The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-07-28

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laurels out at her right, the voice she
loved better than any other
Hello, Miss Littlefordr
Babe stopped and faced him, and
she blushed furiously when she saw
him. He was coming rapidly toward
her with his hat b his hand, and his
brown hair was rumpled and damp
with perspiration. She saw that he
was In boots and corduroys. the cloth
ing Of timber-jack, and he looked
bigger in them about his waist there
was a cartridge-belt, from which hung
a big and dependable looking revolver
In a leathern holster.
Hello, Mister Dale I" she mimicked.
BE shook her hand, then he dropped
to moss-covered log that lay beside
the narrow trail.
"Sit down here beside me-" he said;
and he added: "rve been going hard
all day, and I'm pretty tired"
She let fall her bundle and her
shoes and stockings, and obeyed.
'Why did you come back, Babe?" he
asked as though he were displeased.
"Cause" she answered-and she
corrected herself quickly, 81 mean be-
cause"
mo reason whatever" smiled Dale.
"Weu," and her clear brown eyes
looked at him squarely, II come back
because yore mother she said i would
be burden to Mis- McLaurin, that's
why"
Mrs. McLaurin." said Dale; mo,
Mis- McLaurin."
"A burden to Mrs. McLaurin, and r
amt a-goin' to be q burden to no
bodyT vehemently. In a softer voice,
she went on, MRS. McLaurin and her
husband and her folks has done made
up friendly, Bill Dale. Mrs. McLau-
rinS pap-I mean her father-he
brung 'em big lot O. silver
things.
"Bill Dale, had a big time Every
body liked me but yore own maw-I
mean yore mother. My goodness
gracious-they dress awful fine, don't
they2 Why, silk amt nothin'. But
whar all o their money comes from, I
shore cain't see. Say. showed some
o Pats friends how to dance our old
hill dances, and the whole town was
crazy about 'em when l left. Jimmy
Fayne is awful good-lookin' and rich,
amt he, Billf He liked me better'n
any Of 'em, less II was Pat herself.
You know Jimmy. don't ye, B1n7"
Dale nodded, frowned, and turned
his sober gaze toward the toes of his
high laced boots. Yes, he knew Jimmy
Fayne, and he held him in contempt.
The pampered son OF wealthy cotton
speculator, weak, devoted to high
nights, remarkably handsome to ro-
mantle and unsophIstlcated girls but
not to men and women who had cut
their wisdom-teeth-that was Jimmy
Fayne.
Babe Littleford was speaking again:
II 'cided to come back here, Bill
Dale, because l thought they might
need me here as well as because I was
aIeard would be burden to Pat-l
mean afraid I would be a burden to
Fat. Seems like CANT talk proper
at all I've tried and tried. I've spent
half O. my time jest a-tryin' to talk
proper. Pat she'd put down words
mustn't say on sheet O. paper, and
I'd study 'em. AfeaSi, shore, pap,
cause, aln't, hain't-and all O. them.
And she'd put down the right words
with 'em SOS I'd know.
"Yore mother was the last to come
to see me. Bin. so this she says to
PAT, is the "barburian princess l
didn't know what that meant, but
'spect it's somethin' bad. went into
the house, because l didn't want to
say anything, and her yore own moth
er. But I listened. and heard her
say the rest, and this Is 1t:
"What will you do when the in-in-
innovation wears off. PatriciaT she
says. She'll be q burden to you,
Patricia: you'll have half-sayage
person tagging after you. like lady
bearI'
That's what It was she said, Bill
Dale. I'm shore they do need
me here, and I az ye this, Bill Dale:
Are you sorry to see me come back 7"
Perhaps they do need you" Dale
slowly stripped the tiny leaves from
fern. "But that Is not sufficient rea-
son to warrant your staying here. OF
course. I'm not sorry to see you, Babe
But you must 60 back to Patricia very
soon. II you had been a burden to
Patricia. she would have told you"
Babe put out o foot and Idly rolled
an acorn across the path with one
bare big toe.
But IL dop,t think 1 want to 20
back" she protested. "rd rather stay
here, q heap rather"
but you must 60 back" declared
Dale. you really must"
Ben Littleford's daughter was ST.
lent. For a moment she absently
watched the playful antics Of q little
boomer squirrel on the side Of q near
by hickory. Then she arose.
"Look," she urged-it was ono Of
the charming wiles Of her-"Look at