Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-01-18

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 NOMINEES 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 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 a silent rage because he could not
do thing.
There was a week Of fuctuating
hope and a time when the doctor said
mommie must go to a hospital-Boise,
since she had friends there. And there
was a 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-
yelopments 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.
She could not leave mommie, she said.
Ward gathered that she would not
Once when he was at the ranch he
wrote 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 if 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 WEAKNESS. He did not ex-
pect an answer to his letter-at least |
he told himself that he did not-but |
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
MI. 1t did not sound in the least like
Billy Louise.
Ward answered the note then and
here 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 il
md remember how it sounded when he
said 1t, even If it did look queer. Far
her along he started to call her Bill
Loo, but rubbed it out and substituted
Lady Girl with capitals). Altogether
lie did better than he knew, for he
made Billy Louise cry when she read
t, and he made her say Dear Ward
inder her breath and remember how
lis hair waved over his left temple
md how he looked when that smile hid
ust behind his lips and his eyes, and
lie made her forget that she had lost
aith in him. She needed to cry. and
he needed to remember and also to
orget some things, for life was a hard,
lull drab in Boise, with nothing to
lghten 1t save vicarious hope that
i'd not comfort.
Billy Louise was not stupid She
aw through the vagueness of the doc
ors, and. besides, she was so hungry
or her hills that she felt like beating
he doctors with her fists because they
Id nothing to make her mommie well
nough to go home. She grew to hate
he nurse and her neutral cheerfulness.
That is how the fall passed for Billy
.ouise and the early part of the win
ar.