The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-11-04

They had Elizabeth L9ffiefOrd'g
head swan as she bent forward 20
catch the foreman's words
Mot guilty II
A wild shout rose from the leathery
throat OF the happy By Heck The
Morelands and the Lltfiefords cheered
until they were hoarse. Sheriff Tom
Flowers had difficulty In quieting the
tumuIt. Bill Dale shook hands until
his shoulders ached. The Balls and
their relatives, bitter with resentment
and hatred, stole out, were given their
rifles. and went toward the big hills
with the eye OF the militia hard upon
them.
Then the MoreIands and the Little
fords and the Hecks. with Dale and
| his mining man Hayes. came out, and
they. too. started for the big hills.
Dale had hired q horse and side
saddle for Ben Littleford's daughter,
and the two rode In each others COM
pany on the journey home. When they
were well into the mountains, Bale
drew his horse over close TO that OF
his companion.
"As soon as can build and furnish
" he began. when Elizabeth inter-
rupted:
@We're ridln' too fast. We're too
much ahead o. the others. One o. them
Balls might try to pick you of with
his rifle gum"
mot much danger OF that" Dale re-
piled. 1.-THE Balls have already been
warned about sniping; your father told
| them that their very name would be
| secured off the earth II there was any
sniping. Besides. BY Heck 10 acting
as advance guard somewhere ahead Of
u.s."
He continued, "As soon as I can
build and furnish little house out
near the mine. want you to marry
me, Babe. WIN your"
Elizabeth Littleford seemed not to
have heard.
"Will you, Babe?'
She faced him sadly. He saw In
her hazel eyes the same queer light
1 of tragedy that he had seen there o
4 day or two before; and now, as then,
| he wondered what II could mean.
"Tell me, Babel"
Her head fell forward. The sunlight
/ found glints Of gold in her thick chest
i nut-brown hair. She was silent for
moment; then her voice cane duly:
I'D better not marry you, Bill Dale"
| Dale sat up straight and rigid in
his saddle and stared hard at her sol
EMMY beautiful profile. He could
hardly believe that he had heard cor
rectly. He knew she loved him. She
4 had told him that she loved him. Then
why wouldn't she marry him? He
tried to reason IT out, and the attempt
made his brain ache; he was unable
to reason. He knew only that she was
all of the future to him, all OF the
world to him, and-that she had re-
fused to marry him.
When they were within two miles
of home, Dale went suddenly white
and caught her almost rudely by a
wrist.
rs it Jimmy Fayne?'' he demanded
holly.
She gave him a reproachful glance
and said nothing. He flung her hand
from him angrily.
Dale did not speak again until they
!, had entered the broad valley that was
home to him. Somehow he felt limp
now. The great wave Of anger had
passed.
II guess you are too good for me, =
! he said. There was weakness In his
voice, and 1t was the first weakness
she had ever known In him.
"Will you always think OF me as
I the finest and most beautiful woman
! in the worldT' she asked.
!, Always"
sits the best can hope for" muir
!, INJURED Elizabeth
"What do you meanT"
sIts the best can hope for Eliza
beth repeated as though she were talk
! ing to herself
= ! They rode on In silence.
! There was no sleep for Bill Dale tina
Z night. The sweetness of his libert,
3 had all been taken away by Babe Lit
= tleford's refusal to marry him. HI
became bitter toward her again. Sh
n had been exceedingly unfair to him
= while she really loved him, she wa
going to marry Jimmy Fayne becaus
y he had so much money. She was IN
y grateful to him: 1t was through hin
= that she was being educated, bein
y lifted out of her uncouth and Hitter
ne se self and set on higher social an
70 intellectual plane. All he had eve
heard Of the so-called unfathomabl
20 mystery of womankind he now be
e lieyed, and more. All this, of course
ne was unworthy. But Bill Dale was II
~ tensely human, and to be human
W to be unworthy.
10 II turned cold that night. A iittl
- before noon of the next dav. Rv Hac