The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-09-30

SaIs evils, IKE CululleyS anu rain
spouts"
Babe L~ittleford blushed. He went
IN, to hide her confusion, Tell ue
about the rifles"
You must shore keep it a secret"
she told him.
Il promise"
Better put yore hook in, SOS eff any
body along"
Dale threw out an empty hook.
I'want TO tell We some other things
fuSt, SOS yell understand better when
| come 10 the part about the rifles, ="
Babe began, looking thoughtfu!ly
across the water to where Il kingtisher
sat in watchful waiting. She contin-
ued slowly. choosing her words care
fully, Il was brought up TO hate them
More!ands. butt don't think | do. My
people is jest like the MorelandS. The
biggest difference We 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'
fiGhtin', they're good people, Bill Dale.
Each side, ye see, is brought up to
hate t'other side. I'm ashamed to tell
II, butt understand the fust plain
words my Uncle Saul Littleford's last
baby said was these here: 'D-n John
MOreland" 1t started a long time ago,
and it started over nothin'. Grandpap
Littleford and John Moreland's pap
got in a dispute over whether Kahn
lucky was in Virginny or Nawth Ca
liner, and went to fightin' about 1t.
Purity soon my Uncle Saul and Abner
Moreland happened along, and they
went to tighttn', too. Thank goodness,
1t vas on Sunday, and none of EN-
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 seer my own mother set down
In the floor and take her boys head
in her lap-Oh. such a big, fine boy he
WaS!-while the blood Il through her
dress from a Moreland's bullet. He
died with mothers arms and mine
around him. 1t was all we could do
TO him, vas TO love him. I've seen sis
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 q fair shot. You'd be puff
fectly safe in a-lettin' any of 'em shoot
dimes from atween yore finger and
thumb all day. And IT'S the same way
with the Littlefords. They're fighters,
too, every one, and they don't give In
"Addie Moreland knows what it 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 Gainesville. But Addie,
she allus loved him better'n Gale or
Luke. Wimmen like her allus loves
the worst boys the best; cause they
need 1t the most, the worst boys does.
Its the wimmen that pays, Bill
Dale, when the's tghtin'. The vim
men o this valley is right now on
needles; they're afeard the msnTl find
their rifles. You can guess whar the
guns went to now, CANT We? The vim
men hid EN- last night after the men
had gone to sleep. BY good luck, they
had almost q whole night fo' 1t. You
must be shore to keep it to yourself
but | know We will. Addie Moreland,
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 1t
at all.
Her voice brought him to himself.
"What're you a-thinkin' about, Bill
Dale?"
Dale went to his feet. He saw that
III was SllililllS' anu lC SLIllcu, lOO.
IL vas thinking" he said, "of the
difference between you and some other
women l know"
Her clear brown eyes widened.
And / reckon l seem purity no count,
don't II"
No, not at all. 1t is-er. quite the
opposite, Babe. You make them APP
pear unreal, artificial"
Babe Littleford's c~ountenance 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 LittlefOrd. He did not
fight the feeling, because it somehow
made the world seem q 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.
The two set out. They had three