The Belding banner-news., 1921-12-14

has jes sent yore mothers made up
hear To ask II he can see me aud !
Will half to go down siarcs and see
what he wants.
yores respectively.
Babe.
Eli Dale folded the bulky letter
and put IL slowly back into the envel-
ope. Then his gaze wandered through
window and to where golden
winged hlgh-holer was hammerlng in
duslriousy M the top bransh of
dead tree. He smiled TO hiinsrlf. BY
Heck and nearly all of the rest OF
the world FOR the moment forgotten.
aud mttered aloud
"'Yores respectively. Babe"
'1Iaw. haw. Law." laughed tile keen
cared and watchf,Il hillman in the
straight-back chair behind him.
"'Yores respectively. Babe, Haw,
haw. Law. Well. Bill dadsling ii, IL
shorely to goodness aln't uothin' to
turn all that red about, When the
nights gone the day comes. don't it.?
BIZ. old boy. It's the same tling,"
You, gel out OF here, By" Dale
stormed in mock severity .Go and
help the, cohnniSSayy clerk with the
new goods; eh?"
Heck laughed auoiher horSeaugh.
rose and went oul
When he had gore. Dale began to
think-of the ultra spoiled. charming
after-n-fashion wealthy. young, high
night devotee. Jimmy Fayne. And he
wondered, and wondered, what would
come Of Fayne's quick liking for Babe
Littleford.
After ~ had viewed the matter from
above and below and all sides around.
he frowned like n berserker
Here * What came of Jimmy t'ayne's
quick libing for Babe I.iiticfor,i
-
Tie days had passed swiftly. and au-
tunn was far advanced. Save for
few chry hemums and asterS that
grew in places sheltered from the
frosls. the howerS were all gone: the
naples were shedding their leaves Of
brown. crimson and gold.
Ben Littlefords daughter had
changed much in many ways. She had
tried a> hard M ever mortal tried to
learn the correct use Of words: and
Mrs. Dale had been patient, painstak-
ing and efficient In her teachings. No,
that sliZabeth was educated. in any
real sense ~ the word. Far from IT,
Put her improvement was. in all TRUTH
quite rcnarkable She wore more or
less costly gowns now. and few
Jewels. thanks 10 Mrs. Dale. and
wherever size went she attracted ad-
mir.ng glancps.
Jimmy Fayne had been coming to
see her when Mrs. Dale would per-
nit H. which was not very often. Jim.
my Fayne. a. Patricia McLaurin had
once been moved 10 say. was far
seeing young man for all his weak
nesSes: he had known in advance that
the laurel bloom would change 10
rose. and then 10 n white hyacnth.
Perhaps he even considered the fact
that she would make n better wife for
him. aud better mother for his chill
drcn. than some fragile and oycr-cui-
tured woman Of a patrician house that
had about run out. At any rate. Jim
my Faync. the ltra-spoiled. had de-
cided that he wonld marry her.
During those weeks that had been
made happy by an occasional hour AT
the home OF the Dales. Fayne had not
once mentioned marriage. He figured.
and wisely enough. that 10 he too
quick with his proposal would be TO
lose everything.
But now he meant 10 propose. for ne
knew tlial Miss Litticford intended go-
ing llon.c for visit-and he knew that
when she wsnt home she would see
CARLYLE bHle The truth was. of
course. that Miss Littleford was GO
ing to Tennessee TO attend the De-
tobcr term OF court nj Gainesville.
Ii was little after the middle OF a
bright afternoon He found her sit
ting on al iron settee in secluded
corner of the lawn. where cape jesSa-
mines and lilac bushes grew in order
ly array. She wore light wrap, and
ltIt MHS dH fds!-lO-Tthu DOok III net
hands; bul she wasni trying TO read
AZ the moment.
lie barred his head. greeted her
Pleasantly, and asked permission To
sit down beside her. She looked up
ut him. lie was immaculately dressed.
"Of course she granted with a
smile that WAS very winsome.
He stated his mission briefly. for
Mrs. Dale might appear at any min
ute
Il came Elizabeth. TO ask you to
marry me-"
She sal as still as though she had
not heard. He went on hastily:
II confess that I'm little ashamed
N trying 10 take you away from Car
lyle Dale. for he was always very nice
10 me. But ] may be forgiven for
that, ! think, because ! care for you
a great deal. Anyway-.All Is fair
in love and war'-you know"
His voice was hardly businesslike,
Il.