Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-09-08
CHAPTER xI
BY Heck Keeps a Secret.

When Sheriff Tom Flowers and the
others had been gone for half an hour,
| Elizabeth Littleford sat up in the ST.
lence. 1t was a great and heavy silence
that lowered there over the north end
of David Moreland's mountain. There
was not even the drumming of vel
lowhammer, not even the saucy chat
tering of a boomer squirrel, not even
the twittering of a bird. Not a leaf
stirred anywhere. Everything seemed
lifeless. 1t was almost as though she
were the sole inhabitant of the world.
Then she thought. 1t was noontime,
and the officer and his prisoner would
doubtless halt at John Moreland's
cabin for the MONDAY meal; and If
she fastened she would get to see Bill
Dale again.
So she ran like a doe through the
green woodland, through the tangle of
laurel and ivy and over the moss
covered stones, across a shoulder of
David Morelands mountain. She was
barefooted, and her dress was a sim
ME garment of white-dotted blue
calico. and her long brown hair flowed
behind her like the hair of a young
witch-becauSe of the excitement of
the morning. she had forgotten to give
it its usual daily plating.
AS she drew near to the Moreland
leaders home, she saw Bill Dale and
the sheriff walk out at the gateway
and mount their horses. Major Brad
lev came out. and he, too, mounted his
horse and she was glad that he was
going along. There was great crowd /;
all the Littlefords were there, and all
the Morelands, and old Granny Heck,
the fortune-teller. On every face Babe
saw signs of sympathy and sorrow.
Her eyes filled. She was so glad that
they, too, loved him. 1t was worth go
| ing to Jail to know that one was loved
like that! Not that it didn't hurt to
see him going to Jail, of course. Jail
and horror are words that mean the
same to the mountain dweller.
She went on to tell him good-by.
She knew 1t would be hard, but she
steeled herself; she would be Little
ford, and strong. He saw her coming,
and he turned his bay horse and rode
to meet her. She stopped and clasped
her hands, with her arms down full
length. and tried to smile at him.
"You promised me-" he said gently,
that you'd go back to Patricia and
finish your education"
tho n1Itoly
reply, "jest like every other Littleford
that ever lived kept their promises. l
would ha' went back this mornin,
eff it hadn't .ha' been"
And there she broke Off abruptly.
After silent moment, she continued
sadly, half tearfully: "And yet--and
yet-the's not a bit O. use in me
a-goin' back now!"
"Why?" Dale was smiling and she
was glad to note that he did not ap-
pear to be grieving over his misfor-
tune.
"Cause the amt" simply.
"But you'll go?"
EYES," she said. "in the mornin' I'll
CO."
He bent toward her and held down
his hand "Good-by, little girl. hope
IL will come out all right, and be-
lieve 1t WILL"
Babe slowly lifted her hand to his
Her eyes were downcast.
"Good-by," she told him brokenly.
"And 1 hope it will come out all right,
too-God knows do Bill Dale"
Thus they parted. Dale rode back
to the sheriff and Major Bradley, and
a minute later the three of them start
ed for the lowland and Gainesville
Jail.
When a bend In the dusty ox-wagon
road had hidden them from view,
Elizabeth Littleford turned homeward.
Her mother followed her.
The younger woman dropped TO the
stone step at the vine-hung front
porch with the air of one who is very
tired. plucked full-blown marigold
and began absently to tear its petals
slowly apart Mrs. Littleford looked
out across the meadows, sighed,
smoothed back her gray hair with
both hands, and sat down beside her
daughter.
~ wouldn't worry about It, Babe,
honey" she finally said. Then she
too plucked marlgold and began to