falling rose leaves —the fnll of a distant oar; the lap of water upon cool rocks; the pulse of a current thnt rose nnd fell; the croon of contented trees under a serene sunset. He did not know that what he heard was Beethoven’s Incom parably witching Moonlight,Sonajttu The old man’s' head hatT drooped for ward. his eyes were closed, his face muffled In his rumpled benrd upon his breast Leaning the cello against the chair, the girl picked up a limp arm, laid It about her neck, nnd led him nwny, like a drowsy child, through the curtained entrance of the west room. With the departure of the girl the picture dissolved; the evening world became a vast emptiness, an emptiness the silence poured In to fill. It caught the Pearlhunter In Its flood; It held him; overwhelmed him; found out lit tle nooks nnd crannies of his nature thnt he never knew were there. The curtains parted. A soft step crossed the carpet. The world cnme bnck. A deep brenth swelled the chest of the Pearlhunter —deep as If It had been the only brenth be had tnken since the song began. “Next to the thrush song, thnt was the most wonderful thing I ever heard!” The girl looked up from rearranging the cushions In the old man’s chair. “Daddy taught me. He said it was my gift. He had the deepest, soft voice,” she went on, more to herself than to him. “Like the low tones of the cello, though It always made him sad to sing. Long ago, when 1 was a child, he used to hold me In his arms and sing to me. He wus a wonderful cellist before —!” She bowed her head over the chair and the Pearlhunter fancied he saw tears. But her face was soon up ngnin, brave and cheerful. “You could sing.” “Me!” It was about the most start ling thing she could have said. The “That’s Why I Trusted You.” dry splinters of a grin pinched up the comers of his eyes. “I’d have the woods to myself If I tried.” She looked at him. The tiniest Sug gestion of a frown seemed to be trying to find a place on her face. “I know what I am saying when I say that. You could sing. Your voice Is soft nnd low and strong —like Dad dy’s. I didn’t notice It till a little hit ago, but I think I felt it all along. I guess that’s why I trusted you—be cause your voice Is like Daddy’s.” The Pearlhunter was standing quite close to her. His eyes drank In the plurup white mystery of her throat; the bit of ribbon rising and falling upon her bosom. It was an old ribbon, old nnd worn. He studied her dress. It had been many a day since It was new. He recalled the old man’s coat nnd his shoes. They were as old as hers. He glanced around the cabin; stole a quick look toward the east room —her room. The Pearlhunter was slow—ln some things—but some how he always managed to arrive in time. "Wild Rose!” Her eyes jumped to his. She let him see how much the name pleased her. “You’ve Just snid a mighty big thing to me. Y’ou’ve said you trust me. That’s a big thing for a girl to say to a man. The Almighty alone knows whether I'll do to trust. Now, don’t think hnrd of what I’m about to say. And I wish I knew some nice way to say It But I don’t know any way only Just to say It. Don’t you need help— money, I mean?” A succession of emotions flitted across the girl’s face —pleasure at the name; bewilderment as he talked on; and at the last a smile. The man watched the smile. It was a brave smile, hut It had to retreat beaten back by a stronger foe. Her lips drew together; her chin quivered; she bowed her head and burled her face In her arms. What had he done! Had she mis understood him. The Pearlhunter Inwardly cursed his clumsiness. He found his hard hand stealing 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. He half dreaded to see her eyes; but —a desperate glance—no reproach in them. He had not been misunder stood. “I don’t know how I am to go on.” Her throat nnd neck nnd face flamed crimson at the admission. “I can’t leave to go out to service; nnd all the furniture that can be spared I have sold.” “Only your own,” he blurted out, rather Imprudently, as he reflected aft erward, for how was she to know that he had glanced Into her room? “I didn’t wish Daddy to miss any thing.” The unselfishness of her act seemed not to have entered her mind, but It was not lost on the Pearlhunter. ’’The storekeeper has been so good to me, and trusted me for so many things. I’m afraid to think how much I owe him. But be Is old, and his wife has been 111. It mortifies me to have to ask him for more credit, but I can’t let Daddy starve. Money used to come to us before he got—hurt. But I found out afterward that It always came addressed simply to Box 23. Not even the postmaster knows Daddy’s name. Neither—do—l!” Tier voice fell very low. The Pearl hunter pitied her, for he knew what It was like not to know "Daddy’s name.” “The doctor says,” she went on, "thnt the bullet broke a piece of skull, so that It presses on the brain. He thinks a great surgeon he knows might be able to raise thnt little piece of skull nnd mnde Daddy well. And that’s what hurts me worst of nil —that 1 can't have It done.” She stopped; turned her head away. There came Into the man's level eyes a look that the hard men of the river had learned to know. “Listen!” he said. “You mst trust me. You must let me help you. Y'ou nlready know the story of the Blue Moon. Such a find always brings the pearl buyers. They flock to It like vultures to a carcass. They’ll soon he here —maybe tomorrow. I’ll sell the pearl, nnd you shall send for thnt sur geon.” THE WINDER NEWS Classified Ads. * Claims Adjusted Promptly ATHENS COLLECTING AGENCY Athens, Georgia 102 Shackelford Building—Phone 1207 Send us your claims today. Collected for reasonkble commissions. We cover Northeast Georgia. For Rough or dressed Oldfield lum ber see Allen Guffhi. 30-tf. WANTED Men or women to take orders among friends and neighbors for the genuine guaranteed hosiery, full i in* for men, women and children. Elim inates darning. We pay 75e an hour spare time or $35.00 a week for full time. Exjierience unnecessary. Write International Stocking Mills, Norris town, Pa. FOR SALE.—-One Harley-Davison mo torcycle for sale. Apply to Williams Bros. Garage, Broad st., Winder, Ga. 2t-pd. Miss Amanda Healan, Graduate Nurse, of Hoschton, Ga., offers her services to the public. Phone 37 tf. 1 Plant the best seed fresh froom the 'arm in bulk at Woodruffs. Choice Timothy Hay at $40.00 per ton. —Emory Smith at L. L. Moore’s barn. tf. Fresh garden seed in the bulk at Woodruffs. Compare our hay prices with others. Emory Smith at L. L. Moore’s Barn, tf FROSTPROOF CABBAGE PLANTS. —Wakefield and Flat Dutch; post paid, 500 for $1.25; 1000 for $2.25; ex press collect, $1.50 per thousand. Gen uine Porto Rico potato plants ready in April; postpaid, 500 for $1.50; 1000 for $2.50; express collect, $2.00 per thousand. Satisfaction guaranteed; write for free offer. DASHER PLANT CO., Valdosta, Ga. 4tpd Choice Timothy Hay, one bale or a ton at $2.00 per hundred pounds.— Emory Smith ut L. L. Moore’s barn. Stable Manure for sale. Will de liver Inside city limits. —L. L. Moore. Allen Guffln can supply you with rough or dressed lumber at attractive prices. 30-tf. FOR SALE—2 horses; a bargain can be bought in these. See J. N. Williams Winder Rt. 4, or Dr. C. S. Williams. Good two-horse farm for rent, near town, good six room house, barn, gar age, pasture with water. See Z. F. Jnckson. tf. HOTEL FOB KENT. Hotel with 20 rooms and two baths for rent March I.—R. L. ROGERS. There is MORE POWER in THAT GOOD GULF GASOLINE and SU PREME AUTO OIL. Like one waking from a dream to find the dream come true —she turned slowly and raised her face to his. The full significance of his offer, the big generosity of It, the Immense fact of It, escaped her In the first moments. Only a mere detail of It reached her. “I—we—couldn’t ever pay you back.” It was on his tongue to say he didn’t expect to be paid back—that he didn’t want to be paid back, but a glance at her somehow mnde such an answer Im possible. The book case gave him an inspiration. “You could let me read these books.” “Why, you could do that anyway.” She looked at him in curious sur prise. Not knowing the hope that was slowly waking in her, he misinterpret ed the look. He avoided her eyes. His generosity had overreached his tact. Such an offer couldn’t be made to a girl In the same way It could be made to a man. His eye roved the room In desperation. It lighted final ly on the cello still leaning against the old man’s chair. “You cnn teach me slngln’ lessons!” He said It a good deal us a man might consent to a surgical operation, with the chances dead against him. “That wouldn’t be worth —money,” she said. “That would just be fun, If —things were so I could.” The Pearlhunter picked up his hat from the table, stood fumbling It and thinking Intently. It went against the grain of him to give up till the last lick was struck. Something she had said a few minutes before happened Into his thoughts. “When your father Is well, there’ll be more money coming to Box 23. He can pay me back then himself.” He said It slowly—like a man laying his last card on the table, and the odds against him. But the effect was utterly opposite (Continued next week.) Barrow County Teach ers’ Institute Feb. 26th. The teachers of Barrow county are hereby called to meet for Institute work on Saturday, February 26th, at 10 o’clock, at the Winder High School auditorium. PROGRAM 1. Devotional exercises by Supt. 2. Opening exercises in our public schools. General discussion. .3. The value of supplementary work for primary grades. Miss Susie Sikes and Miss Lizzie Shedd. 4. How to teach Physiology <pid Hy giene in our public schools.—Mrs. Rose Hutchins. 5. How to make a practical appli cation of the study of English gram mar, —Prof. J. P. Cash. (5. Address by E. A. Pound, Super visor of High Schools, Atlanta, Ga 7. How to improve our public schools?—Remarks by nil teachers. 8. Lunch. No afternoon exercises. Both the county board of education WATCH AND JEWELRY REPAIRING I have removed my Jewelry and watch repair office to room 403 Win der National Bank Building. Where I am prepared to do all kinds of watch and jewelry repairing First Class Work Reasonable Charges B. E. PA TRICK 403 Winder Nat. Bank Building. Winder, Ga. FIRE INSURANCE IS A S T EP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION As you look with satisfaction at your fire insurance policies you realize that fire is a constant menace and feel secure in your protection against such a misfortune. But how about the many other things! that may happen which will cause you financial loss? Nobody knows from what quarter misfortune may come. Your paymaster may be robbed, your employees hurt, your clerks may prove dis honest, your goods may be lost in transit, your automobile may be wrecked, your own earning capacity may be effected by sickness or accident. These and many other losses may come any time and when they do come they may cause a greater loss than a fire. If the theory of insurance is sound you should appy it to protect you and your property from every possible loss. What a comforting feeling of security it will give you to know* that you are protected from every possible danger through the sound, reliable Insurance Service OF F. W BONDURANT & COMPANY RED STAR WE NOW HAVE THE BEST COAL ON ANY MAN’S MARKET —RED STAR KNOWN THE COUNTRY OVER AS THE BEST COAL THAT WAS EVER PUT IN TO A GRATE. PRICES REASONABLE FOR CASH. MILLSAPS & ELEY Telephone 348 i I* IPTION: $1.50 A YEAR a.\ le city board of education of Win der Tire cordially invited to be present at II :30 o’clock to bear the address of Prof. Pound. Teachers please take notice. A,II teachers are required, before receiving full payment for the spring term, to file their roll hooks with the county superintendent of schools at this office, at the close of the spring term, for in spection and reference. 1021 Reading Course for Teacher j. For Primary and General Elementary, Teachers’ Manual, furnished free. Woofrer’s Teaching in Rural Schools, Price, $1.20. Dressler's School Hygiene, Price 1.20. For High school and Supervisory. Manual for Teachers, Furnished free. Itapeer’s Consolidated Rural Schools, Price $1.75. All the Children of All People, by Smith, Price $1.05. All the above books can be ordered fnm* the Southern School Book Depos? itory/121 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Ga. J. B. BROOKSHIRE, C. S. S.