The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-09-01
Continued from last week)
CHAPTER XIX.
A Perfect Cross.


library Of the Dale home, near q west
window. Miss Elizabeth Littleford sat
reading by the fast fading light of an.
early March afternoon. Somehow she
liked to sit on the floor, and always she
liked to read; for one thing. books
helped her to forget that she was
lonely.
There were footsteps behind her.
soft footsteps because Of the thick vel.
vet carpet; then a low voice inquired: {
Aren't you afraid you will injurs
your eyes, Elizabeth Better have q
light, hadn't you, dearr' The old coal
king turned toward the switch on the
WALL
mo" she answered quickly. I'm r
through reading for today. and I like
this twilight"
Her improvement In speech and In
rapid rate. She rarely spoke with any
but the simplest words. but she never
fell into anything more than bare SEM
blance of the old drawling hill dialect
unless 1t was while she was under the
stress Of some strong emotion.
She closed the book and looked up
with eyes that were like the first stars
In summer sky. Her beauty was
wonderful; 1t was finer and sweetef
than 1t had ever been before
Old Dale stood looking thoughtfully
into her upturned face. He was lit
tie pale, and he seemed troubled and
uneasy.
Elizabeth shook her head. You're
worrying againl"
He dropped into nearby chair.
leaned slowly forward and let one
hand fall gently on her thick and silky
chesnut-brown hair.
81 wish," he said as though to him.
seelf. "that had daughter like you."
He took his hand from her head, lay
back wearily In his chair and closed
his eyes. Then he bent forward again.
"The Morelands, Elizabeth---they'vs
moved away from the settlement
haven't they?"
"Yes; Bill Dale has done wonderful!
things for them" the girl answered.
John X. Dale-was silent for q mo-
ment, after which he said suddenly: II
want TO see my son there is something
l must tell him. Will you 60 with me,
ElizabethT
"Of course, I'll go with you"
She thought she knew what It was
that stirred him. BY Intuition, supple
mented by Bill Dale's occasional cryp.
tic utterances, and pieced out by hill
tradition. Elizabeth Littleford kradu-
ally had come into possession Of the
old coal mans grim secret.
Neither Of them knew that John
Moreland was then visiting his beloved
old hills for the sake OF some shooting.
The following day John X. Dale and
Elizabeth Littleford alighted from q
northbound passenger train at the
Halfway switch. The mountains were
covered with three inches of snow, and
the hemlock and pines bore heavy b,r.
dens Of the beautiful white stuff; but
the air was still, and 1t wasn't very
cold.
You'd get your clothing all black
on the coal train" Dale said to his
companion, $50 you'd rather walk over
wouldn't your Anyway, the train isn't
here. I'm good for six miles. I think"
YES" smiled Ben Littleford's
daughter, "Pd rather waikiki you're
sure that six miles won't be too much
for you"
Together, with the girl leading the
way, they set out across David More
lands mountain. The old trail showed
not one footprint ahead of them; IL
was not so much used now. They said
little. Each thought their own thoughts.
and neither cared to speak them to
the other
Just before they reached the noun
taln's crest. they passed group Of
snow-laden pines that concealed q big.
brown-bearded man who had been
stealthily following the trail of a lone
wild turkey. He wore khaki hunting.
clothes and high laced boots. and there
was certain English fneness about
him. In his bare hands he carried a
repeating rife. which marked him as
one born In the hills; a iowIsntler
would have had a choke-bored shotgun.
When he saw John X. Dale he
stopped suddenly. II might have been
intuition, or 1t might have been sheer
curiosity. the average hillman being a
stranger to nelther--he followed and
watched the two, unseen by them.
On the pine-fringed crest. Elizabeth
Littleford halted to view that which
lay around and below him. Old Dale
stopped close at her side, and he, too.
looked at that which lay around and
oelow them; and to his mid also there
came memories crowding.
The' young woman brushed back a
wayward wisp of brown hair and
turned to the man beside her.
The Moreland part o. the settle
ment looks lonesome. don't it?" she
SAID. See. there's no smoke comm
from their cabin chmneys. :" She
went on absently. But the Littlefords
are there yet"
oid Dale caught the meaning that
was In the latter sentence. II was not
shallow meaning.