The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-11-04
XXX.
A Perfect Cross,

VI ute nOOf or me nchly-furniShe
library Of the Dale home. near a we,
AOindow. Miss Elizabeth Littleford IL
Seadins BY the fast fading light Of q
HArly March afternoon. Somehow sh
4ked to sit on the floor, and always sh
lied to read; for one thing, book
:lelped her TO forget that she va
sDSnely.
r There were footsteps behind hel
ooft footsteps because of the thick vol
vet carpet; then q low voice inquired
e.: Aren't you afraid you will injur,
>. ysur eyes, Elizabeth Better have
hight, hadn't you, dearT' The old Goa
hing turned toward the switch on th,
vail.
yes"NoF" she answered quickly. I'm
through reading for today, and | Xix.
this twilight"
her Improvement In speech and In
manners had gone on at a surprisingly
rapid rate. She rarely spoke with any
but the simplest words, but she never
fell into anything more than sare sem.
blance Of the old'drawIing hill dialect
"AS WHY oiaC ri uIkdNA IllC
stress OF some strong emotion.
She closed the book and looked ND
with eyes that were like the first stars
In a summer sky. Her beauty was
wonderful; it was finer and sweeter
than it had ever been before.
Old Dale stood looking thoughtfully
Into her upturned face. He was a lit
tie pale, and he seemed troubled and
uneasy.
Elizabeth shook her head. you're
worrying again."
He dropped into s nearby chair.
leaned slowly forward and let one
hand fall gently on her thick and silky
chestnut-brown hair.
II wish" he said as though TO him
seelf. that | had a daughter like you"
He took his hand from her head. lay
back YEARLY in his chair and closed
his eyes Then he bent forward again.
1.-THE Morelands. Elizabeth-they've
moved away from the settlement,
haven't they
"Yes; Bill Dale has done wonderful
things for them! :" the girl answered.
John X. Dale was silent for q mo-
ment, after which he said suddenly II
want to see my son there is something
I must tell him. VIII you go with me.
E~liZ8bethF"
"Of course. I'll GO with you"
She thought she knew what II was
that stirred him. BY intuition. supple
mented by Bill Dale's occasional cryp-
Tic utterances. and pieced u by Hill
tradition, Elizabeth L~ittlef0rd gradu-
ally had come into possession Of the
old coal mans grim secret.
Neither of them knew that John
Eoreland was then visiting his beloved
old hills for the SAKE of some shooting.
So. /
The following day John *. Dale and
Elizabeth lfttieford alighted from a
nO%rthbOund passenger train AT the
Halfway switch. The mountains were
covered with three inches of snow, and
hemiOck and pines bore heavy bur
denS Of the beautiful white stuff; but
the air was still, and il wasn't very
cold.
YOU'D get your clothing all black
On the coal train Dale said to his
so you'd rather walk over.
wouldn't you? Anyway, the train Isn't
here. I'm good for six miles, / think"
Eyes" smiled Ben -LittlefOrd's
daughter, I'D rather waikiki y%ou're+.
that six miles won't be too much r
for you
Together, with the girl leading the :
way, they set out across David More
lands mountain. The old trail showed
not one footprint ahead of them; II
vas not so much used low. They said
little. Each thought their own thoughts,
neither cared TO speak them 10
he other.
Just before they reached the noun
aims crest, they passed q group Of
pines that concealed a big. !
'rOwn-bearded man who had been I
tealthily following the trail of a lone
Wild turkey. He wore khaki hunting L
and high laced boots, and there
vas a certain English fneness about
III. HI MS DdFc ua0OS he carried q =
epeating rifle, which marked him as s
born in the hills; a Iowlander
have had a choke-bored shotgun. p
When he saw John X. Dale he ~
suddenly. 1t might have been
l~tuition, or 1t might have been sheer \"
lriosity, the average hillman being a :,
TO nefther-he followed ard VI
atched the two, unseen by them. -.
On the pine-fringed crest. Elizabeth tt
halted toS view that which 10
v ABOUND and below him. OLD Dale q
opped close at her SIDE. and he. 100. al
oked at that which lay around and "
:. di
low them; and to his mind also there 70
me memories crowding. oa
The young woman brushed back a ar
wisp Of brown hair and In
ned to the man beside her. of
The Moreland part @ the settle en-
- l.