The Lamar register., 1917-12-05

bedroom and kitchen and fought that
tearing pain.
She met the dawn hollow eyed and
so tired she could not worry very much
about anything. Her mother slept I'M
easily to prove that the battle had not
gone altogether against the girl who
had fought the night through. She had
her reward in full measure when the
doctor came. In the heat OF noon, and
after terrible minutes OF suspense for
Billy Louise while he counted pulse
and took temperature and studied
symptoms. told her that she had done
well and that she and her homely poul-
tees had held back tragedy from that
house
Billy Louise lay down upon the couch
out on the back porch and slept heav-
fly for three hours, while Phoebe and
the doctor watched over her mother.
She woke with start. She had been
dreaming, and the dream had taken
from her cheeks what little color her
night vigil had left. She had dreamed
that Ward was in danger, that men
were hunting him for what he had done
at that corral. The corral seemed the
center of fight between Ward and the
men. She dreamed that he came to
her and that she must hide him away
and save him. But though she took
him to Il cave, which was secret enough
for her purpose, yet she could not feel
that he was safe even there. There
was something-some menace.
Billy Louise went softly into the
A. e.. a - Har
er's room and saw that she lay quiet,
with her eyes closed. Beside the win
dow the doctor sat with his spectacles
far down toward the end OF his nose,
reading pale green pamphlet that he
must have brought in his pocket Phoe-
be was down by the creek washing
clothes In the shade OF a willow clump.
She went into her own room, still
walking on her toes. In her trunk WAS
a blue plush box OF the kind that Is
given to one at Christmas. II was fad
ed and the clasp was showing brassy
at the edges. Sitting upon her bed with
the box in her lap Billy Louise paved
hastily In the tumble Of keepsakes it
held; an eagles claw which she meant
some time to have mounted for a
brooch; three or four arrowheads OF
the shiny. black stuff which the Indians
were said TO have brought from Vel
lowstone park; a knot OF green ribbon
which she had worn to a st. Patrick's
day dance In Boise; rattlesnake rattles
of all sizes: several folded clippings
verses that had caught her fancy and
had been put away and forgotten; an
amber bead she had found once. She
turned the box upside down In her lap
and shook II. 1t must be there-the
thing she sought, the thing that had
troubled her most in her dream; the
thing that was a menace while it ex-
listed. 1t was at the very bottom OF
the box, caught In a corner. She took
it out with fingers that trembled. crum-
pied it into a little ball so that she
could not read what It said. straight
ened it Immediately and read 1t re-
luctantly from the beginning to the end
where the last word was clipped short
with hasty scissors. paragraph cut
from newspaper it was; yellow and
frayed from contact with other objects,
telling of things
Billy Louise bit her lips until they
hurt, but she could not keep back the
tears that came hot and singing while
she read. She slid the little heap Of
odds and ends to the middle Of the bed,
crushed the clipping Into her palm and
went out stealthily into the immaculate
kitchen. As II she were being spied
upon she went cautiously to the stove,
lifted a lid and dropped the clipping in
where the wood blazed the brightest.
She watched 1t flare and become moth
ing-not even a pinch of ash IS; the
clipping was not very large. When it
was gone she put the lid back and
went tiptoeing to the door. Then she