The spectator., 1922-02-21

mere speck. Before she went on, she removed her shoes and stockings. It was hard for Babe Littleford to be- come accustomed to wearing useless shoes and stockings in warm weather
 When she had reached the foot of the mountain, she didn't take the by path her people had been wont to use in order that they might avoid con tact with the Morelands. There was no need of avoiding contact with the Morelands now, thank goodness.
 Then a voice hailed her from the laurels out at her right, the voice she loved better than any other
 Hello, Miss Littleford! !'
 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 damp with precipitation. She saw that he was in boots and corduroys, the cloth ing of a timber-i jack, and he looked bigger in them; about his waist there was a cartrdge-belt, from which hung q big and dependable looking revolver in leathern holster
 Hello, Mister Dale v she mimicked.
 He shook her hand, then he dropped to 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, "I mean be- cause
 No reason whatever" smiled Dale.
 We'll" and her clear brown eyes looked at him squarely, "I come back because yore mother she said l would be a burden to Mis- McLaurin, that's why"
 Mrs. McLaurin," said Dale; mot Mis- McLaurin."
 "A burden to Mrs. McLaurin, and l ain't agOin' to be burden to no body" vehemently. In softer voice, she went on, Mrs. McLaurin and her husband and her folks has done made up friendly, Bill Dale. Mrs. McLau- rin'S pap-I mean her father-he brung 'em a big lot O silver
 Bill Dale, had a 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 ain't nothin'. But whar all O their money comes from, l shore cain't see. Say, l showed some O Pats friends how to dance our old hill dances and the whole town was crazy about 'em when l left. Jimmy Payne Is awful good-lookin' and rich, ain't he, Bill? He liked me bettern any of 'em, less it was Pat herself. You know Jimmy, don't ye, Bill?'
 Dale nodded, drowned, and turned his sober gaze toward the toes of his high laced boots. Yes, he knew Jimmy Payne, and he held him in contempt. The pampered son of q wealthy cotton speculator, weak, devoted to high nights, remarkably handsome to re- mantle and unsophlsticated girls but not to men and women who had cut their wisdom -teeth-that was Jimmy Payne.
 Babe Littleford was speaking again:
 "l 'cided to come back here, Bill Dale, because l thought they might need me here as well as because l was afeard l would be a burden 10 pat-l mean afraid I would be a barden to Pat. Seems like l cain't talk proper at all. I've tried and tried. I've spent half O my time jest a-tryin' to talk proper. Pat, she'd put down woris l mustn't say on a sheet Q paper, and I'd study 'em. Afeard, shore pap, cause, ain't, hain't-and all O them. And she'd put down the right words with 'em sos I'd know.
 Tore mother was the last to come 10 see me. Bill. so this, she says to Pat, is the barbarian princess " l didn't know what that meant, but l 'spect it's somethn' bad. went into the house, because I didn't want to say anything, and her yore own moth CT. But l listened, and l heard her say the rest. and this is 1t:
 "'What will you do when tho min innovation wears off, PatriciaY she says. Shell be a burden to you, Patricia; you'll have half-savage person tagging after you, like lady bearr
 That's what 1t was she said. BHl Dale. I'm shore they do need me here, ana l ax ye this, Bill Dale Are you sorry to see me come back?"
 Perhaps they do need you" Dale slowly stripped the tiny leaves from fern. But that Is not sufficient req 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 burden ts Patricia, she would have told you"
 Babe put out foot and idly rolled an acorn across the path with one