Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-07-19


1t, all the While muttering mysterious
words that she had learned from The
old Indian, Cherokee Joe - which
served her,purpose very we'll
~ see" she mumbled more or less
scpulcllrally, ~ pow'ful good-loOkin'
gyuri in q caliker dress, with her hair
a-hangin' away down her back. 4 bare
footed gyurl, with big, purity eyes.
Shes a-standin' on low cliff, a-pecn-
in ut you through the laurels. Mr..
Bill. This is in the past. -.
''ln the future" she went on slowly.
81 see this here as plain rs daylight
through Il knothole; awful big man.
with curly black hair and curly black
beard, and with eyes like cliff
hawks; and l see you, too. Mr.. Bill !;
and see fight, a master tiglit-Lortl
IA mussy, what fight! But you'll
marry the gyurl after all, Mr.. Bill"
Dale laughed. The old woman had
described Babe Llttleford. But who
was the "big, dark man.? Some fcl-
low who had lost his heart to the
mountain girl, perhaps.
When the Hecks had gone, John
MOrcand leaned forward and touched
his guest on the knee.
"1'lIat thar big man mentioned in
telin' yure forchune," he said, might
hH' been Black Adam Ball. Black Adam,
he lives with his pap and mother q
few mile up the river. AS big as
a skinned hoss, he Is. and plumb on
sodly strong. He's been a-beggin' Babe
Littlefard to marry him fo' year or
two. and she won't listen to Inn.
"I;f ever We DO haf to fight Black
ADAM" john Moreland went Oh, ''ye
want to fight him with Il tw0eyetl
shotgun and buckshot He's the meul
est man on earth; snuke-hroth and
pizen vine Is religious aside @ him.
But ontel We begin a-makin' love to
Babe Littleford, reckon the' ain't M
danger o YOU a-havin' trouble with
Black Adam; and you ain't likely, !
take it, to make love TO Babe"
But BaLe's the, best one o. the Lit,
tlefurds," declared Luke
John Moreand rpnched for the
leutherbound old family Bible. he
opened. the Book at random.
ITS about time we was a-goin' to
our rest, and We'll 60 jest sucn as
we've had prayers, Mr.. Dale"
When half n chapter from st. Mat
thew had been lahoriously but rever-
emily read, the MorelandS knet at
their chairs, and So did Bill Dale. John
Morelund's bedtime prayer WAS very
simple, and very earnest, and 1t had
in it more of thanksgiving than of
suppllcatiOn. And part of it certain
~ was uncommon
"BlcSS the stranger with rs here to-.
night. and all o. our kinfolkS. and all
O. our friends, and our inimns. tho
Ettlcfords- specially the Litrlefortls.
Aymen !"
Dale was deeply impressed. He
heard Mrs. MorelanG dimly wien slr
told hin to let her knUw--she would
hear him If he caled-if there wasn't
enough cover for his bet. Then he
found himself alone with the stalwart
chief of the Morelands.
He stepped forward and put hlh
hand un the inountaincer's shnaldcr.
"1Io% Il man can 20 down OH his
knees and pray for his eremieS,
smiled Dale, "is entirely beyond me-
Do you really mean it?'
II try hard to-" Mnreland said quick
~. "In a-dnn' that" he went OH, ~
so Ben Littlcford one better. Ben
Littleford's the bell sleep o the pco
pie who lives acrOSt the river trplil
U.s. people we've hated fo' years and
years. Ben, lie holds fambly prayers
too, every night. He'd AK the hlcSsin
o the Lord OF the stranger 0ndrr his
roof, but not on his ininieS, the More
lands. Yes, try hard to mean it, Bill
Dale"
and that other enemy" murmured
Dule-and he wondered why that
should bother him so much. why he
should feel That vague responsibility
about it---"illu mun who killed you,
brother, David"
~ dUn't never pray TO him." inter
rnpted the lnountaineer, going Il little
pale. VI hain't That nigh ju(fect. A
iiial don't cit SO good at lie axes tile
Almighty to bless the devil--or the
ruttlcr in the lnulris, Or the copper
head at waits ontler a bush fu' the
pasSin' q some hare-legged child"
Dale WINGED, but M"rclnnl didn't
notice it. Dale let his hund fall from
the others shoulder. Mureland begal
to Speak again:
81 didn't tell ye ufore, Bill Dale. Ny
brother David, he WAS the hope o his
people. File was helter'n the rest OF
us. I'l:-: one big aim O his life was
to educate us all, the benighlcd. Yes
we're benightcd, and we know il. Fit
iucalt TO do it with the coal hr't
found. AS I've done told ye, we ain'l
never had the heart 10 sell tile coal
! | llnpe yell have Il fine rest, Bill
Dale amt a-"uiu' to call ye Mister
10 mnre. PiI I,aIS"