Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-07-27
CHAPTER XVII.
Bill Dale Laughs.


wind snatched sprays OF blue wood
smoke. The Morelands had gone TO
farms lying around Gainesville in the
lowland, on each OF which a fair-sized
first payment had been made. the bor-
rowed capital was TO remain borrowed
for another year. The Morelands were
already losing their outlandishness
and growing into universal respect.
David Moreland's dream was at last
being realized.
Then Dale frowned heavily If only
he could do as much for Babes peo-
ple But lie couldn't. The men of the
Littlefords still worked the coal mine.
They received almost twice the custom
airy wages, but even that wouldn't buy
them farms and educate their children.
Under his eyes lay two unanswered
letters from his parents. He found
little pleasure in answering their let
tiers. for he was still somewhat bitter
toward them-toward his father be-
cause OF his fathers Ill treatment of
David Moreland and David Moreland's
people toward his mother because she
had let him go hungry for mother-loyc
as baby, as "A child, as a boy, and as
a man. toward them both because he
had been reared do-nothlng.
The door opened suddenly, and BY
Heck came stamping in with a gust Of
cold air at his back. He carried in
one hand the mail satchel in the other
was his ever-present rifle. After throw
ing the satchel 70 the floor at Dale's
feet, he turned to the glowing wood
stove.
I'm dang nigh friz. Bill" he chat
tered. "My gosh, couldn't be no cold
er'n what / EN- eff I'd ha' elm the
nawth pole neck-ed. Say, Bill, why'n't
We burn coal Std o. wood? Igod, it's
hotter"
"Coal Is worth money. Wood isn't"
Dale ran through the mail hastily.
He threw aside a letter from the Alex
ander Crayfeld Coal corporation, which
took the entire output Of the mine at
an extraordinary figure, and picked up
a letter which bore the postmark Of his
home city.
1t was from Babe Littleford. Since
he paid so little attention to the letters
of his parents. they had requested her
to write to him-they wanted him to
come home for Christmas dinner.
Wouldn't he come?
He arose and paced the office floor
for two or three inmates. then he sat
down at his desk and dashed off let
ter that contained only two sentences.
BY Heck sat beside the stove and
watched his god with thoughtful eyes.
He understood, he believed. How any
woman on earth could turn down a
man like Bill Dale was utterly beyond
him. BY Heck was great deal like a
good-natured dog. .
II Bill would only laugh, IL would be
good for him. 1t had been so long since
he had heard Bill laugh. BY Heck de-
cided that he would make Bill Dale
laugh.
"Old boy7"
"wen?"
"Do We want me to tell We funny
taller" drawled Heck. He barely heard
the answer:
IT guess / don't mind, BY"
Heck's sympathy made him gulp.
But he swallowed the lump that came
up in his throat and began bravely:
Zone time the was a Teller named
Smith. Odd name, Bill, amt It? 'Hoss-
fiy' Smith, they called him. cause II
was said at he could easy shoot a
hossf1y often a hoss's ear and never
break hide on the animile. He was
helllon. too. One time Hossfiy. he was
a-tryin' to git appointed the chairman
O. some sort o. politics doin's. and on
that same day he was a-drinkin' sort
o. tol'able heavy. They agreed to
make him the Temporary chairman. but
Hossfly. he didn't want that. So he
hops right up In the middle o the meet
in, and he hollers out and says:
"Feller citizens he says, I want
to be the permanent chairman 1 amt
a-goin' 70 act In the capacity OF a
burned Temporary chairman; / abso-
d-n-lutely amt!
His old lnemy, Eb Wright. he yells
back and says smart-like: Set down
thar, H0Ss1y, says ED-yOu re urunh'
and you don't know the difference a.
tween Temporary and permanent
well. they knowed Eb had IL a.
comm TO him right then, and they lis
tened TO II. Hossfly. he addresses the
whole meetln', and this here Is what
Hossfy says:
"Feller citizens says he, ED
Wright thar lows don't know the DIFF
ference atween Temporary and perma-
nent. I'll prove to you that do know
tbe difference. Eb Wright says I'm
drunk. / am. That's Temporary. lib
Wright is a poke-nosed idjit. That's
permanent"
Heck finished with a lazy laugh |:
'TIaw. haw, hawl Hee-haw, hee-hawV
"Thnt story" Dale said YEARLY,
mas been told on dozens of politicians.
II has become a part Of the history OF
this state"
"wen, my gosh" moaned By Heck
He thought deeply for a moment, de-
cIded that Bill Dale wouldn't laugh a.