The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-12-07
CHAPTER II-continued.

"Then the chores aren't done, sup
pose." Billy Louise went over an.
took a lantern down from Its nail
turning up the wick so that she coul'
light 1t with the candle. GO up u
the fire and thaw out" she invited tn'
man. Wen have supper in rev
minutes"
Instead he reached out and took th'
lantern from her as soon as she MAJ
lighted 1t. "You go to the fire your
self" he said. "I'll do what's neces
sary outside" -.
"Why-y"- Billy Louise, her hnger'
still clinging to the lantern lookeu VI
at him. He was staring down at nei
with that intent look she had objected
to ON the trail, but she saw MS moutL
and the little smile that hid just bach
of his lips. She smiled back Wlthou'
knowing If. I'm have to go along
anyway. There are cows to MIX ano
you couldn't very well hnd the co"
stable alone"
"Think not?"
Togetber they went out again into
the storm they had left so eageri!
R;lv Louise showed him where was
tbo nitchfork and the hay ana then
did the milking while he piled ruli the
managers. After that they went 10
oetber and turned the shivering worE
horses into the stable from the corral
where they huddled, rumps 10 Tue
storm and the man lifted great FORK
f,ls Of hay and carried it into their
stalls. while Billy Louise held the IAN
fern high over her head like western
Liberty. They did not talk much' eX'
cept when there was need lor speevli'
but they were beginning to 1eel ht'
tle glow of companionship by the time
thew were ready to fight their way
against the blizzard to the house, Billy
Louise going before with the lantern,
while the man followed close behind
carrying the two pals of milk that
was already freezing in little crystals
to the tin.
81 didn't quite catch your name, mis-
ter" Mrs. Macdonald said after tney
had begun the meal. But take an
other biscuit, anyway"
Warren is my name" returned the
man. with that hidden smile because
she had never before given him any
opportunity to tell it-"Ward warren.
I'VE got a claim over on Mill creek"
Billy Louise gave a little gasp and
distractedly poured two spoonfuls OF
sugar in her tea, although she hated 1t
sweetened.
I've got to tell you why even at the
price of depression. Long ago, when
Billv Louise was twelve or so and
lived largely in a dream world OF her
own, she had one day CHANGED upon a
paragraph in a paper that had come
from town wrapped around a package
Of matches. 1t was all about Ward
Warren. The name caught her fancy,
and the text of the paragraph seized
upon her imagination. Until school
filed her mind with other things she
had built adventures without end in
which Ward Warren was the central
figure. Sometimes, when she rode in
the hills, Ward Warren abducted her
and led her into strange places, where
she tried to shiver in honest dread.
often and often, however, Ward War
ren was a fugitive who came to her
for help. Then she would take him to
cave and hide him, perhaps, or she
would mount her horse and lead him
by devious ways to safety, and upon
some hilltop from which she could
point out the route he must follow she
would bid him a touching adieu and
beseech him in the impossible Ian
guage of some old romancer to go and
lead blameless life.
'Jase has got all gone feelings now,
mOmmie," Billy Louise remarked irrel-
evantly during a brief pause and re-
lapsed into silence again. She knew
that was good for at least FIVE minutes
Of straight monologue with her mother
in that talking mood. She finished her
supper while Warren listened abstract
edly to a complete biography of the
Mcilkes and earned all about Marthy's
energy and Tase's shiftlessness.
Ward Warren" Billy Louise was
saying to herself. "War6 Warren!
There couldn't possibly be two Ward
Warrens; it's such an odd name.
Well"
Then she went mentally over that
paragraph. She wished she did not
every single word of 1t, but
she did. And she was afraid to look
at him after that, and she wanted to
dreadfully. She felt as though he be-
longed to her. Why, he was her old
And she had saved his life
hundreds of times at immense risk to
hers, and he had always been her de- |
voted slave afterward and never failed |
to appear at the precise moment when
she was beset by Indians or robbers
or something and in dire need. The
blood he had shed in her behalfl At |
that point Billy Louise startled her
self and the others by suddenly laugh
ing out loud at the memory Of one /
time when Ward Warren had killed /
enough Indians to fill deep washout
so that he might carry her across to
The other side!
rs there anything funny about Jase
NIeilke dying, Billy Louise?" her moth
ar asked her in a perfectly shocked
tc3r !