The Crittenden press., 1922-01-27
CHAPTER XIX.

On the noor Of the richly furnished
library VI the Dale home. near a west
window. Miss Elizabeth lttleford sat
reading By the fast fading hehi " an
early March afternoon somehow she
liked 10 sll on the floor. ard always she
iiked TO read. Tor one ihIng. books
heiped her 10 forgst that shT vas
lonely
There were footsteps behind her.
soft footsteps because u the thick ssl.
sei carpet then e low solcr inqu.redi
Aren't you afraid you will lniurs
yeur eyes. EllEabethi hogisr have q
light hadn't you. dearY The old coal
aims turned toward ihs switch uu the
sall.
NO" she answered quickly I'm
through reading iof iuday. and I Ike
this twilight"
hef Improvement ln speech and 10
iuanners had zone ou a. surprisingly
rapid raie shs Farely spoke vlih any
bot The simplest words. but she never
fsll iuls anything more than bare zen.
biance Of the Old dfawilng hili dialect
unless it vas while she was under the
stress u some sironG emoilon.
she ciosed the book and looked up
~ith eyes that wew Ike ths hrst sian
10 . summer sky Hef heauiy vas
vouderful. Il was aner and sve~isr
than lt had ever ben tefurs
Old Dale stood looklng ihoughifullJ
laio her upturned iacs Ne VA = M.
ne pale. and b. SEEMED troubled aud
UNEASY.
Elizabeth sheot her bead. You're
~ouylnE again.
Ne dropped Into . nearby chair.
leanci slowly forward and lei one
hand fall eeuuy on her ihlct and silky
chesinutbfoNn hair
Z uish.T b. aid a. though 10 him.
seeif that had q daughter Ike you.-
iis took his hand from boz bead. lay
haci usarliy lu his chair and closed
his eyes rhen he bent forsari again.
The Mofeiauds Elizabeth they've
moved away from the settlement.
haven't theyf
-ies Rni Dale has done. sssderful
thluEs for them :" no zin answered.
lohn \ pals ~. silent for q M
neni. after shich b. ssld suddenly 4
~aui o. - my sau ihers d something
! musi tell him. VII sou 80 siih ne.
Ellahsihr
-uf coursr. ru g. With ysu~
she thought shs knsu uhsf u vas
that siirfei him nl iniuit'ou. supple.
msnied hy uIi nsle's ec,usIonai cryp.
tlc ufirrancrs and p|slei aui by hln
tradition Eiiiahsih l.iliiefoni rradu.
ally had come iuiu possession of ne
cd cual mans srm secret
Neither " them tnrw hat loha
hoFsiaud ~as ihsn sisliiur BIZ hsiolei
old bills fof the sste sf some shsoilug
zee
TIE following day John a Dale and
Eiiraheih ilitisforf silrhisd from
northbound pa@euEsf train 40 me
Halfway switch The mouniairs eers
covered aiih three inches oi suou. and
the hsmiost and pines b6fs heavy bur.
dsns of he beautiful nhlie stun but
ihs aiF sss SIN sud u wasn't vrry
cold.
-ioud So youf eioihing Ell black
on ths coal train Dale aid To- he
ccmpanlon. - you'd rather uaik over.
wouldnt youi Auyuay. lhs train Isn't
here rm rood fef sn miles I thlnk
Yes" smiled neu llitiefonis
daughter. "rd nihsf walk-lf you're
surs that sis mllss vent b. COO much
CO.. 80"
ToEsther. with no rifl lcadinr me
uay. they 80 out acfoss David More.
lands mountain The oid trail shaved
uoi one footprint ahssd % them. Il
sas pot 81 much use.i nov. They sald
liitie Zach thouFh' their osn thoughts
and neither carss iol speak them %
NJ other
iusi before thsy fsachei ne moun.
tains eresi thsy passed e group -
snas iafsn pines that couosslsd q be.
brown bearded man sto had hsen
sieaithiiy following ths frul ~ e. lone
Wild lurtsy iie wore Khaki hunting.
clothes and hiEh lacei boois and ihsre
uas e certain English dnsuess about
hlm. IN BE hav hands be- carried q
repeating ride. which MARRIED him AZ
one born ln tho hlils; q lnwlandsf
would have bad chots.horsi shotgun
When be- sav John X. Dale he
siorped suddenly q might have hesn
lniullion. o. Il might have heru Steer
curiosity. the average altman being .
stranger to neliher-he followed and
watched the tive. unseen ~ thee
On the pine frinEed crest. tiirahsih
lilllefori halted ~ view that which
isy ar'nnf and hrlos him oid Dale
sisulsrd clusr ~ hrf .lile. and b. ten
baiI - IL thai nhlfh la Hf.lfuH suH