The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-02-14
CHAPTER xIl.-continued.

pllly LOUISE lA4lu udu CuullEhL4lSCu
definitely with her doubts Of him
Guilty or innocent, she would he his
friend always. That was the condition
her faith had laid down challengingly
before her doubts But unless he were
innocent and proved 1t to her she
would never marry him, no matter
how much she loved him. That was
the concession her faith had made to
her doubts.
Billy Louise had a wise little brain
for all she idcalizcd life and her sur
roundinSs out of all proportion to real
ity. She told herself that If she mar
ried Ward with her doubts alive her
misery would be far greater than II
she gave him up. except as a friend.
OF course her ideals stepped in there
with an impracticable compromise
She brought back the Ward Warren of
her pretend life. She dreamed OF
him as a mutely adorinG friend who
stood and worShipcd her from afar
and because of his sins could not cross
the line of friendship.
If he were rustlCr she would shield
him and save him. if that were possi-
BILE. He would love her aiways-Billy
Louise could not conceive of Ward
transferring his affections to another
less eXacting wOman-and he would
be grateful for her friendship. She
could build long, lovely scenes where
friendlnesS was put to the front brave
I. 4 i..,I,t 4 nt,1
only peeped out through the eyes now
and then. She did not. OF course, plan
all this in sober reason; she just
dreamed it with her eyes open.
Some one came upon the doorstep
and stood there for moment, stamp
Ing snow off his feet. Billy Louise
caught her breath and waited. her eyes
veiled with her lashes and shining ex-
pectantly. A little color came into her
cheeks. Ward had been delayed some
how, but he was coming now because
she needed him and he wanted her
1t was only John Pringle, heavy bod
led, heavy minded, who came in and
squeaked the door shut behind him
Billy Louise gave him glance and
dropped her head back on the red
cushion. Hello, John" she greeted
SonclesSly.
John grinned, embarrassed between
his pleasure at seeing Billy Louise and
his pity for her trouble. His white
teeth showed little under his scraggy,
reath-frOstcd mustache.
Hello. You got back, hey2 She's
purity cold again. Seems like it's Goin'
storm some more" He pulled Off his
znittens aud tugged at the ice dangling
at the corners of his lips. You come
on stage, hey? l bet you freeze" He
went over and stood with his back to
the fire, his leathery brown hands
,clasped behind linn. his face still un-
decided as to the most suitable emotion
TO reveal "Well, how you like town,
hey? No good, l guess. You got plen-
tv trouble now. Phoebe and me, we
stick by you long as you want us to-"
81 know you will, John" Billy
Louise bit her lips against sudden
impulse to tears. 1t was not Ward,
but the crude sympathy of this old
halfbreed was more to her than all
the expensive flowers that had been
stacked upon mOmmie's coffin.
She picked up the two letters she
had written Ward, brushed off the dust
and eyed them hesitatingly. 1t GER
tainlv was queer that Ward had not
ridden down for some word from her.
She heSitated, then threw the thin let.
ter into the fire. Its message was no
longer of urgent, poignant need. Billy
Louise drew long breath when the
grief laden lines crumbled quickly and
went flying up the wide throat of the
chimney. The other letter she pinched
between her thumbs and fingers She
smiled little to herself. Ward would
like to get that. She had swift vision
of him standing over there by the win
dow and reading it with those swift,
shutting ganceS. She remembered
how she had begun it-"Brave Bucka-
roO"-and her cheeks turned pink. He
should have it when he came. Some
thing had kept him away. He would
come just as soon as he could. She
iiiNl luC lGiltl bdNk upon TIE uduteI
and set n china COW on it to keep it
safe there Then she turned brightly
and began to set the table for Phoebe
and John and herself and came near
setting fourth place for Ward, she
was so sure he would come as soon as
he could. Mommie used to say that
If you set a place for person that
person would come and eat with you
in spirit if not in reality.
Phoebe glanced at her pityingly when
she saw her hesitating with the fourth
plate in her hands. Phoebe thought
that Billy Louise had uncOnSciously
brought it for mommie. Phoebe did
not know that love is stronger even
than grief for at that moment Billy
Louise was not thinking Of momlnie
Mt all.