The Ordway new era., 1921-09-16

spouts!"
Babe Littleford biushed. He went
on. to hide her confusion. Tell me
| about the rifles
You must shore keep II secret,
she told him.
81 promise
| Better put yore hook In, SOS et any
body comes along
Dale threw out an empty hook
| 81 want to tell We some other things
! fust, SOS yell understand better when
| come to the part about the rifles
Babe began, looking thoughtully
across the water TO where a kinghsher
sat in watchful waiting. She contin-
ued slowly. choosing her words care-
fully, II was brought up to hate them
Morelands, butt don't think do. My
people is Jest like the MorelandS. The
biggest difference ye can find is that
one side mostly has grey eyes like
you and t'other side mostly has brown
eyes like me. All but their everlastin
tightin', they're good people. Bill Dale
Each side. We see. is brought up to
hate t'other side. I'm ashamed to tell
it. but understand the fnst plain
words my Uncle Saul Littleford's last
baby said was these here: p-n John
Moreland, 1t started II long time ago,
and it started over nothin'. Grandpap
Littleford and John Moreland's pap
got in a dispute over whether Kahn
tucky was in Nirginny or Nawih ca
liner, and went TO tightin about it.
Purity soon my Uncle Saul and Abner
] NnralanI hunrnnAd nInnp and they
Went to tightin', too. Thank goodness.
! it was on Sunday. and none of 'em
didn't have their rifles with 'em. What
ever else we are or amt up here. Bill
| Dale, we gen'ally respects the sabbath
day to keep it holy. -
Il see" Dale muttered sympathet-
ically.
I've seen my own mother set down
| in the floor and take her boys head
| In her lap-oh. such big, fine boy he
| was while the blood run through her
/ dress from Moreland's bullet. He
/ died with mothers arms and mine
around him. II was all we could do
70 him. was to love him. I've seen sis
ters watch their brothers die from
Moreland bullets, and young wimmen
watch their sweethearts die, and wives
watch their husbands die. @.
/ Il tell you. Bill Dale. them More
/ lands never misses when they have
/ even half fair shot. You'd he puff
/ fectly safe in a-lettin' any of em shoot
dimes from atween yore finger and
| thumb all day. And its the same way
with the Littlefords. They're fighters.
too, every one, and they don't give in
any more than the Morelands does.
"Addie Moreland knows what 1t is
TO take her dyin' boys head in her lap.
whilst blood run through her dress to
her knees. His name was Charley.
and he was bad he'd drink. and oncet
he shot up Cartersville. But Addie,
she allus loved him better'n Gale or
Luke. Wimmen like her allus loves
the worst boys the best; cause they
need it the most, the worst boys does.
Its the wimmen that pays, Bill
Dale, when the's tightin'. The vim
men o this valley is right now on
needles; they're afeard the men'll find
their rifles. You can guess whar the
guns went to now, CANT ye? The VIM
men hid 'em last night after the men
had gone to sleep. BY good luck, they
had almost a whole night fO' 1t. You
must be shore to keep it to Yourself
but | know We will. Addie Moreiand,
she started the idee. She got Granny
Moreland to spread the word amongst
the wimmen o my people. When the
tightin' fever sort o dies down the
guns'll all be brought back and put
whar they belong
She arose and stood there smiling
down upon him. He was staring at
the swirling water without seeing it
at all.
Her voice brought him to himself
"What're you a-thinkin' about, Bill
Dale?"
Dale went to his feet. He saw that
she was smiling, and lie smiled. too.
81 was thinking" he said "of the
difference between you and some other
women l know"
| Her clear brown eyes widened.
| And l reckon | seem purity no count,
don't r.
NO, not at all. 1t is-er. quite the
opposite. Babe. You make them ap-
pear unreal, artificial
Babe Littleford's countenance bright
ened. She did not doubt that he meant
1t. He was not of the sort that fiat
tered. She began to like Bill Dale at
that same moment.
And Bill Dale told himself as he
went hOmeward that he was beginning
to like Babe Litteford. He did not
fight the feeling, because 1t somehow
made the world seem better place.
| Early the following morning Dale
made ready for his journey to Cincin-
natl. Having learned the evening be-
fore that he was going. BY Heck had
come to accompany him to the Half
way switch.