The Crittenden press., 1921-10-07
CHAPTER
David norslsno's Mountain.

himtflf uuu INN fluat lNfnnH - hih
Dale-had laid out a course of action
almost heforr the northhounf tmin
had left the outskirts of the state cap-
iisl behind n Incurred facing blg
Odds. huf other men had faced BIG
odds and won out. and what oihers
had done be could DO. indeed be bad
already done sevenl things Nhch
other men might not have thought of
doing. and one of them was leaving .
bride. not dgurptiyely but literally, 81
the altar ln q fashionable church But
b. knew Patricia hadn't wanted o.
marry him any more than be- had
wanted 10 marry her
II was only natural for him 70 ihink
Of coal. nou that be- had cut loose Tor
all time from the set" in which b.
had always becn q colossal misni. now
that he must pull bic osn oars Or sir-
tualiy perish Ile had heard coal
talked since the day % his birth O.
him coal aud baslness meant eHacfiy
The samc
One of his fathers associates had
often spoken of nne vein 10 The
pounialus of eastern Tcnnessse-had
often tried % persuade hls father 90
loot Into a. % no avail Young Dale ~
memherrd that this vein lay not far
from q lons rallroad siding called the
Halfway switch. in the vicinity % hlg
Pine mountain The owners were
mountain folk of Engiish descent. his
fathers associate had said Decidedly
strange. thought Dale. that his father
had never cared 10 investigate o.
The dndsry little train reached the
. long siding atoui The middle o. q fne
spring m0fuinr Dale fook 20 his hag
hasisned oui. and soon found himself
standing alone IN ihs heari q an n.
tremriY Wild section ~ country
When the Noises % ths little train
and ne fast mail n had jas, met had
DIED away. there came The saucy chat
teunr % boomer squirrels and the
seeei fuiiisrinE u birds Dale caught
ihs iayous spirit lls could have
fairy shouied oui of the fuilnsss Of
BE- tcfy human heart llefe all was
unspuiici and unprofanei. and sume
fhiuE whispered within him;
-Ihcy sont call yus avage
here make this your osn couniryr
from somewhere on nearby
mounialnslde q rihs's keen rrpori splii
NJ air. q bullet shiuei uks . mad
hornet; nais's bat Jumped little ou
be bead
The awakening was cxceedinsl.
rude Dale wheeled. hls gray eye'
ahinfe aud sav ouiy q tlny cloud Of
smokem rising from he laurel.
more Than hfiy fesi away.
-Come out you cosardr be- roarei
-Coms aui and lsi me 80 you run
osiiy taking the placc ofanref IN H.
voice -rve slvays wanted % know
iusi uhat real highwayuun sa'
nkcT
The mufled sound % a twlg hrcat
inr q shoFi distance of 20 BIZ left nfx
claimed BIZ attention. Ne was heinl
closely watched By q pair of the an
81. elvafssl brown eyes be- bad eve
sesu. ~ sac her eyes nrst. b. nevel
forroi that
She vas standing on a low clln be
youd ne sparkling creek that nowSs
beside ~ rallruad and she vas par
tiaily hidden by q clump of blooming
laurel hui Dale could rce that Az
va about twenty that eyery line o.
hsf ruunded graceful nEure whls
psrcd of a d0sllks strength that sh
vas as straight as a young pine thu
her chssinui.bruwn hair caught M
sunlight. aud that her facs was oval
ahapsd and handsome rather thai
PRETTY 10 spite q iis tan
Dale ioot od biz hat There vas
bullet haie ln ibs sefy TOP u iis hlst
PEAKED crown.
-whos ihe robbefY- hs frovned
Thc rn hiushsd
-Mstle be- ain't q rotbsr- ne sait
-Nstbo b. thought yuu vas somrhod
slse Auyhou. you aint bad hurt. az
yef
Dale smiled ~Oh. noi seriouslyr
-Y0u aiuI likely to b.. ef D. behay
yesslf"
~ behave mysclf-f Dal
laughed. -Why. ! couldn't be nhught
~ Tried I'm the one and only man
mas little wlllis.boy wonder n
cuuld put up a. sume house nea
herr. ehf-
The nigh, be- she said. though
fully.
-Nheref
At pap's or rranipsp's or Wit
most any q my people or she side
with q coutcmntuous twist 20 her NJ
"you might stay with some o thei
lov down Morelands
"Whsrr DO your plople llyef
"Ahuuf sit mile htck that way
She pointed over her shoulder Wit
forhuEef
-Nould yuu mind showing one n
"a, 60 ,nuf parvntai domlcllef