Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-09-29
CHAPTER XIV.
Tried.

noon train at the Halfway switch. She
was dressed in smart and neatly
fitting Suit of dark blue, with lacey
white at her throat and at her. wrists;
she wore hat of dark blue relieved
by touch of. white. In one of her
strong and well-shaped. glOved hands
she carried travelling bag of black
leather.
A big and sunburned young man in
boots and corduroys fastened to her.
He raised his broad-rimmed hat,
smiled. took the bag, and pressed her
hand as though he was very glad to
see her.
''Bill Dale!" she cried jOyously above
the roar of the passing train. "Bin
Dale. it's you'll"
"Sure, it's me! - laughed Dale. ''How
good, you lookl 1 can hardly believe
it's you."
But 1t is" she smiled, Tell me:
what do you think the outcome O. your
trial is going to be?"
Dale noted that her English had i'm
proved, and it was gratifying to him.
AS for the trial
II don't know" he said. But Ma
jor Bradley thinks I'll come clear. He
den Oh the moutainside above us shot
Ball to save me. By Heck limited that
he knew that this was the case; and
he intimated that / would stand bet
ter chance of acQuittal than anybody
else would stand, and that if l re-
ceived a sentence the right man
would come forward with a cOnfes-
sion. 1 have an idea that By Heck
himself killed Adam Ball-that is, if
l didn't do it"
"And Gale Moreland-wasn't it fine
for him to do what he done for you.
Bill Dale? How are you gettin' along
with the miner
First rate" Dale answered, bright
ening at once. "We're shipping now.
And were getting a smashing price
for every ounce of it."
u see," said the young woman. He
went on:
"All of the boys and girls of the
Morelands, except the very little ones,
are in school at Gainesville, and
they're learning fast. When our bor-
rowed capital is paid back, the More
land families are going to buy farms
lying near Cartersville and go to them.
A big lowland farm close to good
schools and a good little town-well,
there are worse places on earth. Pity
poor David Moreland can't know about
it."
I'D sayp
She hung her head. She was think
ing, as she had so often thought be-
fore, of her own benighted people.
"And the Littlefords?" she mur-
INJURED. 1t had slipped past her lips.
Dale and the Morelands owed the Lit
tlefords nothing.
Dale understood and he gave her
a sympathetic glance.
"a few of the boys and girls of the
Littlefords are going to school in Car
tersville, perhaps one from each fam
ily," he told her. ''It is rather ex
pensive, you know, on account of the
boarding, and they can't afford tc
send all their children. However,
k-ultimately-your people viii
have their chance for education. too.
"But it won't do much good to edu
cate one out O. each family" said Eliz
abeth. "They'd come straight bacE
here when they got through with theil
| cahnn1ir1' fn'nit-T
get lit all. If they make their learn
in pay 'em anything, they'll have t.
stay where they can use it."
She began to stare absently toward
her well-shod feet.
Are you ready to go?" Dale asked
Elizabeth Littleford raised her heaC
with slight jerk and said rather awk
wardly:
HAS the valley changed much?"
"Not very much," answered Dale
"There's new log church, where al
old minister named Ashby Cros
breaches the gospel of straight walk
ing and human kindness every Sun
day. Henderson Golf isn't here an,
more, but he sent me his address il
case we wanted to sell the mine! TIL
Torreys have gone back to Jerusalem
cove and HattOn's hell, and the Ball
are as quiet as mice. These, l believe
are all the changes worth mentioning.
Together they set out and walked
without saying much, to the crest o
David MOreland's mountain, and ther
they halted. The autumn sun, a grea
red ball of fire, was just setting beyon,
the majestic Big Pine
Dale pointed to long, moss-covere,
slab of brown sandstone.
Lets sit down there and rest b.
suggested you're tired, Babe,
know. Don't mind my calling yo
Babe do your"
She looked at him as though sh
were surprised at his asking that. The
sat down.
Bill Dale suddenly leaned toward he
and took one of her hands; and h
didn't take it as Jimmy Fayne ha
done-as though he were afraid of i
"You know / love you, don't yo
Babe?"
1--WE been believin' it," she told hir
after a mOment of painful silence. Sh
was a trifle pale now. But it-Bi
Dale. it somehow don't seem Just rigl
for you to love me. Because I'm sue
pore little nobody. Pm as ignora1
as sin; and l hain't-haven't even &c
good manners. But-but if you Low,
if you're sure you do, tell me whyI
There came another minute of pail
full silence.
Because" said Dale. speaking SLOW
ly, "yOu have always seemed to b
one of my own kind. You seem rea
to me- l was so sick of artificialitie
in women that l loved you the mOmer
l saw you. | know you are Drimitiv
but | am primitive, too. And yo
weren't calling yourself Ma-a-am-lna
to a id poodle.
Major Bradley he went on, Zee
sure that ] will he acquitted If
turns out like that, l want you