The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-01-18
CHAPTER VI-Continued.


s.
"Tell John to saddle up and go TO
the doctor, Phoebe, and don't let MON
mie know whatever you do. This ism
her lumbago at all. / don't know wha
it is. / wonder If a hot turpentin
cloth wouldn't be better than this? Nv
a good mind to try it; her eyes ar
CLASSY with fever and her skin is cole
as fish. You tell John to hurry UP
He can ride Boxer. Tell him / wan
him to get doctor here by tomorrow
noon if he has to kill his horse do
ting it."
That night took its toll of Billy
Louise and left a scared place in hel
memory. 1t was a night of swapping
fire in the cook stove that hot water
might be always ready; of tireless
struggle with the pain that came and
tortured, retired sullenly from Billy
Itouise's stubborn fighting with poul-
gices and turpentine cloths and every
homely remedy she had ever heard of,
and came again just when she thought
she had won the fight.
There was no time to give thought to
the trouble that had ridden home with
her, though its presence was like a
black shadow behind her while she
worked and went to and fro between
bedroom and kitchen and fought that
tearing pain.
She met the dawn hollow eyed and
so tired she could not worry very much
about anything. Her mother slept I'M
easily to prove that the battle had not
gone altogether against the girl who
had fought the night through. She had
her reward in full measure when the
doctor came, in the heat of noon, and
after terrible minutes of suspense for
Billy Louise while he counted pulse
and took temperature and studied
symptoms, told her that she had done
well and that she and her homely poul-
tees had held back tragedy from that
house.
Billy Louise lay down upon the couch
out on the back porch and slept heav-
lily for three hours, while Phoebe and
the doctor watched over her mother.
She woke with start. She had been
dreaming, and the dream had taken
from her cheeks what little color her
night vigil had left. She had dreamed
that Ward was in danger, that men
were hunting him for what he had done
at that corral. The corral seemed the
center of fight between Ward and the
men. She dreamed that he came to
her and that she must hide him away
and save him. But though she took
aim to a cave, which was secret enough
for her purpose, yet she could not feel
that he was safe even there. There
ras something-some menace.
Billy Louise went softly into the
house, tiptoed to the door of her moth |
er's room and saw that she lay quiet, |
with her eyes closed. Beside the win
dow the doctor sat with his spectacles
far down toward the end of his nose,
reading a pale green pamphlet that he
must have brought in his pocket. Phoe-
be was down by the creek washing
clothes in the shade of a willow clump.
She went into her own room, still
walking on her toes. In her trunk YVES
a blue plush box of the kind that is
given to one at Christmas. 1t was fad
ed and the clasp was showing brassy
at the edges. Sitting upon her bed with
the box in her lap Billy Louise paved
hastily in the tumble of keepsakes it
held; an eagles claw which she meant
some time to have mounted for
brooch; three or four arrowbeads of
the shiny, black stuff which the Indians
were said to have brought from yell
rIr. Lynnf Of rihhnr
which she had worn to a st. Patrick's
lay dance in Boise; rattlesnake rattles
If all sizes; several folded clippings
verses that had caught her fancy and
lad been put away and forgotten; an ,
Imber bead she had found once. She
urned the box upside down in her lap ,
nd shook it. 1t must be there-the t
hing she sought, the thing that had t
roubled her most in her dream; the |
hing that was menace while it ex- 8
sted. 1t was at the very bottom of
he box, caught in corner. She took q
out with fingers that trembled, crum- s
led it into q, little ball so that she a
Duld not read what it said, straight b
led it Immediately and read it re- g
lctantly from the beginning to the end d
here the last word was clipped short K
18th hasty scissors. A paragraph cut IL
ON newspaper it was; yellow and g
aged from contact with other objects, o.
ling of things b.
Billy Louise bit her lips until they II
lrt, but she could not keep back the Il
oTs that came hot and stinging while "