Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-08-04

/ enough. Most feet, y'know. are neees-
sary evils, like chimneys and rain
| spOutsl"
Babe LittlefOrd blushed. He went
on. to hide her confusion, 'Tell me
about the rifles"
"You must shore keep IT a secret"
she told him.
81 promise"
better put yore hook in. SOS eff any
body comes along
bale threw out an empty hook.
az want to tell ye some other things
fust. SOS yen understand better when
| come to the part about the rifles"
Babe began, looking thoughtfully
across the water to where a kingtisher
sat in watchful waiting. She contin-
ned slowly. choosing her words care
fully. IL was brought up to hate them
Morelands, butt don't think do. My
people is Jest like the Morelands. The
! biggest difference We can find is that
one side mostly has grey eyes like
Won and tother side mostly has brown
! owes like me. All but their everlaStln
| tightin', they're good people, Bill Dale.
Zach side, We see, is brought up to
| nate t'other side. I'm ashamed TO tell
if butt understand the fust plain
words my Uncle Saul Littleford's last
baby said was these here: 'D--n John
Morelandr 1t started long time ago,
and it 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- fghtin' about 1t.
Purity soon my Uncle Saul and Abner
Moreand happened along. and they
went to tightin', too. Thank goodness,
it 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 1t holy. :"
II see," Dale muttered sympathet-
ically.
ave seen my own mother set down
in the floor and take her boys head
in her lap-oh, such big, fine boy ne
was while the blood run through her
dress from Moreland's bullet. He
| died with mothers arms and mine
around him. 1t was all we could do
TO 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 a fair shot. You'd be puff
fectly safe in a-Iettin' any of 'em shoot
dimes from atween yore finger and
thumb all day. And it's the same way
with the LittIefords. They're fighters
too, every one, and they don't give III
any more than the MOrelands does.
"Addie Moreland knows what 1t IS
to take her dyin' boys head in her lap
whilst blood run through her dress 10
her knees. His name was Charley
and he was bad ; he'd drink, and oncet
lie shot up Gainesville. But Addie,
she allus loved him better'n Gale or
Luke. Wimmen like her allus loves
the worst boys the best; cause they
need 1t the most, the worst boys does.
Its the wimmen that pays, Bill
Dale, when the's tightin. The VIM
men O. this valley is right now on
needles; they're afeard the men'll ma
their rifles. You can guess whar the
guns went to now, CANT We? The VIM
men hid 'em last night after the men
had gone to sleep! BY good luck, they
had almost a whole night TO 1t. You
must be shore to keep it to yourself
but | know We will. Addie Moreland,
she started the idee. She got Granny
Moreland to spread the word amongst
the wimmen O. my people. When the
tghtin' fever sort o dies down the
guns'll 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
at all.
Her voice brought him to himself.
| "What're you a-thinkin' about, Bill
Dale?
Dale went to his feet. He saw that
she was smiling, and he smiled, too.
II was thinking" he said, "of the
difference between you and some other
women l know"
Her clear brown eyes widened'
"And l reckon l seem purity no count
don't III
mo, not at all. 1t is-er. quite the
opposite, Babe. You make them ap-
pear unreal, artificial"
Babe Littlefords eountenance bright
ened. She did not doubt that he meant
1t. He was not of the sort that nat
tered. She began to like Bill Dale at
that same moment.
And Bill Dale told himself ms he