Cleveland County herald., 1921-08-18


 boy is a pow'ful hard thing to do. I'm afeard ye don't quite understand"
 1t was terrible thing, I know" said Dale. But it was the fortunes of war. The Littlefords have endured the fortunes of war in exactly the same way. Come with me; let's go. need your help; l can do very little without your help. Come, John More land !"
 The hillman replied slowly: "Well, I'll go with ye over thar. But Ben he'll haf to make the fust break at a-bein' friends, cause I'm purity shore I never will. As soon as l git my hat Bill"
 He went to the front porch and took from chairpost his broad trimmed headgear. Then the two set out
 They crossed an ox-wagon road, & sweet-scented meadow, the river by means of the blown-down sycamore, another Sweet-scented meadow and another ox-wagon road, and entered the cabin yard of the Littleford chief. Here, too, many old-fashioned flowers were in bloom; cane fiShingpole, slender and white, leaned against the porch; it made Dale think of Babe.
 "You wait out here" whispered Dale, with hand on his companions arm. "Ill go in and see if I can per suade Littleford to make the advance. I'm pretty sure I can."
 He started forward when a hound rose from the stone step and grewled warningly At that Dale halted and sang out:
 Hello, Ben!'
 The front door swung open, creak. ing on wooden hinges, and Babes fa- ther, bareheaded and with a lamp in his hand appeared in the doorway He knew the voice that had summoned him.
 Come right in, MT. Dale," he in vited with the utmost cordiality Come right in p
 He scolded the dog away, and Dale entered the primitive home. He was shown into the best room. where he dropped easily into a roomy old rock CT that was lined with an untanned sheepsEin. Ben Littleford put the lamp on crude table drew up an other chair, and sat down facing his visitor.
 q hope ye ain't jest happened over fo' a minute or two on business" he drawled; q hope ye've come to spend the night wi me, anyway"
 'Im here in the interests of peace, Dale began, looking at the hillmar squarely. q want you Littlefords to be on good terms with your neigh bors, the Morelands. John is out there at your gate now; he is waiting for you to ask him in and say to him Let's begin anew; let's be friends your people and my people, you ant me- You want that, don't you, Ben Babe did, I'm sure.'
 Littleford drowned, laced his big fin gers together and twirled his bi. thumbs. Now that he was once more at home, with assurance that hi! daughter would entirely recover, h' was no longer weak; he had all hi: old courage and all his old, stubborn hill pride back.
 "I'H ax John in," he finally de cided but he'll haf to make the fus break at a-bein' friends. Me axin him into my house is purity durnet good start toward friendship, ain | itY'
 He arose, took up the lamp, walked to the front door and opened it, anC l called into the night:
 Wont ye come in, John?"
 q reckon I will, Ben," was the lag, answer. "Fo' a minute, anyhow. Blu 1 reckon l cain't stay long"
 Moreland followed Littleford int the best room, Littleford put the laml beside the worn leather-bound Bibl' on the able, and they sat down. The. looked steadily at each other, ant Dale saw plainly that both were il at ease. Surely, thought Moreland, h' had done a great deal when he hat come into his old enemy's house Surely, thought Littleford, he hat done a great deal when he had asked John Moreland into his home.