The Pulaskian., 1921-11-03
CHAPTER XVII.
Bill Daia Launhs.
-14.-

Blil Dale sat thinking or Nhat He had done there in the Big Pine coun- try. From the stone-and-clay chim- neys of the cabins of the Littlefords on ithe other side of the river the bowling wind snatched sprays of blue wood smoke. The Morelands had gone 10 farms lying around Cartersyille in the Iowland, on each of which fair-sized first payment had been made. the hor- rOwed capital was to remain borrowed for another year. The MoreIands were already losing their eutlandishneSs and growing into universal respect. David Moreland's dream was at last being realized.
 Then Dale frowned heavily. If only he could do as much for Babes pee- plel But he couldn't. The men of the Littlefords still worked the coal mine. They received almost twice the custom sry wages. but even that wouldn't buy them farms and educate their children
 Under his eyes lay two unanswered letters from his parents. He found little pleasure In answering their let ters, for he was still somewhat bitter toward them--toward h.a father be- cause of his fathers i'll treatment of David Moreland and David Moreland'S people; toward his mother because she had let him go hungry for mother-love SIS Il baby, as child, as n boy, and as q man. toward them both because he bad been reared do-nothing.
 The door opened suddenly. and By Heck came stamping in with a gust of cold air at his back. He carried in one hand the mall satchel; in the other was his ever-present rife. After throw ing the satchel to the floor at Dale's feet, he turned to the glowing wood stove.
 I'm dang nigh friz. Bll," hc chat tered My gosh, couldn't be no cold er'n what I em ef I'd ha' clim' the nawth pole neck-ed. Say. Bill. why.n't ye burn coal 'stid O wood? Igod, it's hotter"
 Goal Is worth money. Wood isn't"
 Dale ran through the mail hastily. He threw aside letter from the Alex ander Crayfield Coal corporation, which took the entire output of the mine at an extraordinary figure, and picked up letter which bore the postmark of his home city.
 It was from Babe Littleford. Since he paid so little attention to the letters of his parents, they had requested her to write to him-they wanted him to come home for Christmas dinner. Wouldn't he comef
 He arose and paced the office floor for two or three minutes. then he sat down at his desk and dashed off a let ter that contained only two sentences.
 By Heck sat beside the stove and watched his god with thoughtful eyes. He understood. he believed How any woman on earth could turn down a man like Bill Dale was utterly beyond him. By Heck was great deal like good-natured dog.
 If Bill would only laugh. it would be good for him. It had been so long since he had heard Bill laugh. By Heck de cided thnt he would make Bill Dale laugh.
 "Oid boy?"
 "wenY"
 Do yc want me to tell ye a funny tale7s drawled Heck. He barely heard the answer:
 "I guess I don't mind. By"
 heck's sympathy made him gulp. But he swallowed the lump that came up in his throat and began bravely:
 ''One time the was a feller named G.pstb nl.9 ,o,ra Yill otDtt tto tIIaSe fly Smith. they called him, cause it was said at he could easy shoot q hossfy otfen hosss ear and never break hide on the anlmile. He was a hellion, too. One time Hossfy. he was a-tryin' to git appinted the chairman O some sort Q politics doin's. and on that same day he was a-drinkin sort Q tofable heavy. They agreed to make him the temp'rary chairman, but Hossfly, he didn't want that. So he hops right up in the middle O the meet in, and he hollers out and says:
 "'Feher citizens, he says, I want to be the permanent chairman! I oin't a-goin' to act in the capacity of a durned temp'rary chairman; I abso. d-n-luteiY alHt!
 His old inemy, Eb Wright, he wells back and says smart-like: Set down thar, Hossfly says Eb--'you'rc drunk, and you don't know the difference a. tween temprary and pcrmanentr
 "WeA, they knowed Eb had 1t d. comin' to him right then, and they lis- tened fo' If. Hosstly. he addresses the whole meetin', and this here is what Hossfly says:
 "'Felicr citizens says he, 'Eb Wright thar lows ! don't know the diff ference atween teInp'rary and per1nn- ncnt. I'll prove to you that do know inc difference. ED Wright says I'm drunk. l am. That's temprary. Eb Wright Is n poke-nesed idiit. That's