The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-02-01
CHAPTER XIV.
Billy Louise Gets a surprIse.

Billy Louise Gets a Surprise.
ERlGHTENED, worried, sick at
heart because her crOwding doubts
and suspicious had suddenly de-
velOped into black certainty just when
she had thought them dead forever
Billy Louise rode up the narrow,
rocky gorge. She had come to have II
vague comprehension of the tempta-
tlon. Ward must have felt. She had
come TO accept pltyingly the possibility
that the canlier OF old influences had
eaten more deeply than appeared on
the surface. She had SET herself
stanchly beside him as his friend, who
would help him win back his self
respect. She felt sure that he must
suffer terribly with that keen, analyti-
cal mind of his, when he stopped to
think at all He had no warped ethics
wherewith 20 ease his conscience. She
knew his ideas of right and wrong
were as uncompromising as her own,
and II he stole cattle, he did 1t with
his eyes wide open TO the wrong he
was doing. And yet
"That's bad enough, but to try and
fastCn evidence on someone elseF
Billy Louise gritted her teeth over the
treachery OF il. She believed he had
done that very thing. How could she
help Il? She had seen the corral ana
had seen Ward ride away from it In
rhe dusk Of the evening; or she be-
lieyed she had seen him, which was
the same thing. And she knew what
lay behind him. Was his version of
the past after all the correct one?
Might not the paragraph she had
burned been nothing more than the
truth?
Billy Louise fought for him; fought
with her stern, youthful judgment
which was so uncompromising. 1t takes
wears of close contact with life to
give one sure understanding of hu-
man weakness and human endeavor.
At the ford, when Blue would have
crossed and taken the trail home, Billy
Louise reined him impulsively the
other way. Until that instant she had
not intended to seek Ward, but once
her fingers had tN,.tched the reinS
against Blues neck, she did not hesi-
tate she did not even argue with her
SELF. She just glanced up at the sun.
saw that it was not yet noon-so much
may happen in two or three hours =
and sent Blue up the hill Mt lope.
She did not know what she would
do or what she would say when she
saw Ward.
The two mares fed dispiritedly at
the lowest corner of the field, their
hair rough with exposure to the win
ter winds and the storms, their ribs
showing With all the hay he had put
up. Ward might at least keep his
horses in better shape, Billy Louise
censured, as she passed them by.
Farther along, Billy Louise heard
welcoming nicller and turned her head.
Here came Rather, thin-fianked and
rOugh-cOated, trOtting down shallow
gulley to meet Blue. The two horses
chummed together whenever Ward
was ut the Wolverine. Billy Louise
pulled up and waited till Rattler
reached her. He and Blue rubbed
noses, and Blue laid back his ears and
shook his head with teeth barred in
playful pretense of anger. Rather
kicked up his heels in disdain at the
threat and trotted alongside them.
Billy Louise rode with puckered eye
brows. Ward might neglect his stock,
but he would never neglect Rather
like this. And he must be at home,
since here was his horse. Or else e.
She struck Blue suddenly with her
rein-ends and went Gathering up the |
trail where the snow lay in shaded
crusty pitches trimmed with dirt. The |
trail was untracked save by the loose
stock. Where was Ward? What had |
happened to him? She looked again |
at Rather There was no sign of re-
cent saddle marks along his side. no
teltale imprint of the clnch under his
belly. Where was Ward?
Blind. unreasOning terror filled Billy
Louise. She struck Blue again and
plunged into the icy creek crossing
near the stable. She stopped there
Just long enough to see how empty
and desolate it was, and how the
horses and cattle had huddled against
its sheltering wall out of the biting
winds; and how the door was shut
and fastened so that they could not
get in. She opened it and looked in,
and shut it again. Then she turned
and ran, white-faced, to the cabin.
Where was Ward? What had hap
pened to Ward? Thief or honest man,
or true-what had hap
pened to him?
Billy Louise saw the doorstep banked
over with old; crusted snow. Her
heart gave jump and stopped still.
She felt her knees shake under her.
Her face seemed to pinch together, the
flesh cli,-,H 5- close to the bones. Her