Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-01-11

"Wha's molla, Bill?" he asked in the
tone that was calculated to invite an
u%nburdening of her troubles.
"Oh, nothing in particular! Nom
mics been awfully sick, and I'm al
ways worried when I'm away from the
ranch for fear she'll have another spell
while I'm gone. The doctor said h
might have any time. Were you head
ed for our place? If you are, come on.
1 was just starting back. | don't dare
be away any longer" If that were a
real unburdening Ward was an unrea-
sonable young nan Billy Louise look
ed at him again, and this time her
eyes were clear and friendly.
Ward was not satisfied, for all the
surface seemed smooth enough. He
was too sensitive not to feel a differ
ence, and he was too innocent of any
wrongdoing or thinking to guess what
was the matter. Guilt is a good barom-
eter of personal atmosphere, and Ward
had none of it. The worst of him she
had known for more than q year.. BE
had told her himself, and she had heal
ed the hurt-almost-of the past by her
firm belief in him and by her friend
ship. Could you expect Ward to guess
that she had seen her faith in him die
q violent death no longer than two
weeks ago? Such a possibility never
occurred to him.
For all that he felt there was a diff
ference somewhere. He carried back
~-s4l Is,a =, a. of 4ba hI.1oc which caOrm.
ed to have attacked him without cause
or pretext, since he had not quarreled
with Billy Louise and had been warm
ly welcomed by "mommie." Poor NOM
mie was looking white and frail, and
her temples were too distinctly veined
with purple. Ward told himself that 1t
was no wonder his Wilhemina acted
strained and unnatural. He meant to
work harder than ever and get his
stake so that he could go and make
her give him the right to take care of
her.
He began to. figure the cost of COM
muting his homestead right away, so
that he would not have to hold 1t
down. for another three years. Maybe
she would not want to bring her moth-
err so far off the main road. In that
case he would go down and put that
Wolverine place in shape. He had no
squeamishness about living on her
ranch instead of his own If she want
ed it that way. He meant to be bet
ter "hooked up" financially than she
was and have more cattle when he put
the gold ring on her finger. Then he
would do whatever she wanted him to
his pride doing it.
You see, they could not have quar-
relied. since Ward carried castles as
well as the blues. In fact, their part
ing had given Ward an uneven pulse
for a mile, for Billy Louise had gone
with him as usual as far as the corral
when he started home. And when
Ward had picked up his reins and turn
ed to put his toe in the stirrup Billy
Louise had come close-to his very
shoulder. Ward had turned his face
toward her, and Billy Louise-Billy
Louise had impulsively taken his head
between her two hands, had looked
deep into his eyes and then had kissed
him wistfully on the lips. Then she
had turned and fed up the path, a
ing him away up the trail. And, though
Ward never guessed that to her that
kiss was a penitent VOW of loyalty to
their friendship and a slap in the face
of the doubt devils that still pursued
her weaker moments, 1t set him plan
ming harder than ever for that stake
he must win before he dared urge her
further toward matrimony.
It's a wonder that the kiss did not
wipe out completely the somber mood
that held him. That it did not, but
served merely to tangle his thoughts in
a most hopeless manner, perhaps
proves how greatly the inner life of
Billy Louise had changed her in those
two weeks.
She changed still more in the next two
months, however. There was the strain
of her mother precarfous health
which kept Billy Louise always on the
alert and always trying to hide her
fears. She must be quick to detect the
first symptoms of a return attack OF
the illness, and h must not let her
mother suspect that there was danger
of a return. That much the doctor had
made plain to her
Besides that, there was an undercur-
rent of gossip and rumors Of cattle
stealing whenever a man stopped at
the ranch. 1t worried Billy Louise in
spite of her rebuilt belief In Ward.
Doubt would seize her sometimes In
spite of herself, and she did not see
Ward often enough to let his PERSONAL
ty fight those doubts. She saw him
just once in the next two months and
then only for an hour or so.
A man rode Gp n night and stayed
with them until morning, after the
open handed custom of the range land.
Billy Louise did not talk with him very
much. He had shifty eyes and a