The Ordway new era., 1921-11-25
CHAPTER XVII.
6iH Dale Laughs.

the other side OF the river the bowling
wind. snatched sprays of blue wood
smoke. The Morelands had gone to
farms lying around Cartersville in the
iewland, on each of which fair-sized
iirst payment had been made the bor-
rowed capital was to remain borrowed
sfor another year. The Morelands were
alread, losing their outlandishness
and growing into universal respect.
David Moreiand's dream was at last
being realized.
Then Dale frowned heavily. If only
he could do as much for Babes peo-
plei But lie 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 his father be
cause of his fathers i'll treatment of
David Moreland and David MOreland's
people toward his mother because size
had let him go hungry for mother-love
as baby, as a child, as boy. and as
Il man; toward them both because he
had been reared a do-notltiug.
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 mail satchel in the other
was his ever-present rifle. After throw
ing the satchel TO the floor at Dule's
feet, he turned to the glowing wood
stove.
TIN dang nigh friz, Bill" he chat
tered. MY sosh couldn't he no cold
er'n what | em eff I'd ha' elm the
nawth pole neck-ed. Say, Bill, why'n't
We burn coal Std o. wood? IgOd, its
hotter"
Coal 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 pOstmarll of his
home city.
1t was from Babe LittlefOrd. Since
ne 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 come?
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.
In Ia
weman on earth could turn down a
man like Bill Dale was utterly beyond
MIN. By Heck was great deal like a
good-natured dog. :.
If Bill would only laugh. it would be
good for him 1t had been so long since
he had heard Bill laugh. By Heck de-
cided that he would make Bill Dale
laugh.
"old boy?"
%'WelI?"
do ye want me TO tell We a funny
taie?" drawled Heck. He barely heard
the answer:
II guess L don't mind BY"
Heck's sympathy made him Sulp.
But he swallowed the lump that came
up in his throat and began bravely:
zone time the was a Teller named
Smith. Odd name, Bill. amt it2 Hoss-
fly Smith. they called him, cause it
was said at he could easy shoot
hossfy often a hoss's ear and never
break hide on the animile. He was IA
heilion. too. One time Hossay, he WAS
s-tryin' 10 git app'inted the chairman
o. some sort o politics doin's. and oh
that same day he was a-drinllin sort
O tol'abie heavy. They agreed to
make him the temp'rary chairman, but
fIossfly. he didn't want that. So he
hops right up in the middle o. the meet
In, and he boilers out and says:
"'Feller citizens he says, 4 want
to be the permanent chairman, l amt
a-goin' to act In the capacity of a
burned Temporary chairman; abso-
d-n-iutely ain'tl'
Ills old inemy, Eb Wright. he yells
back and says srnart-like: Set down
thar. Hossfiy,' says Eb-'you're drunk,
and you don't know the difference a.
tween temprary and permanent
"WeIl. they tnowed Eb had it a.
comm to him right then. and they lis
tened fo' It. Hossfy, he addresses the
whole meetin', and this here is what
Hossfy says:
"'Fe1ier citizens says he, 'Eb
Wright thar lows don't know the diff
ference atween temp'rary and perma-
nent. I'll prove to you that do know
the difference. Eb Wright says I'm
drunk. 1 am. That's temp'rary. Eb
Wright is a poke-nosed idjit. That's
permanent"
Heck finished with a lazy laugh:
AHaw, haw, haw! Hee-haw, hee-hawI
That story" Dale said wearily,
-has been told on dozens of politicians.