Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1921-07-22


where he had found her twice before
sitting on a stone the size of small
barrel. She was fishing with an 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"
laughed Bill Dale They're pretty
enough. Most feet, y'know, are neces-
sary evils, like chimneys and rain
spouts !"
Babe Littleford blushed. He went
about the rifles"
you must shore keep it secret"
she told him.
II promise"
Better put yOre hook In, SOS eff any
body comes along"
Dale threw out an empty hook.
81 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 kingfsher
sat in watchtYl waiting. She contin-
ued slowly, choosing her words care
fully, II was brought up to hate them
Morelands, butt don't think l do. My
people is jest like the Morelands The
biggest difference We can find is that
one side mostly has grey eyes like
you and t'other side mostly has brown
eyes like me. All but their everlastin'
tghtin', they're good people, Bill Dale.
Zach side, We see, is brought up to,
hate t'other side. I'm ashamed to tell
it, butt understand the fust plain
words my Uncle Saul Littleford's last
baby said was these here: 'D-n John
Moreland 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 it,
Purity soon my Uncle Saul and Abner
Moreland happened along, and they
went to tghtin', 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 it holy. :"
Il see," Dale muttered sympathet-
ically.
"Pve seen my own mother set down
in the floor and take her boys head
in her lap-oh, such big, fine boy he
was while the blood run through her
dress from a Moreland's bullet. He
died with mothers arms and mine
around him. 1t was all we could do
fo' him, was to love him. I've seen sis
ters watch their brothers die from
Moreland bullets, and young wimmen
watch their sweethearts die, and wives
watch their husbands die. :.
Il tell you, Bill Dale, them More,
lands never misses when they have
even half fair shot. You'd be puff
fectly safe in a-lettfn' any of 'em shoot
dimes from atween yOre finger and
thumb all day. And it's the same way
with the Littlefords. They're fighters,
too, every one, and they don't give in
any more than the Morelands does.
"Addie Moreland knows what it 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 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 it the most, the worst boys does.
Its the wimmen that pays, Bill
Dale, when thes tghtin'. The vim
men O. this valley is right now ON
needles they're afeard the men'll find
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 q whole night fo it, 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
fightin' 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 it
at all.
Her voice brought him to himself.
"Whatre you a-thinkin' about Bill
DaIe"
Dale went TO his feet He saw that
she was smiling, and he smiled, too.
81 was thinking" he said, "of the
difference between you and some other
women l know"
Her clear brown eyes widened.
"And reckon l seem purity no count.
don't II"
mo, not at all. 1t is-er. quite the
opposite, Babe. You make them ap-
pear unreal, artificial"
Babe Littleford's countenance bright
ened. She did not doubt that he meant
1t. He was not Of the sort that fat
tered. She began to like Bill Dale at
that same moment.
And Bill Dale told himself as he
went homawnr rd that he was beginning