Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-05-18

iiVllO, MISS lSlllleIOTu :!
Babe stopped and faced him, and
she blushed furiously when she saw
him. He was coming rapidly toward
her with his hat in his hand, and his
brown hair was rumpled and damn
with perspiration. She saw that he
was In boots and corduroys, the cloth
ing OF timber-jack, and he looked
bigger in them; about his waist there
was cartridge-belt. from which hung
big and dependable looking revolver
In n leathern holster.
Hello, Mister Dale" she mimicked
He shook her hand, then he dropped
TO a moss-covered log that lay beside
the narrow trail.
"Sit down here beside me-" he said
and he added: I've been going hard
all day, and I'm pretty tired"
She let fall her bundle and her
shoes and stockings, and obeyed.
"Why did You come back. Babe?' he
asked as though he were dspleased.
"'Cause." she answered-and she
corrected herself quickly, II mean be-
cause"
mo reason whatever" smiled Dale
well" and her clear brown eyes
looked at him squarely, II come back
because yore mother she said l would
be a burden to Mis- McLaurln, that's
why"
Mrs. McLaurin." said Dale; mot
Mis- McLaurin."
"A burden to Mrs. McLaurin, and l
amt a-goln' to be n burden to no
body J" vehemently. In n softer voice,
she went on, Mrs. McLaurin and her
husband aud her folks has done made
up friendly, BIZ Dale. Mrs. McLau-
rims pap-I mean her father-he
brung 'em biz lot o. silver
"Blll Dale, had big time! Every
body liked me but yore own maw-I
mean yore mother. My goodness
gracious-they dress awful fine, don't
they? Why, silk amt nothin. But
whar all o their money comes from, |
o. Pats friends how TO dance our old
hill dances, and the whole town was
crazy about 'em when | left. Jimmy
Fayne is awful good-lookin' and rich,
amt he, Bill? He liked me better'n
any of 'em, less it was Pat herself
You know Jimmy, don't We, Bil?"
Dale nodded, frowned, and turned
his sober gaze toward the toes Of his
high laced boots. Yes, he knew Jimmy
Fayne, and he held him in contempt.
The pampered son of wealthy cotton
Spectator. weak, devoted to high
nights, remarkably handsome to ro-
mantle and unsophsticated girls but
not to men and women who had cut
their wisdom teeth-that was Jimmy
Fayne.
Babe Littleford was speaking again:
81 'cided TO come back here, Bill
Dale, because / thought they might
need me here as well as because | was
afeard / would be burden to Pat-I
mean afraid / would be a burden TO
Pat. Seems like | CANT talk proper
at all I've tried and tried I've spent
half o. my time jest a-tryin' 10 talk
proper. Pat, she'd put down words !
mustn't say on a sheet o paper, and
I'd study 'em. Afeard, shore, pap,
cause, amt, Mainland all o. them.
And she'd put down the right words
with 'em SOS I'd know.
"Yore mother was the last TO come
TO see me. Bill. so this she says to
Pat, is the barbarian princess l
didn't know what that meant, but
'spect it's somethin' bad. l went into
the house, because / didn't want to
say anything, and her yore own moth
er. But ! listened, and I heard her
say the rest, and this is 1t:
"'What will you do when the min
innovation wears off, Patricia?' she
says. She'll be a burden to you,
Patricia; you'll have half-savage
person tagging after you. like lady
bearr
That's what II was she said, Bill
Dale. I'm shore they do need
me here, and / Ak We this, Bill Dale {:
Are you sorry to see me come backT
"Perhaps they do need you" Dale
slowly stripped the tiny leaves from n
fern. "But that is not sufficient rea-
son to warrant your staying here. OF
course, I'm not sorry to see you, Babe.
But you must go back to Patricia very
soon. If you had been a burden TO
Patricia. she would have told you"
Babe put out a foot and idly rolled
an acorn across the path with one
bare big toe.
"But IL don't think / want to go
back" she protested. "Td rather stay
here, heap rather"
But you must go back" declared
Dale. "You really must"
Ben Littleford's daughter was ST.
lent. For moment she absently
watched the playful antics Of little
boomer squirrel on the side Of near
by hickory. Then she arose.
Look" she urged-it was one Of
the charming wles Of her-"Look at
my new dress. Me and Pat made II,
every stitch of II. Don't you think It's
nicef"
"Sure, it's NICE" Dale agreed. "But
any dress looks nice on you, Babe. II
only you'd stick with Mrs. McLaurln
and let her educate youl You
shouldn't have cared anything about