The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-12-21

to get start they're suspicious, as 4
a man has no right to- Well, thinl
managed to head them of anyway"
Her satisfaction lasted while she rod'
to the next ridge. Then the llttl'
devils Of doubt came a-swHrming ant
a-whisperlng. She had said she knew
all about Ward. Wen, she did to 4
greater extent than others knew. But
she wondered II she did not know toe
much or II she knew enough, There
were some things
She headed Blue down the slope and
as straight for the Big Hin as she
could 20, There was no trail that way
and the ridges were steep and the can
yons circuitous. But Blue was good
horse, with plenty of stamina and
much experience. He carried his lady
safely. and he carried her willingly.
Even her impatience could find no
fault with the manner in which he
climbed steep pitches, slid down slopes
as steep, jumped narrow washouts and
picked his way through thlckets of
quaking aspens or over wide stretches
of shale rock and lava beds He was
vet TO his ears when finally he shut
/ fed into Wards trail up the creek bot
| tom, but he breathed evenly, and he
carried his head high and perked his
ears knowingly forward when the cor
raj and haystack came into view
around sharp bend. He splashed
both front feet into the creek just be-
fore the cabin and stopped to drink
while Billy Louise stared ut the silent
place.
BY the tracks along the creek trail
she knew that Ward had come home,
and she urged Blue across the ford and
up the bank to the cabin. She slid Off
and went in boldly to hide her inward
embarrassment-and she found nothing
but emptiness there.
Billy Louise did not take long to in
vestigate. The coffee pot was still
warm on the stove when she laid her
palm against it, and she Immediately
poured herself cup of coffee. A plate
and a 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.
1t 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 be surprised and
disgusted 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 go
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 ex-
preston.
Billy Louise was on the point of rid
ing away Il good deal more hastily /.
than she had come in the hope that |
Ward would not discover her there.
Then her own StubbOrnneSS came up |
permost, and she told herself that she |
had a perfect right to ride wherever
she pleased and that if Ward didn't /
like it 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 a little window behind .
the bunk and beside that shelf filed .
with books and smoking material and .
matches. She knew by the very ar
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 a -four
sack half full of some hard, lumpy
stuff which Billy Louise had not no
ticed before. She felt the bag tenta-
lively. could not guess its contents and
finally took it down and united it.
Within were irregular scraps and
strips of stuff hard as bone, puzzle
still to one unfamiliar with the from
tier. Billy Louise pulled out little
piece, nibbled a corner and pronounced:
'M-mm! Jerky! I'm going to swipe
Of thof - which Ghn 1OrnpAnHn1 tn !
do to the extent of filing her pocket,
for to those who have learned to like
it jerked venisOn is quite as desirable
as milk chocolate or any other nibbly
tidbt.
The opposite wall had sacks Of flour
canned goods, such as corn and toma-
toes and milk and peaches. A box of
canned peaches stood at the head of
the bed and upon that case of toma-
toes. Ward used them for a table and
set the lantern there when he wanted
to read in bed. He's got a pretty good
supply of grub" was the verdict of
Billy Louise, sizing up the assortment
while she nibbled at the piece of jerky.
Il wonder where he is anyway? And
a moment later: He oughtn't to hang
his best clothes UP like that. They'll
be all wrinkled when he wants to put
-hem on"
She went over and disposed of the
BEST clothes to her liking and shook out
he dust. She had to own to herself
hat for q bachelor Ward was very Or-
lerly, though he did let his trousers
lang down over the flour sacks in a
way to whiten their hens. She hung