The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1917-12-05

and cup on the table indicated that
Ward had eaten a hurried meal and
had not taken time to clear away the
litter Billy Louise ate what was left,
and mechanically she washed the
dishes and made everything neat be-
fore she went down To- look for Rather.
She had thought that Ward was out
somewhere about the place and would
return very soon probably. Blue she
had left standing in plain sight before
the cabin so that Ward could see him
and know she was there. a fact which
she regretted.
While she was washing dishes and
sweeping she had been trying to think
OF some excuse FOR her presence there.
II was going to he awkward, her com
ing there on his heels, one might say.
Billy Louise began to wish she had
not come. She began to feel quite GER
tain that Ward would he surprised and
disguised when he found her there and
would look at her with that faint curl
of the lip and that fainter lift Of the
nostril above it, which made her 20
hot all over with the scorn in them
She had seen him look that way once
or twice. and in spite OF herself she be
gan to picture his face with that eI-
preston.
Billy Louise was on the point of rid
ing away a good deal more hastily
than she had come I'm the hope that
Ward would not discover her there.
Then her own stubbornness came up
permust. aud she told herself that she
had a perfect right to ride wherever
she pleased and that II Ward didn't
like II he could do the other thing.
She went to the door and stood look
ing out for a minute. wondering where
he was.
There was little window behind
the bunk and beside that "A shelf filled
with books and smoking material and
matches She knew by the very ar
rangement of that shelf and window
that Ward liked to lie there on the
bunk and read while the light lasted.
At the head of the bed hung -four
sack half full of some hard, lumpy
stun which Billy Louise mad not no
ticed before. She felt the bag tenta-
lively. could not guess its contents and
finally took 1t down and united 1t.
strips of stuff hard as bone. puzzle
still to one unfamiliar with the from
tier. Billy Louise pulled out a little
piece. nibbled corner and pronounced:
"M-mm, Jerky' I'm going to swipe
some OF that" which she proceeded to
do to the extent Of filling her pocket,
for to those who have learned to like
Il ierked venison is quite as desirable
as milk chocolate or any other nibbly
tidbit.
The opposite wall had sacks of flour
stacked against 1t and boxes Of staple
canned goods. such as corn and toma-
toes and milk and peaches. 4 box of
canned peaches stood at the head Of
the bed and upon that a case of toma-
toes Ward used them for table and
set the lantern there when he wanted
to read in bed Hes got pretty good
supply Of grub" was the verdict OF
Billy Louise sizing up the assortment
while she nibhled at the piece of jerky.
81 wonder where he is anyway" And
a moment later: He oughtn't to hang
his best clothes up like that They'll
be all wrlnkled when he wants to put
them on
She went over and disposed OF the
best clothes to her liking and shook out
the dust. She had to own to herself
that for a bachelor Ward was very or
DERBY. though he did let his trousers
hang down over the -four sacks in a
way to whiten their hens. She hung
them in a different place.
But where was Ward? Billy Louise
bethought her that Blue deserved
something to eat after that hard ride
and led him down to the stable. There
was no sign Of Rather. and Billy
Louise wondered anew at Wards alb
sence II did not seem consistent with
his haste to leave the Wolverine and
his frequent assertion that he must get
to work. From the stable door she
could look over practically the whole
creek bottom within his fence, and she
could see the broad sweep of the hills
on either side. On her way back to
the cabin she tried to track Rather,
but there were several stock trails
leading I'm different directions. and the
soil was too dry to leave any distin-
gushing marks.
She waited for an hour or two, sit
ting In the doorway. nibbling jerky and
trying to read Il magazine. Then she