American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1922-02-03

AALOhCoos II vas aAAkIOpot 90 AAAOhbh E4AS
! were the sole inhabitant OF the world
Then she thought. It was noontime
and the officer and HIS prisoner would
doubtless halt at John MoreIand's
cabin for the MONDAY meal; and II
she FASTENED she would get to see Bill
Dale again.
SO she ran like a doe through the
green woodland, through the tangle of
laurel and ivy and over the moss
covered stones, across a shoulder of
David Moreland's mountain. She was
b~arefOoted, and her dress was a sim
pie garment of white-dotted blue
calico, and her long brown hair flowed
behind her like the hair of a young
witch-because of the excitement of
the morning, she had forgotten to give
it its usual daily plating.
AS she drew neal to the Moreland
leaders home, she saw Bill Dale and
the sheriff walk out at the gateway
and mount their horses. Major Brad
ley came out, and he, too, mounted his
horse; and she was glad that he was
going along. There was a great crowd /;
all the Littlefords were there, and all
the Morelands, and old Granny Heck,
the fortune-teller. On every face Babe
saw signs of sympathy and sorrow.
Her eyes filed. She was so glad that
they, too, loved him. 1t was worth go
ing to Jail to know that n was loved
like thatl Not that it didn't hurt to
see him going to Jail, of course. Jail
and horror are words that mean the
same to the mountain dweller.
She went on to tell him good-by.
She knew it would be hard, but she
steeled herself; she would be a Little
ford, and strong. He saw her coming,
and he turned his bay horse and rode
to meet her. She stopped and clasped
her hands, with her arms down full
length, and tried to smile at him.
"You promised me-" he said gently,
''that you'd go back to Patricia and
finish your education"
II keep my promises" was the quick
reply, "jest like every other Littleford
that ever lived kept their promises. l
would ha' went back this mornin',
eff it hadn't ha' been"
And there she broke off abruptly.
After a silent moment, she continued
sadly, half tearfully: "And yet-and
%yet-the's not a bit o. use in me
a-goin' back nowi"
"Why7" Dale was smiling, and she
was glad to note that he did not ap-
pear to be grieving over his misfor-
tune.
"'Cause the aln't," simply.
"But you'll go?"
"Yes," she said, lin the mornin' I'll
60"
He bent toward her and held down
his hand. "GOod-by, little girl. l hope
it will come out all right, and l be-
lieve it WILL"
Babe slowly lifted her hand to his.
Her eyes were downcast.
"Good-by," she told him brOkenly.
"And | hope it will come out all right,
tOo-God knows | do, Bill Dale"
Thus they parted. Dale rode back
to the sheriff and Major Bradley, and
a minute later the three Of them start
ed for the lowland and Gainesville
jail.
When a bend In the dusty Ox-wagon
road had hidden them from view,
Elizabeth Littleford turned homeward.
Her mother followed her.
The younger woman dropped to the
stone step at the v%ine-hung front
porch with the air of or who is very
tired, plucked a full-blown marigold
and began absently to tear it's petals
slowly apart. Mrs. Littleford looked
out across the meadows, sighed.
smoothed back her gray hair with
both hands, and sat down beside her
daughter.
II wouldn't worry about it, Babe,
honey" she finally said. Then she
too plucked a marigold and began to
e its petals slowly apart. "Ef he
killed Adam Ball, 1t was to save him
self. He's a good man, honey. l think
he's about the best man l ever seed,
Babe"
mo, he never killed Adam Ball to
save nlSSeu even, baDe repIle0.
He's a fighter, but he amt no killer.
Listen, mother, it might ha' been this
away:
II is ahind of a tree, and Adam is
ahind of another tree. Adam shoots
at his hat, and he shoots at Adams
hat-which is the regular way of a
two-man fight, as you know. Well,
suddenly Adam he jumps up like he's
been shot, and falls a-groanin' and
a-twistin'. Bill Dale, a-thinkin' he's
killed Adam, comes out from ahind of
his tree. Havin' drawed Bill Dale out
into the open by his trick, Adam gifts
ready to shoot and kill him. Jest as
Adam is about to shoot, somebody else
shoots and kills Adam and saves Bill
Dale-mebbe the amt time fo' any
thing else. Now don't We see? And
don't it all sound natchel, mother2"
81 reckon it does" granted the old
woman. "But who vas it shot Black
Adam?'
Somebody who is a friend o. Bill