The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-12-30
CHAPTER xIX--Continucd.

a NV DCi NNPlibiy' 80
big, crooked finger came way from tn
hair-fne trigger. He had never expect
ed to hear the man whom he knew a
John X. Carlyle say that which he ha'
just said. 1t had never entered hi
mind that John X. Carlyle could b,
sorry.
Then the great and bitter desire 70
revenge rushed into his brain again
and his head went down, and his keer
right eye looked along the sights ant
to the kneeling mans breast. His trig
ger finger began slowly 10 crook
Until this instant Elizabeth Little
ford had been as one frozen, had been
as a figure carved in stone. Now she
sprang TO her feet and went between
Moreland and his ancient enemy.
"Put at gun down-wait ontel l tell
ye, John Moreland, what I've got to tell
sc" she cried tcaSc!y, !aps!ns into the
old dialect in her excitement. While
Moreland stared, she went on:
"It wasn't Newton Wheatley at Dar
up the money to start yore coal mine
a-goin' 1t was this man here And the
Alexander Crayfield Coal corp'ration-
which has beez a-payin' you two prices
70, y0re Goai-that was this man here !
Mr.. Hayes was his-his ally through it
all. And he's sorry, John Moreland,
this man ls-sO sorry that he wants to
die; and CANT We see 1t, John More
land?"
She caught her breath again and
continued tearfully: "Oh, he don't
desarve to be killed, and eff he did
you're too good a man to kill him.
He's done pald-you don't know, like
1 do, how he's paid. You mustn't
fo'get that. And you mustn't fo'get
Fill Dale, his Sol Put down that gun,
John Moreland! YOre people is saved,
as David wanted 'em saved. Now
d-d-don't go and s-s-spoil 1t all, To-
Gods sake!"
The big mountalneer's eyes we're
wide with amaZement, for Elizabeth
MittlefOrd's every word had borne the
tring Of truth. He was too dazed to
understand her alluslon to Bill Dale
as his old enemy's Sol The rifle came
back from across the palings, and its
steel -shod butt found a place In the
xnOw Aeside John Moreland's foot.
Slowly John X. Dale arose and
drew close to him, and then from
John X. Dale's soul came pouring the
pent-up anguish Of remorse that had
scared it through the years. The tor
rent Of words flowed on, while the
mountaineer stood rigidly regarding
him with a strange light in his pierre
Ing eyes.
81 can't ask you to forgive me-"
Dale finished brokenly. II don't ex-
pect forgiveness; my crime was too
great. But can't you, for the sake of
the boy, let me keep on trying to
atone for my sin?'
John Moreland looked long and
rsearchingly into the face OF the plead
Ting man before him. The bitter
struggle that was going on within him
was mirrored on his rugged coun-
tenance. But gradually the bitterness
faded; his huge frame trembled; he
put a hand slowly down on the others
shoulder.
1.-THE boy" he muttered-"Biu Dale:
Is he yore boy? Yore name was Car
lyle then"
MY boy, yes-my boy, Bill Dale.
Carlyle Is an old family name. My
father was at the head OF a big coal
concern; he sen me down here in
cognito to get a line on the Moreland
vein. Maybe he thought the price
would be high IL it were known that
he wanted it; I don't know. II can't
remember"
Ben Littleford's daughter was
watching closely, hoping against hope,
praying to heaven with all her heart /;
and then she saw John n. Dale put
his right hand up to John Moreland's
hand. take it and press it-and she
saw John Moreland, his bearded
mouth Jerking, give the answering
squeeze that meant something very
akin to forgiveness.
She ran out ut the gate, ran up 20
the giant hillman and put her arms
around his neck; she drew his great
brown head down and kissed him on
the cheek. And John Moreland let
his rifle fall unnsticed to the snow.
put his arms around her shoulders as
though she were his own daughter,
bowed his head and sobbed out a
few words she did not understand.
Night had fallen when they reached
Ben Littleford's cabin home. The girl
was welcomed with much Joy; old
{ Dale was received with almost affec-
donate cOrdlality. A roaring fire was
soon going In the best room, and old
Dale was given the cosiest of the
sheepskin-lined rockers. Ben Little.
ford. washed scr%upulously clean OF
coal smut, sat near the guest of honor
John Moreiand. who was so thought.
ful that he seemed to hear and see
nothing. sat close to Ben Littleford.
Suddenly Dale looked toward his
host and asked: "Where Is my son?'
at that moment Dale the younger
In boots and ~corduroys, appeared In