The Lamar register., 1917-12-12

jU Nt Two months anu
ii nour or so.
ie up one night and stayed
Ii until morning, after the
ops lded custom OF the range land.
Billy louise did not talk with him very
much. He had shifty eyes and a
coarse, loose Tipped mouth and a thick
neck, and. girl-llke, she took a violent
dislike to him. But John Pringle told
her afterward that he was Buck Olney.
the new stock inspector. and that he
was prowling around to see If he could
find out anything.
Billy Louise worried good deal aft.
er that. Once she rode out early with
the intention of going to Wards claim
to warn him. But three miles of saner
thought changed her purpose. She
dared not leave her mother all day, for
one thing. and for another she could
scarcely warn Ward without letting
him see that she felt he needed warn.
Ing, and even Billy Louise shrank from
what might follow.
The stock inspector stopped again on
his way back to the railroad. Billy
Louise was so anxious that she smoth.
ly. which thawed the man to an alarm
ing amiability. She questioned him art.
fully-trust Billy Louise for that-and
she decided that the stock inspector
was either a very poor detective or
very good actor. He did not. for in.
stance. mention any corral hidden In a
blind canyon away back In the hills,
and Billy Louise did not mention It,
either. He had not found any worked
brands. he said And he did not appear
to know anything further about Ward
than the mere fact Of his existence.
There's fellow holding down a
claim away over on Mill creek" he
had remarked "I'l look him up when
all right"
Ward is all right" asserted Billy
Louise rather unwisey.
Haven't a doubt Of H. thought
maybe he might have seen something
that might give us clew." Perhaps
the stock inspector was wiser than she
gave him credit for being He did not
at any rate pursue the subject any fur
ther until he found an opportunity to
talk to Mrs. Macdonald herself. Then
he artfully mentioned the fellow on
Mil creek. and because she did not
know any reason for caution he got all
the information he wanted and more,
for mommie was in one of her gar
rulous humors.
After that the days drifted quietly
for month and grew nippier at each
end and lazier in the middle, which
meant that the short summer was over
and that fall was getting ready TO
paint the wooded slopes with her gay
est colors and that one must prepare
for the siege Of winter.
1t was some time in the latter part
OF September that Billy Louise got up
In the middle Of a frosty nia.ht because
she heard her mother moaning. That
was the beginning. She sent John OF
before daylight for the doctor, and be-
fore the next night she stood with her
lips pressed together and watched the
doctor count mommle's pulse and take
mOmmle's temperature and drew In her
breath hardly when she saw how long
he studied the thermometer after
ward.
There was month or so OF going
to and fro ON her toes and Of watching
the clock with a mind to medicine Civ
ing. There were nights and nights and
nights when the cabin window winked
like a star fallen into the coulee from
dusk to red dawn. Ward rode over
once stayed all night and went home
in silent rage because he could not
do a thing.
There was a week of huctuating
hope and time when the doctor said
mOmmie must go TO a hospital-Boise,
since she had friends there. And there