Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-06-07
CHAPTER vl-contl.ued.


CHAPTER VI--contLnued.
--5-
"Tel John to saddle up and go for
the doctor, Phoebe, and don't let NOM
mie know whatever you do. This isn't
her lumbago at all. don't know what
II is / wonder IL a hot turpentine
cloth wouldn't be better than thisf I've
a good mind to try Il: her eyes are
CLASSY with fever and her skin is cold
ns fish. You tell John to hurry up.
He can ride Boxer. Tell him want
him TO get doctor here by tomorrow
noon Ii he has TO kill his horse do
ing it,
That night took It's toll of Billy
Louise and left a scared place in her
memory. Il was a night Of swapping
Gre 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
Louise's stubborn fighting with poul-
tices 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 It's 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 un-
easily 10 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-
ily for three hours, while Phoebe and
the doctor watched over her mother.
She woke with a 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
him to cave, which was secret enough
for her purpose, yet she could not feel
that he was safe even there. There
was something-some menace.
Billy Louise went softly into the
house. tlptoed 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 pale green pamphlet that he
must have brought In his pocket. Phoe
be was down by the creek washing
clothes In the shade Of n willow clump.
She went into her own room, still
walking ON her toes. In her trunk was
a blue plush box Of the kind that Il
given TO one at Christmas. 1t was fad
"a and the clasp was showing brassy
nj the edges. sitting upon her bed will
the box in her lap Billy Louise pawet
hastily In the tumble of keepsakes i
held: an earle's claw which she mean
some time TO have mounted for
brooch; three or four arrowheads O
the shiny. black stun which the Indians
were said TO have brought from Vel
lowstone park: n knot OF green ribbol
which she had worn to a st. Patrick
dav dance In Boise; rattlesnake rattle
of ali sizes; several folded clippings
verses that had caught her fancy an
had been nut away and forgotten: a
amber bead she had found once. Sh
fnrucd the box inside down In her In
and shook IL. IL must be there-th
thing she sought. the thing that ha
troubled her most In her dream: th
fhine that was menace while IL ey
listed. II was at the very bottom {
fhe box, caught I'm a corner. She too
n out with fingers that trembled. crun
DIed n into n little hall so that sh
eorid not read what It said. straigh
ened It Immediately and read it n
iuctantly from the beginning to the en-
where the last word was clipped shol
with hasty scissors. A paragraph CT
from a newspaper it was; yellow an
frayed from contact with other object
telling Of things
Billy Louise bit her lips until tht
hurt, but she could not keep back Il
tears that came hot and stinging whi
she read. She slid the little heap
odds and ends to the middle Of The be
crushed the clipping into her palm al
went out stealthily into the immacula
kitchen. As II she were being spit
upon she went cautiously to the stoy