Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-04
The Ranch
at the
Wolverine
@
By B. NJ BOWER

I0lSzSSz<>>>>>>>.>>>>>>>clA
tcoDynaht b. IAttls. Brown and Company
! Ward was lying quiet when She went
in, except that he was waving her
handkerchief to and fro by the cor
ners to cool 1t. Billy Louise took 1t
from him, wet it again with cold water,
and scolded him for getting his arms
from under the covers. That, she said,
was no nice way for a hookin'-cough
man to do.
4 Ward meekly submitted to being COW
cred to his eyes. Then he wriggled his
chin free and demanded that she kiss
him. Ward was fairly drunk with hap
piness because she was there, In the
cabin.
Ward Warren, you're perfectly
awful hookin'-cough mani There. Now
that's going to be the only one-Oh,
Ward, it isn't!" She knelt and curved
an arm around his face and kissed
him again and yet again. II do love
you, Ward. I've been weakened,
horrid thing, and I'm ashamed to the
middle Of my bones. You're my own
brave buckaroo always - always
You've done what no other man would
do, and you don't whine about it; and
I've been weak and-horr1d; and I'll
have to love you about a million years
before I can quit feeling ashamed"
She kissed him again with passion
OF rem6rse for her doubts Of him.
.Are you through being pals, VIII
helmina7" Ward broke rules and freed
an arm, 90 that he could hold her
closer.
mo, I'm Just beginning. Just be-
ginning right I'm your pal for keeps.
But
II love you for keeps, lady mine"
Ward stined another cough. "When
are you going to marry mer
"Oh, when you get over the hookin'
cough, I s'pose." Once more Billy Lou
ise, for the good Of her patient, forced
herself into safe fippancy-that was
not flippant at all, but merely tender
pretense.
"Now it's up to you to show me
whether you are In any hurry at all
to get WE'LL" she said. Keep your
hands under the covers while I make
some tea. That fever of yours has got
to be stopped immediately-to once y
She went over and busted herself
about the stove, never once looking
towarS, the bed, though she must have
felt Wards eyes worshipping her.
She hunted through the cupboards
and found q bottle Of turpentine; sir
upy and yellowed with age. but pun.
gent with strength. She found some
lard In q small bucket and melted half
cupful. Then she tore up wooden
undershirt she found hanging on a
nail and bore relentlessly down upon
him.
"You gotta be creased all over your
lungs" she announced with matter
of.factness that cost her something
for Billy Louise's innate modesty was
only just topped by her good sense.
Ward submitted without protest
while she barred his chest and applied
!; the warm mixture with smoothly Wig
orous palm. "That'll FIX the hookin'
cough" she said, as she spread the
warm layers of wooden cloth smoothly
from shoulder to shoulder. "How does
Ut feel3'
sGreat," he assured her succinctly,
and wisely omitted any love making.
"Will your game leg let you turn
over1 Because there's some dope left,
and 1t ought to 60 between your shout
ders."
..The game leg ought to stand more
tt:::s: : .Hat:," he told her, turning slowly.
III hadn't got this cold tackled onto
lime, I'd have been trying to walk on 1t
lby now"
\ Better give it time-since you've
Ibeen game enough to lie here all this
Iwhils and take care of 1t. I don't be-
1lieve I'd have had nerve enough for
that, Ward" She poured turpehtine
and lard into her palm, reached inside
his collar and rubbed it on his shouli
)ders. "Good thing you had plenty Of
.(grub handy. But 1t must have been
kwful r.
j 1T was pretty lonesome" he admit
lifted laconically, and that was as far
los his complainings went.
Billy Louise then poured the water
Ion the sage leaves she had been brew
ling IN tin basin, carefully fshed out
Ia stem or two, and made Ward drink
tevosy bitter drop. Then she covered
W. 10 the eyes and hardened her heart
laeoingt his discomfort, while she kept
Ito handkerchief cool on his head and
bekWsen times swept the floor with q
'Ieatsfully dampened broom and wiped
~ dnst on things and restored the
- ~ IT. most cheerful atmosphere