The Dolores star., 1918-02-15

1t was some time in the latter part
of September that Billy Louise got up
in the middle Of . frosty night 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 mommie's pulse and take
mommie's temperature and drew In her
breath hardly when she saw how long
he studied the thermometer after
ward.
There was Q month or % of going
to and fro on her toes and Of watching
the clock with mind to medicine CIV
ing. There were nights and nights and
nights when the cabin window winked
like Q star fallen into the coulee from
dusk to red dawn. Ward rode over
once. stayed all night and went home
In a silent rage because he could not
do . thing.
There was q week Of huctuating
hope and q time when the doctor said
mommie must 60 to hospital-Boise,
since she had friends there. And there
was q terrible, nerve racking journey
to the railroad. And when Ward rode
next to the Wolverine ranch there was
no Billy Louise to taunt or tempt him.
John Pringle and Phoebe told him in
brief, stolid sentences Of the later de-
velopments and gave him a meal and
offered him bed. which he declined.
When the suspense became madden
ing after that he would ride down to
the Wolverine for news. And the news
was monotonously scant Phoebe could
read and write after q fashion, and
Billy Louise sent her a letter now and
then, saying that mommie was about
the same and that she wanted John
to do certain things about the ranch.
sne could not leave mommie, she said.
Ward gathered that she would not.
Once when he was at the ranch ne
wrote a letter to Billy Louise and told
her that he would come to Boise If
there was anything he could do and
begged her to let him know II she
needed any money. Beyond that he
worked and worked and tried to crowd
the lonesOmeness out Of his days and
the hunger from his dreams with com.
plete bone weariness. He did not ex-
pect an answer to his letter-at least
he told himself that he did not-but
one day Phoebe gave him a thin little
letter.
Billy Louise did not write much.
She explained that she could only
scribble a line or two while mommie
slept Mommie was about the same
She did not think there was anything
Ward could do, and she thanked him
for offering to help. There was moth
ing, she said pathetically, that anybody
could do. Even the doctors did not
seem able to do much except tell her
lies and charge her for them. No; she
did not need any money. Thank you
just the same, Ward" That was about
all. It did not sound in the least like
Billy Louise.
Ward answered the note then and
there and called her Wilhemina-mine.
which was an awkward name to write
and cost him five minutes Of cogitation
over the spelling. But he wanted it
down on paper where she could see it
and remember how it sounded when he
said It, even If it did look queer. Far
ther along he started to call her Bill
Loo, but rubbed 1t out aud substituted
Lady Girl with capitals). Altogether
he did better than he knew, for he
made Billy Louise cry when she read
1t, and he made her say "Dear Ward"
under her breath and remember how
his hair waved over his left temple
and how he looked when that smile hid
just behind his lips and his eyes. and
he made her forget that she had lost
faith in him. She needed to cry, and
she needed to remember and also to
forget some things, for life was a hard,
dull drab in Boise, with nothing to
tighten it save vicarious hope that
did not comfort.
Billy Louise was not stupid. She
saw through the vagueness Of the doc
tors. and, besides, she was so hungry
for her hills that she felt like beating
the doctors with her fists because they
did nothing to make her mommie well
enough to 60 home. She grew to hate
the nurse and her neutral cheerfulness.
That is how the fall passed for Billy
Louise and the early part Of the win
ter.