Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-07-14

'The devill"
The mountaineers began to crowd
about Dale.
"And who" asked their leader, do
We think done it2"
Bill Dale shook his head slowly and
thHew out his hands.
"How should l known" He went
on: "Babe told me about the Littleford
guns disappearing. l saw her down
at the river; she was fishing"
did she say anything" pursued
John Moreland, "'at sounded like she
knowed whar them guns went tor
"She told me-" said Dale, "she would
give her life to stop the fighting. She
seemed rather badly worked up over
It,"
From the cabins front doorway came
wOman's sorrOwful voice:
"And me, too; I'd give my life to
stop this here tightin'. / had a boy,
big, strappin' boy"
John Moreland frowned toward his
wife and interrupted. "Now, Addie,
honey. don't do that"
1t ended the talk.
Mrs. Moreland dried her eyes on a
corner of her freshly ironed Bingham
apron, and announced the monday
meal. The mountaineers dispersed.
Grandpap Moreland went away claw
ing at his long white beard and grum-
bling over the loss Of his beloved old
Lancaster.
An hour later Dale cornered the
Moreland leader on the vine-hung
front porch and suggested that they
look over the coal property that after
noon. He was eager to go to work,
eager to be doing something worth
while, he told MOreland. The hillman
stood very still for what seemed to
the other very long time, and had
no word to say. Evidently the feud
had all his mind now.
When he did speak, he said simply /:
"All right, BILL"
After half an hour Of fighting their
way through thickets Of blooming lau-
rel and Ivy, they drew up before an
old and widowed cabin at the north
end Of David Moreland's mountain.
Moreland led the way in and pointed
to a spot under a small, paneless win
dow.
"Thar," said he, sis whar we found
my brother David"
The two men turned for the point
at which the coal vein ran out to the
light Of day.
Dale picked up a piece Of the shin
ing black stun. Judging by the little
he knew and the great amount Of de-
scriptlon he had heard, the vein was
very large and the coal itself Of the
finest grade.
1T was big find" he told his COM
panion, "a big find. 1t was pity to
let it lie here untouched for so long |;
and yet it's worth more today than 1t
was ever worth before"
His enthusiasm ran warm, and More
land caught 1t quickly. Together they
hastily planned out the little railroad
that was to wind its way through the
wilds and connect with the big rail-
road at the Halfway switch.
II know I'm a-doin' right about It"
the mountaineer said twice for the
benefit Of his conscience. Il know
pore David he would want me to do
this eff he could know" N
I'm sure Of it." agreed Dale. "Ill
start for Cincinnati tomorrow. I've
got enough money to take me there
and back. l have q very wealthy
| friend there-his name Is Harris; I
think l can borrow enough from him
to finance the beginning Of this thing.
| And I'll buy a locomotive and cars,
and all the other necessary machinery,
while I'm in Cincinnati unless ! fail
to get the money from Harris. When
l get back, which should be within
eight days, wen start the work. At
q guess. I'd say wen need twenty
men. Can we get themf"
"Shore." nodded the mOuntaineer.
+And all MoreIands at that"
They turned homeward. At ,last
Bill Dale was happy. He had some
thing to do now--an aim in life. He
had ditiiculties to overcome, obstacles
to remove, barriers to surmOunt-it
was his big chance
II was almost shutdown when Dale
returned from his visit to the coal
vein-Big Pine mountain hid the sun
at a little after three in the afternoon.
He borrowed q fishing rod and min
now pail, which made his going to the
river seem proper enough to John
Moreland. and set out to meet Babe
Littleford He was glad that nobody
expressed a desire to accompany him.
ne found Ben LIttleford's daughter
where he had found her twice before
sitting on a stone the size Of small
barrel. She was fishing with an I'M
baited hook, which was equal TO FISH,
ing not at all. and she seemed pleased
when she saw him coming. He sat
down on the stone at her side. She
moved over a little shyly, and tried 70
cover her feet with ner calico skirts
II aNTondntt hnfhaP n hide them y