The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-11

ness began to creep into their eyes y
Then Major Bradley, guest Of Ben
Littleford, strobe into the room with
patrician and soldierlys air, and he
understood the situation perfectly. :
Gentlemen" he urged, "shake
hands. Be friends" " ~ =. ~
They didn't. Neither seemed to
have heard the major. It angered Bin:
Dale. His knowledge Of these feud-
lists these grown-up children, was not
Vet very thorough. He went to his
feet. John Moreland, too, arose. ~
"We'd as well 90, hadn't we:" Dale
clipped, and there was disgust in his
voice. T.. i. r. =. y ~
II reckon we had," agreed More
land. T. -: ~
They walked out Of the cabin, leav-
ing Major; Bradley and Ben Ltttleford
gazing silently after them. At the
gate Dale caught John Morelands
sleeve and halted him. &e nv /.
aWhy on EARTH" he demanded.
"didn't you make the break?"' >.@'%.a,
'Bill Dale, went into his house"'
Dale put his hands on one of, the
weatherbeaten sateposts and looked
over to where a bright star burned
like beacon light above the pine
fringed crest Of David Moreland's
mountain. He continued to look, at
the star, his face gray, until it glim-
mered. III t<zs 9. 20.
Then he began to blame himself i;
he was the hope Of benighted peo-
pie, and he had foolishlX lost his tenn
per at a crucial moment! He wondered
whether it was yet too late, and
turned his eyes toward his silent COM
panion. He saw that John MOreland
was looking toward the beacon star
The voice Of Ben Littleford came to
them plainly because the night was so
very still; he was reading from the
GOSPEL according to Saint Mark,
preparatory to his bedtime prayer.
The two at the gate listened intently.
The way in which the iliterate giant
stumbled over the simplest words was
nitif1l :14 I'M jr' a. IN - a s
The hlllman closed the Good Book
and placed it on the table beside him.
There was the low shutting of feet
as half a dozen persons, knelt at their
chairs. The prayer which followed
was much like John Moreland's own
bedtime prayer; it had in it less Of
supplication than Of thanksgiving.
And in the tall Of 1T there were
hr,1 RI
mountaineer at the gate. -. -: ~
= BLESS the good man WHO is with
us here tonight, and all o. our KIN
folks, and all O. our friends. and ail
o. our sinemies-and specially the
Morelands.t Aymen." {s-%e. i '.r !:
b. Dale's hand came down hard on
John MoreIand's shoulder. e.
"You told me he wouldn't do it!' ~
The old clan leader hung his head,
like man suddenly broken. He re-
piled not word; he seemed amazed
into speechlessness. He had been
wrong in his estimate Of Ben Little
ford; he had lied about 4 man who
had just asked the good Almighty to
bless him. John Moreland clicked a
little aud started toward the cabin.
He walked as though half blind across
the porch, and entered without knock
ing, and went III to Ben Littleford with
his right hand outStretched. &'5''
les begin anew" he said huskily.
lies be friends, yore people and my
people, You and me!' :,
Littleford arose and CROPPED for his
old-tlme enemy's hand, found It and
grasped it in both his own; ~ ~
you're better IAN l. am, John More
land.'' he said-'you're a ID sight
| better IAN I am" +. "a.
When Dale left them, they were
talking over great bear-hunt that
they had taken together a score of
years before. -. - =
The moon. full and as bright as new
gold, had risen just under the beacon
| star when Bill Dale reached tho door
step of the cabin that was home to
him. He faced about. The broad
green valleyxla very serene and very
beautiful there in Ethe Enellow light.
| There was 10 sound ssnye FOR the gem
tie murmurins of tliSgctSstal river.
h You wonderful place. he said soft
", then added: "MtssbWn Icountfy :! :
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