The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-09-30

leg, shaded her eyes with her hand, l
and tried to find BIN Dale among the l
builders. But the distance was too |
great; man down there was but q
mere speck. -. Before she went on, |
she removed her shoes and stockings.
II 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
Moreiands now, thank goodness
Then a voice hailed her from the
Iaureis out at her right, lhe voice she
owed better than any other
Hello, Miss Littieford r.
Babe stopped and faced him, and
she blushed furfously when she saw
him. He was coming rapidly toward
her with his hat In his hand. and his
brown hair was rumpIed and damp
with perspiration. She saw that he
was In boots and cordsroys, the cloth
ing OF a timber-jack, and he looked
bigger In them; about his waist there
was cartridge-belt, from which hung
a big and dependable looking revolver
In a leathern holster.
Hello, Mister Dalsl" she mimicked.
He shook her hand, then he dropped
to moss-coyered 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, BabeF' he
asked as though he were displeased.
| Cause" she answered-and she
corrected herself quickly, Il mean be-
| cause"
mo reason whatever" smiled Dale.
Well" and her clear brown eyes
looked at him squarely, 81 come back
because yore mother she said 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 burden to mo-
bodyl" yehemently. 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-I mean her father-he
brung EN- big lot o. silver
bill Dale, had big timel 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,
shore CANT see. Say, showed some
o. Pats friends how to dance our old
hill dances, and the whole town was
crazy about 'em when / 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
Spectator, weak, devoted to high
nights, remarkably handsome to TO
mantle and unsophisticated girls but
not to men and women who had cut
their MISUNDERSTANDING was Jimmy
Fayne.
Babe Littleford was speaking again
81 'eided to come back here, Bill
Dale, because thought they NIGH
need me here as well as because wa:
afeard / would be burden to Pat
mean afraid would be burden Il
Pat. Seems like / CANT talk proper
at all I've tried and tried I've spen
half o. my time jest a-tryin' to tali
proper. Pat, she'd put down words
mustn't say on a sheet o. paper. ant
I'd study 'em. Afeard. shore, pap
cause, amt, hain't-and all o. them
And she'd put down the right word.
with 'em SOS I'd know.
"Yore mother was the last to com'
to see me, BILL SO this she says (,
PAT. is the barbarian princess
didn't know what that meant, but
'spect it's somethin' bad. | went int
the house. because didn't want (,
say anything, and her yore own moth
err. But listened. and / heard he
say the rest, and this is 1t:
"'what win you do when the min
innovation wears off, Patriciaf sh,
says. She'll be a burden to you
Patricia; you'll have a half-sayag
person tagging after you. like a lad.
bearp
That's what 1t was she said, Bill
Dale. :. I'm shore they do nee,
. me here. and ak We this, Bill Dale
Are you sorry to see me come back !?
perhaps they do need you." Dali
slowly stripped the tiny leaves from
! fern. s'But that Is not sufficient rea