The Arizona copper camp., 1917-12-29

the pink and white patch Of fruit trees.
She was trying, as the young will al
ways try, to solve the riddle Of life, and
she was baf11ed and unhappy because
that pleased both her ideals and her
reason. And then she heard mans
voice lifted up in riotous song and she
turned her head toward the opening Of
the gorge and listened, her eyes bright
/ ening while she waited.
Ward came into sight through the lit
tie meadow, riding slowly, with both
die, his hat tilted back on his head and
his whole attitude one of absolute con-
tent with life. He saw Billy Louise
almost as soon as she glimpsed him.
and she had been watching that bit of
road quite closely. He tipped the reins
to one side and turned from the trail to
ride straight up the slope to where she
was.
Billy Louise, with self reproachful
glance at the grave, ran down the slope
to meet him-an unexpected welcome,
which made Wards heart leap in his
chest.
"Oh, Ward, for heavens sake, don't
be singing that come-all-ye at the top
Of your voice, like that. Don't you
''Now was given to understand that
you liked that same come-all-ye. Have
you been educating your musical taste
in the last week, Miss William Louise?"
Ward stopped his horse before her and
with his hands still clasped over the
saddle horn looked down at her with
that hidden smile-and something else.
"No, haven't. I don't have to~edu-
cate myself to the point where know
the Chisholm Trail isn't proper kind
of funeral hymn, Ward Warren" Billy
Louise glanced over her shoulder and
lowered her voice instinctively, as we
all do when death has come close and
stopped. "Jase died last night; that's
his grave up there. Isn't it perfectly
pitiful? Poor old Marthy was here all
solitary alone with him. And-Ward,
she dug that grave her ownself and
took him up and buried him! And,
Ward, she-she wheeled him up in the
-wheelbarrow She had to, Of course.
She couldn't carry him. But isn't it
awful? Her hands were up, patting
and smoothing the neck of his horse,
and her face was bent to hide the tears
that stood in her eyes and the quiver
Of her mouth.
Several minutes they stood there
talking, while Billy Louise patted the
horse absently, and Ward looked down
at her and did not miss one little light
or shadow in her face.
"You saw mommie, Of course. You
came from home"
"No, did not. I got as far as the
creek and saw Blues tracks coming
down, so I just sort Of trailed along,
seeing it was mommie's daughter I felt
most like talking to-
"Mommie's daughter" laughed lit
tie and instinctively made change in
the subject.
"I've got to go in and wash the
dishes," she said. stepping back from
him. "Of course nothing was done in
the cabin, and I've been doing a little
housekeeping. / guess the dishwater
is hot by this time-if it hasn't all
boiled away"
Ward, as a matter Of course. tied his
horse to the fence and went into the
cabin with her. He also asked her to
stake him to a dish towel, which she
did after a good deal of rummaging.
He stood with his hat on the back Of
his head, a cigarette between his lips,
and wiped the dishes with much ap-
parent enjoyment. He objected strong
ly to Billy Louise's assertion that she
meant to scrub the floor, but when he
found her quite obdurate he changed
his method without in the least degree.
yielding his point, though for diplomat
ic reasons he appeared to yield.
He carried water from the creek and
filed the teakettle, the big iron pot and
both pals. Then, when Billy Louise
had turned her back upon him while
she looked in a dark corner for thc
mop, he suddenly seized her ara r
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