The spectator., 1922-01-24

az the Morelands did"
 '-The devil!"
 The mountaineers began to crowd about Dale.
 And who," asked their leader, do ys think done it?'
 Bill Dale shook his head slowly and threw out his hands.
 How should 1 know?" He went sn: Babe told me about the Littleford guns disappearing. l saw her doWn at the river; she was fishing"
 Did she say anything" pursued John Moreland, "'at sounded like she knowed whar them guns went toy
 "She told me-" said Dale. she would give her life to stop the fighting. She seemed rather badly worked up over it."
 From the cabin's front doorway came a woman's sorrowful voice:
 And me, too: I'd give my life to stop this here fghtin'. l had boy, a big. strappln' boy"
 John horeland drowned toward his wife and interrupted, "Now, Addie, honey. don't do that"
 It ended the talk.
 Mrs. Morelaud dried her eyes on corner of her freshly ironed gincham apron, and announced the roonday meal. The mountaIneerS dispersed. Grandpap Moreland went away claw ing at his long white beard and grum- bling over the loss of his bGoved old Lancaster.
 An hour later Dale cornered the Moreland leader on the vlne-hung front porch and suggested that they look over the coal property that after noon. He was eager to go to work, eager to be doing something worth while. he told Moreland. The hillman stood very still for what seemed to the other very long time, and had no word to say. Evidently the feud had all his mind now.
 When he did speak. he said simply: "All right, Bill"
 After half an hour of fighting their way through thickets of blooming lau rel and ivy. they drew up before an old and mIidewed cabin at the north end of David Moreland's mountain. Moreland led the way in and pointed to spot under small, paneless win dow.
 "Thar." said he, lis whar we found my brother David"
 The two men turned for the point at which the coal vein ran out to t.:e light of day.
 Dale picked up piece of the shin ing black stuff. Judging by the little he knew and the great amount of de- scription be had heard, the vein was very large and the coal itself of the finest grade.
 Tt was n big tind," he told his com l panlon, "a biz find. It was a pity to let 1t lie here untouched for so long; and yet it's worth more today than it was ever worth before" His enthusiasm ran warm, and More | land caught it quickly. Together they hastily planned out the little railroad | that was to wind its way through the wilds and connect with the big rail- road al the Halfway switch.
 "l know Fun a-doin right about It. ! the mountaineer said twice for the i benefit of his conscience. 'I know pore David he would want me to do l this ef he could know" | I'm sure of it." agreed Dale. I'll start for Cincinnati tomorrow. I've got enough money to take me there and back. l have very wealthy l \ l.sv~ la think l can borrow enough from him to finance the beginning of this thing. And I'll buy locomotive and cars, and all the other necessary machinery, while I'm in Cincinnat.-unless l fail to get the money from Harris. When get back, which should be within eight days, we'll start the work. Al guess. Ia say we'll need twenty men. Can we set them?"
 shore" nodded the mountainecr. And all Morelands at that"
 They turned homeward. At last Bill Dale was happy. He had some thing to do now-an alm in life. He had difficulties to overcome, obstacles to remove. barriers to surmount-it was his biz chance!
 It was almost sundown when Dale returned from his visit to the coal vein--Bis Pine mountain hid the sun at little after three in the afternoon He borrowed . nshilg rod and min now pail. which made his going to the river seem proper enough to Jchn Moreland, and set out to meet Babe Littieford. He was glad that nobody expressed a desire to accompany him
 ..e found Ben Littleford's daughter where he had found her twice before sitting on stone the size of small barrel She was fishing with an un baited hook. which was equal to fish ing not at all. and she seemed pleased when she saw him coming. He sal down on the stone at her side. She moved over a iittlc shyly, and tried tt | cover her feet With ner calico skirts