The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-12-09
XIV.


beth Littleford alighted from an after
moor train at the Halfway switch. She
was dressed in a smart and neatly
fitting suit Of dark blue, with lacey
white at her throat and at her wrists;
she wore a hat OF dark blue relieved
by a touch OF white. In one OF her
strong and well-shaped, gloved hands
she carried a travelling bag Of black
leather.
A big and sunburned young mar In
boots and corduroys FASTENED to her.
He raised his broad-rimmed hat,
smiled, took the bag, and pressed her
hand as though he was very glad TO
see her.
"Bill Dale !" she cried ~joyously above
the roar Of the passing train. bill
Dale, it's your
"Sure. it's me !" laughed Dale. How
good you look! / can hardly believe
it's you"
"But II Is" she smiled. 'Tell me:
what do you think the outcome o your
trial is going to be-"
hOACu Ntldl hC iSiiSilSll III
proved, and 1t vas gratifying to him.
AS for the trial
II don't know" he said. 'But Ma
jor Bradley thinks I'll come clear. He
believes that somebody that was hid
den on the moutainside above us shot
Ball TO a V me. BY Heck limited thar
he knew that this was the case; and
he intimated that / would stand a bet
ter chance of acquittm than anybody
else would stand, and that If l re-
ceived a sentence the right man
would come forward with a confess
sion. | have an idea that BY Heck
himself killed Adam Ball-that is, If
/ didn't do It."
And Gale Northumberland II fine
for him TO do what he done for you.
Bill Dale? How are you gettin' along
with the miner"
First rate Dale answered, bright
ening at once. Were shipping now.
And we're getting a smashing price
for every ounce OF It."
II see," said the young oma He
went on:
"All Of the boys and girls Of the
Morelands, except the very little ones,
r in school at Gainesville, and
they're learning fast. When our Dor
rowed capital Is paid back, the More
land families are going to buy farms
lying near Gainesville and 60 to them.
A big lowland farm close to good
schools and a good little town-well,
there are worse places on earth. Pity
poor David Moreland can't know about
It."
I'D sayr"
She hung her head. She was think
Ing. as she had so often thought be-
fore. Of her own benighted people.
"And the Littlefords?" she MUIR
INJURED. 1t had slipped past her lips.
Dale and the Morelands owed the Lit
tlefords nothing.
Dale understood, and he gave her
. sympathetic glance.
"A few Of the boys and girls Of the
Littlefords are going to school in Car
tersville. perhaps one from each fam
ily," he told her. ut is rather ex-
pensive, you know, on account Of the
boarding. and they can't afford to
send all their children. However, l
observation-disclosures people will
have their chance for education. too"
"But 1t won't do much good to edu-
cate n out o each family" said Eliz-
abeth. They'd come straight back
here when they got through with their
schoolin'. and soon fo'git-I mean for
get!-it all. II they make their learn
In pay 'em anything, they'll have to
stay where they can use It."
She began to stare absently toward
her well-shod feet.
"Are you ready to goT" Dale asked.
Elizabeth Littleford raised her head
with a slight jerk and said rather awk-
wardly:
Has the valley changed much?"
mot very much" answered Dale.
There's a new log church, where an
old minister named Ashby Cross
breaches the gospel of straight walk
Ing and human kindness every Sun
day. Henderson Goff isn't here any
more, but he sent me his address in
$ we wanted to sell the mine |. The
Torreys have gone back to Jerusalem
cove and Hatton's hell. and the Balls
are as quiet as mice. These, / believe,
are all the changes worth mentioning"
Together they set out and walked.
without saying much. to the crest OF
David Moreland's mountain, and there
they halted. The autumn sun, a great
red ball of fire, was lust setting beyond
the majestic Big Pine.
Dale pointed to a long, moss-coyered
slab OF brown sandstone.
Lets sit down there and rest" he
suggested. You're tired, Babe. /
know. Don't mind my calling you
Babe do your
She looked at him rs though she
were surprised at his asking thar. They
sat down.
Bill Dale suddenly leaned toward her
and took one Of her hands; and he
didn't take IL as Jimmy Fayne had
"