The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-08-11
Illustrations by
'I1wiA. Myers :

TO- him TO go of by hisself In the
woods that away. I've got 1t reasoned
out Jest like this. And who
ever II was at was friend enough to
Bill Dale to kill man to save him
will be friend enough to own up when
the PROPER time comes and keep Bill
Dale from a-beiD' hung. Whoever II
was at done 1t Is skeered bad now,
but later on he'll shore tell It, ef it'i
save Bill. You jest wait and see,
mother.
IT hain't never fo'got," Babe went
on, after moment. "about Black
Adam Ball a-tellin' me about a-workin'
that same trick on a man over I'm
Nawth Ca'liner-and he killed the
man. The law never found It out.
and ye see what Black Adam got
Who lives by the sword shall perish
by the sword It's In the Good Book,
mother. honey; and everything In the
Good Book Is God A'mighty's truth, as
you know"
"Ef was pinned down to guess who
1t was at done It," drawled Mrs. Lit.
tleford, "Td guess 1t was BY Heck.
He was plumb fool about Bill Dale.
His nav she, says he talks in his sleep
about Bill Dale. He was allus a-fol-
lerin' him around like dawg."
Babe pointed to the meadow. An
aged and stopped and witchlike wom-
an was limping slowly through the
clover, coming toward them.
Granny Heck" muttered Babe.
TI1 1tr rl>lx, ~
fortune-teller limped on up to the
cabin. and dropped to the stone step
beside Ben Littlefords wife and
daughter.
LA, Ia, LAT" she painted. for the
days were warm. "And hain't II Jest
turrible I wisht may die this min
ute eff wouldn't might nigh as soon
see my own son go to jail But 'en
It'll all come out right yit. Babe. |
seed 1t in the cyards, and 7 seed It In
the cup. Babe, honeydumplin". he
never no more killed Adam an killed
him myself. tell ye, the's been some
awful ongodly work done, somehow.
know Bill Dale. and the shore hain't
nary burned drap O. killer blood In
him."
Babe spoke suddenly to her mother
"I've got to go and wash and iron my
new white dress. Acause-because I'm
a-goin' back to Mrs. McLaurin, like I
promised I'd go. I'm a-goin' in the
mornin', on the fust train. Ye might
as well inform pap to hatch up my
railroad money, mother"
Just then BY Heck stopped before
the gate.
"Do ye want to go home along as
go, maw?" he asked.
The three women turned their eyes
toward the lanky moonshiner. He
was standing straighter than they
had ever seen him standing before.
and he held his repeater across one
of his thin shoulders in a manner tina I
was almost soldierly. 1t was as
though he had just discovered a hrfh-
erto unknown depth to himself.
The truth was that he was carry
ing secret 'that was great, and al.
most too much for him.
His aged mother rose with rheu-
matte grjan. 'Looky here. By" she
demanded. "what on earth's the mat
ter Of ye7 Ha' ye done went ard
swal,ered rifles ramrod, or a fshin
pole. that ye walk so cussed straight
and look like plumb dadblamed
fooif'
"No, maw." grtnned her son, "Nothin
like 1t. I'm jest hongry. that's all. My
gosh, ef don't feel hongry enough tc
eat whole raw yaller dawgi And
top II Off with q couple O. baked house
cats. Durn my eyes and blast my for.
rard. wisht ye'd come and 60 home
along as ] so. nav. and git me some
dinner"
"A!l right, BY, all rightly" To Mrs
Litteford, "Come down and bring