The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-03-09

Nummy-numf wouldn't that taste good
thought
Now remember and write a whole tablet
tull to BILLY LOUISE
4 Phoebe put that letter on the mantel
J, over the fireplace the day aftex Christ
2 mas.
! Billy Louise ~refrained from expect
? ing any reply until after New Years;
], then she began to look for a letter.
? and when the days passed and brought
y her no word her moods changed often
: err than the weather.
: Wards literary efforts along about
: that time consisted of cutting notches
: IN the window sill beside his bunk.
On the day when the stage driver
give Billy Louise's letter to Phoebe
Ward cut a deeper, wider notch, think
ing that day was Christmas. Under
the notch he scratched a word with
the point of his knife. 1t had four
letters, and 1t told eloquently of the
state of mind he was in.
The letter gathered dust upon the
mantel down at the Wolverine. When
the postmark was more than two
weeks old another letter came, and
Phoebe laid 1t on the first n with
fingers that trembled a little. Phoebe
had a letter of her own that day. Both
were thin, and the addresses were more
scrawly than usual. Phoebe's Indian
instinct warned her that something
was amiss.
This was Wards letter:
oh, God, Ward, dead. She
died last night. l thought she was asleep
tin the nurse came in at 5 O'Clock. I'm
all alone and l don't know what 10 do. 1
wish you could come, but If you don't get
this right away, I'll see you at the ranch.
I'm coming home as soon as | can. Oh.
Ward, l hate life and everything.
BILLY LOUISE.
Please Ward, stay at the ranch till !
come. l want TO see you. l feel as II
you're the My friend I've got left. now
mommie's gone. She looked so peaceful
when they took her away-and so strange.
I didn't belong to her any more. / felt
as If / didn't know her at all-and there
is such an awful gap in my hfe-mayoe
you'll understand. You always do.
The day that letter was written
Ward drew a plan of the house he
/. meant to build some day, with a wide
porch on the front, where a hammock
would swing comfortably.
He had no -presentiment of Billy's
need of him, which was just as well,
!, since he was absolutely powerless to
help her.
Billy Louise, having arrived unex-
, pectedly on the stage, pulled of her
fur lined mittens and put her chilled
hands before the swapping blaze In the
fireplace. Her eyes were tired and
sunken. and her mouth dropped pitt
fully at the corners, but aside from
that she did not seem much changed
E from the girl who had left the ranch
> two months and more before.
"In take a cup of tea, Phoebe, but
: I'm not a bit hungry" she said. Il
ate just before / left town. How have
! you been, Phoebe?'
1--WE been fine. We been so sorry
! ! for YOU
"Never mind that now, Phoebe. I'd
rather not talk about 1t. Has anybody
beer here latelyT'
"Charlie Fox, he come las week
mebby week before las. Marthy, she
got rheumatis In her knee. Charlie,
: he say she been pretty bad n night
> / guess she's better now. l tot | wash
: for her If he brings me clo'es, but ht
says he wash them clo'es hisself.
I guess Charlie pretty good to that OLD
! lady. He's awful p1ite, that Teller is.
{ Eyes, he is. III go up and see he
when l get rested a little. | feel tired
: to death somehow. Has Ward beer
e around lately?"
e Ward, he amt been here for lonl
time. / guess mebbe it's been ST,
' weeks | amt seen him. Las time h
e was here he wrote that letter. III,
a amt come no moresS
Billy Louise in the last few months
had tried to picture herself alone, with
n mommie gone. Her imagination was
. too alive and saw too clearly the posi-
t billties for her never to have dweli
IS upon this very crisis in her hfe.. Bu'
- whenever she had tried TO think VIVA
it would be like she had always pic
Re tured Ward beside her, shielding he
a from dreary details and tightening hel
burden with his whimsical gentleness
l. she had felt sure that Ward woult
ride down every week for news of her
'e and she had expected to find him ther'
I Billy Louise should come or send 70
waiting for her after that last letter
i re Whatever could be the matter2 Hat
he left the country?
l Billy Louise's faith had compromises
ne definitely with her doubts of him
Guilty or innocent. she would be hi
n friend always. That was the condition
ey her faith had laid down ~challengingl
~ before her doubts. But unless he wer
"a innocent and proved it to Aer sh
ke WOULD never marry him, no matte
how much she loved him. That wa
=, The concession her faith had made I
an her doubts.
OF Billy Louise had a wise little bral
-. for all she idealized life and her SUI