Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1921-07-21

.Needn't bother to hide them"
laughed BIZ Dale. They're pretty
enough. Most feet, y'know, are neces-
sary evils. like chimneys and rain.
spouts !"
Babe Littleford blushed. He went
ON. to hide her confusion, TEL me
about the rifles"
"You must shore keep 1t secret"
she told him.
81 promise"
.Better put yore hook in, SOS eff any
body comes along"
Dale threw out an empty hook.
81 want to tell We some other things
fust. SOS ven understand better when
come to the part about the rifles"
Babe began, looking thoughtfully
across the water to where kingtisher
sat in watchful waiting. She contin-
ued slowly. choosing her words care
fully, II was brought up to hate them
Morelands, butt don't think | do. NV
people is jest like the Morelands. The
biggest difference We can find is that
one side, mostly. has grey eyes like
yyou and t'other side mostly has brown
eyes like me. All but their eyerlastin'
tightins. they're good people, Bill Dale.
Zach side, We see, is brought up to
hate t'other side. Pm ashamed to tell
it, butt understand the fust plain
words my Uncle Saul Littlefords last
baby said was these here: D--n John
Moreland 7 1t started "a long time ago,
and 1t started over nothin. Grandpap
Littleford and John Morelands pap
got In dispute over whether Kahn
lucky was In Vfrginny or Nawth Ca
liner, and went to fghtin' about It.
Purity soon my Uncle Saul and Abner
Moreland happened along, and they
went to fightin', too. Thank goodness,
it was on sunday, and none of EN-
didn't have their rifles with em. What.
ever else we are or amt up here, Bill
Dale, we gen'ally respects the Sabbath
day to keep it holy. )"
II seer Dale muttered sympathet-
ically.
i've secn my own mother set down
in the floor and take her boys head
in her lap--oh, such a big, fine boy he
was while the blood run through her
dress from a Moreiands bullet He
died with mothers arms and mine
around him. 1t was all we could do
TO- him, was to love him. I've seen SIS
tiers watch their brothers die from
Moreland bullets, and young wimmen
watch their sweethearts die, and wives
watch their husbands die.
II tell you, Bill Dale. them More.
lands never misses when they have
even half a fair shot You'd be puff
fectly safe IN a-iettin' any of 'em shoot
dimes from atween yore finger and
thumb all day. And it's the same way
with the Littlefords. They're lighters
too, every one, andthey don't give III
any more than TIE Merchants does
"Addie Moreland Knows what 1t Is
to take her dyin' boys head In her lap
whilst blood run through her dress to
her knees His name was Charley
and he was bad he'd drink, and oncet
he shot up Cartersville. But Addie,
she aIlus loved him better'n Gale OF
Luke. Wimmen like her allus loves
the worst boys the BEST cause they
need 1t the most, the worst boys does.
Its the wimmen that pays. Bill
Dale, when the's fghtiE'. The vim
men O. this valley Is right now on
needles; they're afeard the men'll find
their rifles. You can guess whar the
guns went to now, cain't We? The VIM
men hid 'em last night after the men
had gone to sleep BY good luck, they
had almost whole night TO 1t. You
must be shore to keep 1t to yourself
but know We will. Addie Moreland,
she started the idee. She got Granny
Moreland to spread the word amongst
the wimmen O. my people. When the
tghtin' fever sort o. dies down the
guns'll all be brought back and put
whar they belong"
She arose and stood there smiling
down upon him. He was staring at
the swirling water without seeing 1t
at all.
Her voice brought him to himself
"What're you a-thinkin' about. Bill
Dale?"
Dale went to his feet. He saw that
she was smiling, and he smiled, too.
u was thinking he said, "of the
difference between you and some other
women know"
Her clear brown eyes widened
And | reckon seem purity no count,
don't II"
mo, not at all. 1t is--er. quite the
opposite, Babe. You make them ap-
pear unreal, artificial"
Babe Littleford's countenance bright
ened. She did not doubt that he meant
1t. He was not of the sort that fiat
tered. She began to like Bill Dale at
that same moment.
And Bill Dale told himself as he
went hOmeward that he was beginning