New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-11-25

Not much danger of that" Dale re-
piled. THE Balls have already been
warned about sniping your father told
them that their very name would be
secured off the earth if there was any
sniping. Besides. By Heck is acting
as advance guard somewhere ahead of
u.s."
He continued. AS soon as | can
build and furnish a little house out
near the mine, l want you to marry
me, Babe. VIII YOU"
Elizabeth Littleford seemed not to
have heard.
viii you. Babe:'
She faced him sadly. lie saw in
her hazel eyes the same queer light
of tragedy that he had seen there a
day or two before; and now, AS thea,
he wondered what it could mean
Tell me, Babe!"
Her head fell forward. The sunlight
found glints of gold in her thick chest
nut-brOwn hair. She was silent for a
moment; then her voice came duly:
I'D better moi 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. lie knew she loved him. She
had told him that she loved him. Then
why wouldn't she marry him? He
tried To reason ii out, and the attempt
,,n.l, htr I,n;p nal,,. IA, ana, pnnIln
to reason. lie 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 II
wrist.
Is il Jimmy %l'ayne?' he demanded
hotly.
She gave him n %rcproachful glance
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.
Il guess Nou are too good for me-"
he said. There was weakness In his
voice, and il was the first weakness
she had ever known in him.
''Will you always think of me as
the finest and most beautiful woman
IN the world:" she asked.
Always"
Its the best ] can hope for" muir
INJURED Elizabeth.
What do you mean?"
It's the best | can hope for" Eliza
beth repeated ms though she were talk
Ing Ia herself.
They rode on in silence.
There was no sleep for Bill Dale that
night. The sweetness of his liberty
had all been taken away by Babe Lit
tleford's refusal to marry him. lie
became bitter toward her again. She
had been exceedingly unfair to him:
while she really loved him. she was
going TO marry Jimmy Faync because
he had 50 much money. She was UNI
grateful to him: II was through him
that she was being educated, being
lifted out of her uncOuth and Hitter
ate self and set on n higher social and
intellectual plane. All he had ever
heard of the so-called unfathoinablc
mystery of w%omankind he now be-
and more. All this, of course.
was unworthy. Bur Fiji Dale was in.
human, and To hc human is
10 he unworthy.
1t turned cold that night. 4 little
noon Of the mex day. BY Heck
stepped into the Moreland Coal conf
pany'S office.
Dale looked YEARLY up FROM his ILL.,
tered desk.
81 am very much obliged la you FOR
shooting Adam Ball. By"
ITS hi. Bill. Amt IT,"
WHAT"
Heck leaned over and rested his
hands on the muzzle of the in
rifle.
Whatever 1t il you're a-grievin
bout. O. course. Babe Llttleford she
vent back To yorc home town this
nornin'. Bill. Sort q quare, ! thought.
M you never went with her over &"
he switch. Sort q quare. too. at
he never rid over on the little ingyne
nstid O walkin'. But mebbe she was
Ifeard o gittin' her fine city clo'es all
M. Say. Bill. Old boy. I
lisht ] may drap dead in my tracks
4 You don't look like q id corpsi.
god. II hat TO be HI. or you
grieve about IT. 'Smatrer?
Dale rose and glared at BY Heck.
I'm going TO have the truth. BY;
get that. Did you. or did you not,
III Adam Ball to save mel" +,
BY Heck realized that he would have ,
o be very cunning If he evaded the I
now. Bill Dale. his god. ,
rould not be put of longer.
SO BY Heck answered: Il wlsht
nay drap dead this minute and turn I
nto a cross-eved mink with a green
all and pink eyes; | wisht the devil '
nay take me and spend ten thousand {
tarnities a-sticking' red-hOt. pepper I
GATED pitchforks In me and not LET
ne have any ~tobacker: visit I may }
e struck blind and def and dumb @
nd p~aralyzed and ha' my tongue cut T
ut and M ears and toe-naIls tore
n-ef I killed Adam Ball to ave you
r anybody else" !
And then. having answered. he fav- '
red Dale with an odd look, took up
is rife and strobe out Of the Office I
umming: B