Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-07-28


Il agree at David would want u.
10 develop the coal, eff he could know
It's like a light a-breakin' to me. But
that coal Is sacred to us, Bill Dale
and afOre We go any fu'ther I'll hat
to ak We to tell me ell about yeself
A city man up here I'm he wilderness
il don't look s'picious, Bill, mebbe
but-well. hopes ye can pardon me
TO akin II. / shore got to be keer-
full about Brother David's coal. AddIe
and the boys'H go out and leave Jest
us two In here; and when ye're a-talk-
in to me it's the same as talkin' to a
! tombstone so fer as tellin' Is con-
sarned. Addie, honey; Luke, you and
! Gale"
/ Mrs. MOreland and her sons arose
and left the room, closing the door be-
hind them. Bill Dale paced the floor,
arms folded. brows drawn. Finally he
| talted before the Moreland chief
There's nothing I'm ashamed of. l
guess" he said. II don't like to tell 1t
simply because l don't like to tell it.
But-Tli do It,"
He sat down in his sheepskin-lined
rocker, lay back and closed his eyes
as though to visualize the story, to
live it over.
Maybe it's not very much in my
favor, John Moreland," he began. II
never could get along with my parents,
or with the set l was born into. Some
how, l was different. Father and
mother wanted me to be dandy; they
even wanted me to let a servant dress
me. The climax came when they tried
to marry me to young woman who
didn't want me any more than l want
ed her"
He opened his eyes, looked straight
at Moreland, and went on:
"You see, they wanted to marry us
in order to unite old Clavering's for
tune and my dads; Patricia, like me.
was an only child. 1t had been all cut
and dried for us, for years. They put it
up to me like this: they said owed it to
them, that it was my duty; that / had
always been a severe trial to them;
that my savagery had put gray into
my mothers hair, and lot of things
of that kind. | fell for it at last; it |
was sort of matter of self-defense.
With Patricia, it was a case of-welI,
a case of simple obedience. Pat is a
good girl. :"
A minute of silence; then:
"pll hurry along with it, John More
land. / had one fine friend back there.
1t was Robert McLaurin, reporter
on the city's reading newspaper, My
parents didn't take to him because he
was a worker and not fOp. Mother
wanted Pats cousin, poor dear Har-
ry' Clavering, fer my best man. Poor
dear Harry and | had a fight, once
upon time, and IL had whipped
him; and | didn't like him. | chose
Bobby McLaurin for my best man, and
wouldn't give him up.
1T was only when we met before
he chancel in big crowded church
hat l fully realized the tragedy of 1t
'or Pat. l saw that her face was a
'lean white, and that her eyes held
he shadow of something that was
yery terrible. | turned my head and
saw the same shadow in the eyes of
ny greatest friend, Bobby McLaurin
knew then. Bobby and Patricia loved
Zach other, John Moreland! Bobby
lidn't have any money to speak of,
md that had held them apart
1T had been the finest thing in the
world, McLaurin's acting as best man
or me- There was friendship for you
couldn't take from them their one
nance of happiness. -.
81 couldn't see anything else to do, \
o | ran. l went home, pulled off my
,edding rig and put on the clothes
m wearing now, threw some things
lto bag and hurried down to the
Mon station. l found that could
ave my choice between a fler for
tlanta and the - the train that
rought me here. l bought passage to +"
tlanta, but | never meant to use it;
meant to take the other train and
ny cash fare. In doing that, :,
oped to lose myself from them. / :,
anted to go unhindered to some :
,untry where l wouldn't be consid-
red "a savage, y'knOw. =,
81 went out to the train-shed, and
hadn't been there minute when n,
obby McLaurin came. / asked him so
DIV he knew where to find me. He c,
lid: m
81 thought you wouldn't care to ca
ay here after doing what you did, tn
Id wanted to say good-by, Bill He hi
ways called me that, and 1t made
e feel like man. Then l put my w
lg down and took him by both Shout