Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-02-08


Phoebe put thar letter on the mantea
over the fireplace the day after Christ
mas.
Billy Louise resfained froEi expect.
ing any reply until after New Tears;
then she began to look for a letter,
and when the days passed and brought
her no word her moods changed often
er than the weather.
Wards literary efforts along about
that time consisted of cutting notches
in the window sill beside his bunk.
On the day when the stage driver
gave Billy Louise's letter TO Phoebe
Ward cut deeper, wider notch, think.
ing that day was Christmas. Under
the notch he scratched a word with
the point of his knife. 1t had four
letters, and it told eloquently of the
state of mind be was In.
The letter gathered dust upon the
mantel down at the Wolverine. When
the postmark was mere than two
weeks old another letter came, and
Phoebe laid 1t on the first one with
fingers that trembled a little. Phoebe
had a letter OF her own that Gay. Both
We're thin. and the addresses were more
scrawly than usual. Phoebe's Indian
instinct warned her that something
VS. amiss.
This was Wards letter:
oh, God. Ward. mommIe's dead. SIZE
died last night. / thought she was asleep
till the nurNe came in at O'Clock I'm
all alone and don't knew what 10 do I
wish you could come. but fSvou don't get
this right away. I'll see you at the ranch.
I'm coming homo as soon as I can Oh
Nv ard, hate life and everything.
BILLY LOUISE
Please Ward, stay at the ranch TIL I
come. 1 want to see you. feel as II
you're the only friend I've gnI left, now
mommies gone. She looked so peaceful
when they took her away-and so strange.
didn't belong 60 her any more felt
as il didn't know her at all-and there
IL such an awful gap in my life-maybe
ycu'n understand You always do.
The day that letter was written
Ward drew a plan OF the house he
meant to build some day, with wide
porch on the front, where a hammock
would swing comfortably.
He had no presentiment Of Bllly's
need OF him. which was just as well,
since he was absolutely powerless to
help her.
Billy Louise, having arrived rnex-
pectedly on the stage. pulled of her
fur lined mittens and put her chilled
hands before the swapping blaze in the
fireplace. Her eyes were tired and
sunken, and her mouth drocped pitt
fully at the corners, but aside from
that she did not seem much changed
from the girl vino had left the ranch
two months and more before.
"Ill take cup OF ten, Phoebe. but
I'm not a bit hungry" she said. II
ate just before left town. How have
you been. Phoebe"
"We been fine. We been SO sorry
for you
"Neyer mind that now, Phoebe. I'd
rather not talk about it. Has anybody
been here lately7''
Charlie Fox. he come las week.
! mebby week before las AIarthy, she
got rheumatis in her knee. Charlie,
he say she been pretty bad one night.
/ guess she's better now. tor wash
for her IL he brings me clo'es. but he
says he wash them clo'es hisself
guess Charlie pretty good to that old
lady. He's awful p'lite, that Teller is"
YES. be is. I'll go up and see her
when / get rested a little. / feel tired
to death somehow. Has Ward been
around Iately?p
ward. he amt been here for long
time. guess mebbe it's been six
weeks amt seen him. Las time he
was here he wrote chat letter. He
amt come no more
Billy Louise in the last few months
had tried to picture herself alJne. with
mommie gone. Her imagination was