Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-08-25
CHAPTER x

Interesting sight when she alighted
from a nOrthbound afternoon train at
the Halfway switch. Just below the
long siding shorter siding had been
put in-the railway company had been
fastened. no doubt, by the great in
tluence of old Newton Wheatley-and
from it had been unloaded a small
gcared locomotive, a dozen or so of
little coal cars opening at the bottom,
and miles of light steel rails with kegs
of spikes for them.
Out toward her home a crew of men
worked like bees at the building of a
trestle of round timbers that had been
cut from the nearby woods; she at
once recognized these men as ore
lands and Littlefords, and she knew
it meant peace They didn't recognize
her, because of the distance and the
clothing she wore, and because they
were too busy to pay any particular
attention to her.
Farther out toward Doe river an
other crew of men was at work clear
ing the way for the little narrow
gauge. She heard the sounds of the
ak and the saw, the hammer and the
steel, and once there came to her ears
mite as q cliff was blown clear of its
foundations.
Miss Elizabeth Littleford smiled
happily. And she had not been happy
for long time. Patricia McLaurin,
with whom she ha dbeen staying, had
been kindness itself, but the mother
of Bill Dale, her Bill Dale, had
snubbed her-and besides the longing
for the old home hills was riotous in
her blood. SO she had come back, run
away at less than a moments notice
as had Bill Dale before her, and how
good it seemed to be at home! She
would have gone to see the men, had
It not been that she feared she would
be a bother.
There was another interesting sight
when she had reached the crest of
David Moreland's mountain. In the
upper end of the broad valley, mid
way between the settlement" and the
opening of the Moreland coal vein, two
large buildings were well along in
their course of construction.
She put down her bundle of cloth
ing, shaded her eyes with her hand,
and tried to find Bill Dale among the
builders. But the distance was too
great a man down there was but a
rV,ara cnocly paforo cbo xr,On+ ~,
she removed her shoes and stockings.
1t was hard for Babe Littleford to be-
come accustomed to wearing useless
shoes and stockings in warm weather
When she had reached the foot of
the mountain, she didn't take the by
path her people had been wont to use
in order that they might avoid con-
tact with the Morelands. There was
no need of avoiding contact with the
Morelands now, thank goodness!
Then a voice hailed her from the
laurels out at her right, the voice she
loved better than any other
Hello, Miss Littlefordr y
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
big and dependable looking revolver
in leathern holster.
Hello, Mister Dale !" she mimicked.
He shook her hand, then he dropped
to a moss-cOvered log that lay beside
the narrow trail.
''Sit down here beside me-" he said !;
and he added: 1--WE 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, II mean be-
cause"
No reason whatever" smiled Dale
We'll" and her clear brown eyes
looked at him squarely, Il come back
because yore mother she said l would
be 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" vehemently. In softer voice.
she went on, Mrs. McLaurin and her
husband and her folks has done made
up friendly, Bill Dale Mrs. McLau-
rims pap-I mean her father-he
brung 'em big lot O. silver
things.
Bill Dale, | had big time Every
body liked me but yOre own maw-I
mean yOre mother. My goodness
gracfous-they dress awful fine, don't
they? Why, silk amt nothin'. But
whar all O. their money comes from,
shore CANT see. Say, l showed some
o. Pats friends how to 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 it was Pat herself.
You know Jimmy, don't ye, Bill?"
Dale nodded, frowned, and turned
his sober gaze towHrd the toes of his
high laced boots. res, he knew Jimmy
Fayne, and he held him in contempt.
The pampered son of wealthy cotton
Spectator, weak, devoted to nigh
nights, remarkably handsome to ro
mantle and unsophistfcated girls hui
not TO men and women who had cut
their wisdom m-tceth-tllat was Jimmy
Fayne.
Babe Littleford was speaking again :
II 'cided to come lack here, BiII
Dale, because | thought they might
need me here as well as because was
afenrd | would be burden to Pat-E
menn afraid ! would be burden TO
Pat. Seems like | cain't talk proper
at all I've tried ana tried. I've spent
half o my time Jest a-tryin' to talk
npnOpr Iat Shn'I I,tIt ',t,,t.,, x,,,nJ,