The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1918-04-04

It was some time In the latter part
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 mommie's 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 q month or 10 Of going
to and fro on her toes and Of watching
tho clock with . mind to medicine CIV
ing. There were nights and nights and
nights when the cabin window winked
like q star fallen into the coulee from
dusk to red dawn. Ward rode over
once. stayed all night and went home
In . silent rage because he could not
do q thing.
There was q week Of ductuating
hope and . time when the doctor said
mommie must 60 to q hospital-Boise,
since she had friends there. And there
was Q 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-
velopments ard gave him q meal and
offered him a 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 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 b was at the ranch he
wrote letter to Billy Louise and told
her that he would come to Boise II
there was anything be could do and
begged her to let him know II she
needed any money. Beyond that hs
worked and worked and tried to crowd
the lonesomeness out Of his days and
the hunger from bis dreams with COM
plets bone WEAKNESS. He did not q.
pect an answer to his letter-at least
he told himself that hs did not-but
one day Phoebe gave him q thin little
letter.
Billy Louise did not write much.
She explained that she could only
ecribbls . line or two while mommis
slept Nommis was about the samA
She did not think there was anything
Ward could do. and she thanked him
for Offering to help. There was moth.
ing. abe said pathetically. that anybody
could do. Even the doctors did not
seem able to do much except tell hes
lies and charge her for them. No; she
did not need any money. '-Thank you
Just the Same. Ward" That was about
al. Il did not sound In The least like
Billy LOUISE.
Ward answered The note then and
there and called her Wilhemina.mins.
which was an awkward name to write
and cost him I've minutes Of cogitation
over the spelling. But be wanted II
down o. paper where she could Sc Il
and remember how It sounded when hs
said It, even II It did look greer. Far.
thef along he started to cal her Bin
Loo. but rubbed It out aod substituted
Lady Girl with capitals). Altogethef
be did better than be knew, for hs
made Billy Louise cry when she read
II. and he made her say "Dear Ward"
under her breath and remember how
his hair waved over his left temple
and how he looked when that smile hid
Just behind his lips and bis eyes, and
he made her forget that she had lost
faith In him. She needed to CRY, and
she needed to remember and also b
forget some things. for life was hard,
dull drab In Boise, with nothing to
tighten II save Q vicarious hope that
did not comfort.
Billy Louise was not stupid. She
saw through the vagueness Of the doc.
tors, and. besides, she was 10 hungry
for her hills that she felt like beating
the doctors with her fists because they
did nothing to make her mommie weil
enough to 20 home. She grew to hate
the nurse and her neutral cheerfulness.
That 10 how the fall passed for Billy
Louise and the early part Of the win.
ter.
4 l. iii