The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-12-16
CHAPTER XVII.
Bill Dale Laughs.

Bill Dale Laughs.
Bin Dale sat thinking Of what he
dad done there in the Big Pine coun-
Try. From the ~stone-and-clay Chin
neys Of the cabins Of the Littlefords on
the other side Of the river the bowling
wind snatched sprays Of blue wood
smoke. The Morelands had gone to
farms lying around Gainesville in the
lowland, OF each Of which a fair-sized
rowed capital was to remain borrowed
Tor another year. The Morelands were
already losing their outlandishness
and growing into universal respect.
David Moreland's dream was at last
being realized.
Then Dale frowned heavily. If only
he could do as much for Babes pao-
pie! But he couldn't. The men Of the
Littlefords still worked the coal mine.
They received almost twice the custom
airy 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
tiers, for he was still somewhat bitter
toward them-toward his father be-
cause Of his fathers Ill treatment Of
David Moreland and David Moreland's
people; toward his mother because she
had let him go hungry for mother-love
as a baby, as a child, as a boy, and as
n MAN.. tnvuorH than hnth hnnanca hQ
had been reared a. %do-nothing.
The door opened suddenly, and By
Heck came stamping In with a gust of
cold air at his back. He carried In
n hand the mail satchel in the other
was his ever-present rifle. After throw
Ing the satchel to the floor at Dale's
feet, he turned to the glowing wood
stove.
I'm dang nigh frlz, Bill" he chat
tered. my gosh, 4 couldn't be 40 cold
er'n what l EN- eff I'd ha' elm the
nawth pole neck-ed. Say, Bill, why'n't
ye burn coal Std O. wood? Igod. It's
hotter"
Goal Is worth money. Wood isn't"
Dale ran through the mail hastily.
He threw aside a letter from the Alex
ander Crayaeld Coal corporation, which
took the entire output Of the mine at
an extraordinary figure, and picked up
q letter which bore the postmark Of his
home city.
It was from Babe Littleford. Since
he 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
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.
He understood, he believed. How any
woman on earth could turn down a
man like Bill Dale was utterly beyond
him. By Heck was a great deal like a
~gOod-natured dog. 49,.
If Bill would only laugh, 1t 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"
"Well?"
"Do We want me to tell We a funny
tales" drawled Heck. He barely heard
the answer:
II guess I don't mind, By"
Heck's sympathy made him gulp.
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 1t? 'Hoss-
fly Smith, they called him, cause 1t
was said at he could easy shoot a
hossfy often a hoss's ear and never
break hide on the animile. He was a
hellicn. too. One time Hossfy, he was
a-tryin' to git app'inted the chairmap
o. some sort O politics doin's, and on
chat same day he was a-drinkin' sort
> tol'able heavy. They agreed to
make him the Temporary chairman, but
Hossfy, he didn't want that. So ne
hops right up In the middle O the meet
In. and he hollers out and says:
"'Feller citizens he' says, I want
to be the permanent chairman I amt
a-goin' to act In the capacity Of q
burned temp'rary chairman: I abso-
d--n-lutely amt!
His old inemy. Eb Wright, he yells
back and says smartlike:, Set down
char. Hossny.' says Eb-'ysu're drunk,
and you don't know the difference q.
tween temp'rary and permanent
well, they knewed Eb had II q
.omin' to him right then. and they lis
]ened 70 It Hosshy. he addresses the
whole mcetin'. and this here II what
Hossiy says:
"'Feller citizens says he, 'Eb
Wright thar lows I don't know the diff
terence atween Temporary and perma-
usnt I'll prove to you that ! do know
4he difference. Eb Wright says I'm
drunk. I am. That's Temporary. Eb
Wright is q poke-nosed idjit. That's