The Glenwood post., 1921-09-17

in order that they might avoid con
tact with the Moreiands. There was
no need Of avoiding contact with the
Morelands now, thank goodness!
Then a voice hailed her from the
iaurels out at her right, the voice she
loved better than any other
Hello, Miss Littlefordl"
Babe stopped and faced him, and
she blushed furiously when she saw
him. He was coming rapidly toward
her with his hat in his hand, and his
brown hair was rumpled and damp
with perspiration. She saw that he
was in boots and corduroys, the cloth
ing OF timber-jack, and he looked
bigger in them; about his waist there
was a cartridge-belt, from which hung
a big and dependable looking revolver
in a leathern holster
Hello, Mister Dale" she mimcked.
to moss-covered log that lay beside
the narrow trail.
"Sit down here beside me-" he said
and he added: I've been going hard
all day, and I'm pretty tired"
She let fall her bundle and her
shoes and stockings. and obeyed.
"Why did you come back, Babe?" he
asked as though he were displeased.
"'Cause," she answered-and She
corrected herself quickly, 81 mean be
cause"
mo reason whatever" smiled Dale.
"Well." and her clear brown erpS
looked at him squarely, 81 come hnrE
because yore mother she said wouio
be a burden to Mis- McLaurin, that's
why"
Mrs. McLaurin," said Dale; mot
Mis- McLaurin."
"A burden to Mrs. McLaurin, and
amt a-goin' to be a burden to no
body I" vehemently. In a softer voice
she went on, Mrs. McLaurin and her
husband and her folks has done made
up friendly, Bill Dale. Mrs. McLau-
rims pap-l mean her father-he
brung EN- big lot o silver
"Bill Dale. had big time! Every
body liked me but yore own maw-I
mean yore mother. My goodness
gracious-they dress awful fine, don't
they? Why, silk amt nothin. But
whar all O. their money comes from, l
shore CANT see. Say, l showed some
o. Pats friends how 10 dance our old
hill dances, and the whole town was
crazy about 'em when l left. Jimmy
Fayne is awful good-lookin' and rich,
amt he, Bill? He liked me better'n
any of 'em, less 1t was Pat herself.
You know Jimmy, don't ye, Bill?"
Dale nodded, frowned, and turned
his sober gaze toward the toes Of his
high laced boots. Yes. he knew Jimmy
Fayne, and he held him In contempt.
The pampered son of wealthy cotton
nights, remarkably handsome to ro-
mantle and unsophisticated girls but
not to men and women who had cut
their wisdOm-teeth-that was Jimmy
Fayne.
Babe Littieford was speaking again:
II 'cided to come back here, Bill
Dale, because ! thought they might
afeard ! would be n burden to Pat-I
mean afraid l would be burden to
Pat. Seems like ] CANT talk proper
at all! I've tried and tried. I've spent
hnlf o. my time jest a-tryin' to talk
proper. Pat, she'd put down words l
mustn't say on sheet o paper and
I'd study 'em. Afeard, shore. pap,
cause, amt, hain't-and all O. them.
And she'd put down the right words
with 'em SOS I'd know.
"Yore mother was the last to come
10 see me BIZ! so this she says to
lat. is the barbarian princess !" i
didn't know what that meant, but
spect it's somcthin' bad. | went into
the house, because ] didn't want to
say anything. and her yore own moth
er. But | listened, and heard her
say the rest, and this is it:
"'What will you do when the In-in-
innovation wears Off, PatriciaT she
says. She'll be burden to you,
Patricia; you'll have half-savage
person tagging after you, like lady
bear!'
"That's what 1t was she said, BIZ
Dale. I'm shore they do need
me here, and I AZ ye this, Bill Dale !:
Are you sorry to see me come back?'
perhaps they do need YOU Dale
slowly stripped the tiny leaves from n
fern. But that Is not sufficient rea-
son to warrant your staying here. OF
course, I'm not sorry to see you, Babe.
But you must go back to Patricia very
soon. II you had been a burden to
patricia, she would have told you"
Babe put out n foot and idly rolled
an acorn across the path with one
bare big toe.
But IL pOn't think want to 60
back" she protested I'D rather stay
here, heap rather"
"But you must go back" declared
Dale, You really must"