Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1921-07-08

L
world, McLaurin's acting as best man
for me- There was friendship for you !
/ couldn't take from them their one
| chance Of happiness.
Il couldn't see anything else to do,
so / ran. went home, pulled Off my
wedding rig and put on the clothes
I'm wearing now, threw some things
into bag and hurried down to the
union station. / found that l could
have my choice between q fiier for
Atlanta and the - the train that
brought me here. bought passage to
Atlanta, but ! never meant to use it !;
| meant to take the other train and
pay a cash fare. In doing that,
hoped to lose myself from them. /
wanted to go unhindered to some
country where I wouldn't be consid-
cred IA savage, y'know.
II went out to the train-shed, and
l hadn't been there a minute when
Bobby McLaurin came. / asked him
how he knew where to find me. He
said:
81 thought you wouldn't care to
stay here after doing what you did,
and wanted to say good-by, BILL He
always called me that and it made
me feel like man. Then put my
bag down and took him by both shoul-
ders and told him this:
"Look here, Bobby, I'm going to
give you some advice and you take
it. You steal Pat and marry her. Steal
Pat and marry her if you have to live
in hole in a hillside. You're as good
as any of them, and lots better than
most of them. You can work your way
to better salary You see,' L told
him, we get about what we deserve
in this world. Most Of us don't deserve
much
II asked him If mother was badly
cut up. He said she was; that she had
tainted. Dad swore aloud, he said,
there In church. l told Bobby good-by
and got aboard the train without say
ing anything about where / was go
ing-but l didn't know myself where
l was going, at the time.
''Now you've heard it. Every word
was truth. If you'll trust me with the
coal, I'll make this land my land, your
people my people. I'll suffer with you
when you suffer, and be happy with
you when you're happy; and when you
fight, I'll fight with you"
The Moreland chief arose, and Bill
Dale arose. The hillman put out his
hand, and Dale gripped it.
81 believe in ye, Bill" said John
Moreland. go another thing, I've
seed ye fight. You can work the coal"
He looked toward the closed inner
door and called, "Oh, Addie; you and
the boys can come back now."
Out Of the night face appeared at
one of the small windows. 1t was a
feminine face and handsome rather
than pretty. Two slender, sunburned
hands gripped the window-ledge nerv-
ously. The face pressed closer to the
glass, then disappeared. Soon after
ward the outer door of the guests
room opened, and Ben Littlefords
daughter entered Her skirts were
dripping wet.
Mrs. Moreland arose and went to-
ward the young woman. She knew
that only something of great impor-
tance could bring Littleford into her
home in this fashion.
"What's the matter, Babe?"
Babe Littleford gave no attention
to Mrs. Moreland. She went on to
Bill Dale, walking softly on bare feet
'Black Adam is a-goin' to kill you
tonight, Bill Dale"
'That SOP" Dale's smile was rather
grim "How did you find that out,
Miss Littleford?
II found it out, all right. AS he
went off from the river this mornin',
made fun Of him; and he patted the
stock Of his rifle and said he'd git you
through a window He was at our
house this evenin' to help fix pap's
gun, and when he left he started this
way, a-goin' by the blowed-down syca-
more. waded the river at Blue Cat
shoals to beat him here. ] thought you
might want to know about it, SOS ye
could mebbe save other folks the trou-
BILE O. maxim a funeral fo' ye."
She backed toward the door, her
eyes never leaving Dale's face. Another
second, and she was gone.
They were all on their feet now.
John Moreland gripped Dale's arm.
'Over thar aside o. the chimbley,
Bill l" he ordered, his native drawl for
the moment absent. "Out, Addie,
honeyl Luke, bring my rifle and hat
jump keen Gale, bring water and
drownd this here frel''
1t was done Moreland took his hat
and the repeater and went alone Int
the night.
When some fifteen minutes had
passed, there came to Dale's ears the
sound of shooting. There were ten
shots In such rapid succession that they
made almost a continuous roar Then
came echoes and reverberations, and
then silence Soon John Moreland let
himself into the dark room.
His wife's voice was low and filed
with anxiety:
"What happened, JohnP"
A dull thud came through the dark