The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-06
CHAPTER III.
"Old Dame Fortune Used Me for
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CHAPTER III.
"OId Dame Fortune Used Me for
a Football"
Ward Warren sat before the
fireplace with cigaret long gone
cold in his fingers and stared in
to the blaze. Billy Louise had
spoken to him twice, and he had
not answered. He had been at
the Wolverine a month, and they
were pretty we'll acquainted by
now, and inclined to friendliness
when Ward threw off his moodi-
ness and has air of holding him
self ready for some affront which
he seemed to expect.
Billy Louise suddenly lost pa
thence. She picked up a bit of
bark the size of her thumb and
threw it at Ward. She had a
fine accuracy of aim-she hit him
on the nape of the neck.
Ward jumped up and whirled,
and when he faced Billy Louise
he had gun gripped in the fin
gers that had held the cigaret so
loosely. So they faced each 9TH
er, while Billy Louise backed
against the wall and took two
sharp breaths.
Ward relaxed. He showed the
gun back inside the belt of his
trousers-Billy Louise had never
dreamed that he carried any
weapon-and dropped back into
the chair. He folded his arms up
on the high chairback and laid his
face down upon them.
Billy Louise set her teeth hard
together to keep back the tears
of sympathy. Suffering of any
sort always wrung the tender
heart of her. But suffering like
this-never in her life had she
seen anything like it. She went
to him and laid her two bonds
on his shoulders without even
thinking Aat this was the first
time she had ever touched him.
DON'T" she said, half whis-
pering so that she would not walk
en- her mother, in bed with an at
tack of lumbago. Don't look as
If you-you hadn't a friend on
earth! Anyway, you've got me,
and understand all about it. "
She whispered those last words,
and her heart thumped heavily
with trepidation after she had
spoken.
Ward raised his head, caught
one of her hands and held it fast
while he looked deep into her
eyes. He drew a deep breath and
gave her hand little squeeze and
let it go.
Did | scare you? I'm sorry"
he said, speaking in a hushed
tone because of the woman in the
next room. II was thinking
about a man | may meet some
day; and if | do meet him, the
chances are I'll kill him. didn't
i forgot where | was" He
fnmbled in his pocket for tobacco
and papers. Abstractedly he be-
gan the making of a cigaret.
Billy Louise put wood on the
fire, pulled up a square. Calico
padded stool, and sat down. Ward
leaned forward with twig in his
hand, got it ablaze, and lighted
his cigaret. He did not look at
Billy Louise until he had taken a
Whit or two.
What made you catch your
breath when l told my name that
night | Gamer" he asked, with a
tensity behind the lightness of his
tone. Where had you ever heard
of me before?"
Billy Louise gasped again, sent
a lightning thought into the flu
ture, and answered more casually
than she had hoped she could.
when | was a kid | ran across
the MISUNDERSTANDING
used it to play with"
"Yes-and what about-under-
standing all about it? Do your"
he insisted. leaning toward her.
"I-well. / do-some of 1t any
way" Billy Louise lifted a hand
spasmodically to her throat.
What was in the paper" she
whispered.
What was that? What did 1t
say?"
I-I-what difference does 1t
make, what it said?" Billy Louise
turned imploring eyes upon him.
at doesn't matter-to me-in the
least. It-didn't say much"
81 didn't know there was a
woman in the world like you"
Ward said irrelevantly and looked
into the fire. Il never knew a
woman could be a friend - the
kind Of friend a man can be-" He
threw his cigaret into the fire and
watched the paper shrivel swiftly.
'Life's queer thing" he said,
taking a different angle. 81 start
ed out with big notions about the
things I'd do. Maybe | started
wrong, but for a kid with nobody
to point the trail for him, | don't
think / did so worse-till old
Dame Fortune spotted me in the
crowd and proceeded to use me
for football" He turned his
head quite Unexpectedly and
looked at Billy Louise. What
was it you read?" he asked alb
ruptly.
II don't like to-say It," she
whispered unsteadily.
well, you needn't. I'll say 1t