Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-09-01


Il was almost SHUTDOWN when Dale
returned from his visit TO the coal
yein-Big Pine mountain hid the sun
at a little after three In the afternoon
He borrowed a fishing rod and min.
now pail. which made his going TO the
| river seem proper enough TO John
MOreland. and set out 10 meet Babe
| LItfIefOrd. lie was glad that nobody
| expressed desire TO accompany him.
AAe found Ben Littieford's daughter
| where he had found her twice before
| sitting on n stone the size Of a small
barrel. She was fishing with - un-
| 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 little shyly, and tried to
cover her feet with her calico skirts.
Needn't bother TO hide them. I"
laughed Bin Dale. They're pretty
enough. Most feet, y'know, are neces-
sary evils. like chimneys and rain
| spoutsT"
Babe Littieford biushed. He went
on. to hide her confusion. Tell me
about the rifles"
"You must shore keep Il n secret. /"
she told him.
Il promise"
Better put yore hook In. SOS eff any
body comes along"
Dale threw out an empty hook.
Il want to tell ye some other things
fust. SOS yen understand better when
l come TO the part about the rifles"
Babe began. looking thoughtfully
across the water TO where kingfsher
sat in watchful waiting. She csatin-
ued slowly. choosing her words care
fully, II was brought up TO hate them
Morelands. butt don't think 1 do. My
people Is jest like the Morelands. The
biggest difference We can find is that
one side mostly has grey eyes like
you AMI tother side mostly sas brown
eyes Ike me. All but their everiastin'
fightin'. they're good people, Bill Dale.
Zach side, ye see. Is brought up TO
hate tother side. I'm ashamed to tell
1t, 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 II 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 IT.
Purity soon my Uncle Saul and Abner
Moreland happened along. and they
went to fightin', too. Thank goodness.
Il was on Sunday. and none OF 'em
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 II holy. :"
IL see" Dale muttered sympathet-
ically.
"Tve seen my own mother set down
In the floor and take her boys head
In her lap--oh. such q big, fine boy he
was while the blood run through hd
dress from n MOreland's bullet. He
died with mothers arms and mine
around him. It was all we could do
70 him, was to love him. I've seen sis
tiers watch their brothers die from
Moreland bullets, and young wimmen
watch their sweethearts die. and wives
watch their husbands die.
II 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 gore finger and
thumb all day. And its the same way
with the Littiefords. They're fighters,
too. every one. and they don't give In
any more than the Moresands does.
"Addie Moreland knows what Il 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 Cartersville. but AddIe,
she allus loved him better'n Gale or
Luke. Wimmen like her alius loves
the worst boys the best; cause they
need IL the most, the worst boys does.
"It's the wimmen that pays, Bill
Dale. when the's fightIn'. The vim
men o. this valley Is right now on
needles; they're afeard the men'I find
their rifles. You can guess whar the
guns went to now, CANT yer The VIM
men hid 'em last night after the men
had gone to sleepi BY good luck, they
had almost q whole night TO IL. You
must be shore 90 keep Il to yourself
but know ye will. AddIe Moreland,
she started the idee. She got Granny
Moreiand to spread the word amongst
the wimmen o. my people. When the
fightin' fever sort o. dies down the
guns'n 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 II
| mt all.
Her voice brought him TO himself
"What're you a-thlnkin' about. Bill
Dalef"
Dale went to his feet. He saw that
shs was smiling. and he smiled. too.
Ss"I was thinking" he ssid. -of the
difference between you and some other
women know"
Her clear brown eyes widened.
-And reckon seem purity no count,
don't If
.No. not at all. Il is-er. quite the
Skk&0SsSs
pear unreal. artificial"
Babe Lttleford's c06ntenance bright
ened. She did not doubt that he meant
t. He was not OF the sort that fiat
tered. She began TO like Bill Dale at
that same moment
And Bin Dale told himself as he
went homeward that he was beginning
60 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-
nau. 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
hours In which to cross David More
lands mountain before the arrival of
Daie's train, and they walked lei
surely.
ThNW had uo4 0nno a A~~~~ .odS