The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-03-16

Nne Nv JOo ktk CN1A tAo hCCnAh
cough, / s'pose." Once more Billy Lou
Use, for the good of her patient. forced
herself into safe flippancy-that was
not fippant at all, but merely a tender
pretense.
snow It's up to you to show me
whether you are In any hurry at all
to get we'll" she said. Keep your
hands under the covers while I make
some tea. That fever of yours has got
to be stopped immediately-to once"
She went over and busted herself
about the stove, never once looking
toward the bed, though she must have
felt Wards eyes w%orshipping her.
She hunted through the cupboards
and found a bottle Of %turpentine sir
upy and yellowed with age, but pun
gent with strength. She found some
lard in a small bucket and melted half
a cupful. Then she tore up q wooden
undershirt she found hanging on a
nail and bore relentlessly down upon
him.
you gotta be creased all over your
lungs" she announced with a matter
of-factness that cost her something F;
for Billy Louise's innate modesty was
only just topped by her good sense.
Ward submitted without protest
while she barred his chest and applied
the warm mixture with a smoothly Wig
orous palm. "'Thatm fix the hookin'
cough" she said. as she spread the
warm layers of wooden cloth smoothly
from shoulder to shoulder. "How does
II feel?"
"Great." he assured her succinctly.
and wisely omitted any love making.
"Will your game leg let you turn
over? Because there's some dope left,
and II ought to go between your shoul-
ders."
"The game leg ought to stand more
than that" he told her, turning slowly.
eff / hadn't got this cold tackled onto
me. I'd have been trying to walk on II
by Row."
"Better give II time-since you've
been game enough to lie here all this
while and take care of II. / don't be-
lieve I'd have had nerve enough for
that, Ward" She poured r%urpentine
and lard into her palm, reached inside
his collar and rubbed 1t on his Shout
ders. "Good thing you had plenty of
grub handy. But 1t must have been
awful I"
ut was pretty lonesome" he admit
ted laconically, and that was as far
as his c~omplainings went.
Billy Louise then poured the water
off the sage leaves she had been brew
ing in a tin basin, carefully fished out
a stem or two, and made Ward drink
every bitter drop. Then she covered
him TO the eyes and hardened her heart
against his discomfort, while she kept
the handkerchief cool or his head and
between times swept the floor with a
carefully dampened broom and wiped
the dust off things and restored the
room to Its most cheerful atmosphere
Of livableness.
wan a drink" mumbled Ward,
with a blanket owe his mouth and a
raveled thread tickling his nose SO that
he squirmed.
Billy Louise went over and laid her
fingers on his neck. III can't tell
whether it's grease or pe~rspiration,"
she said, laughing a little. what are
you squirting up your nose for? Sure
Iy to goodness you don't mind that
little, harmless ravelingf If you
wouldn't go on breathing, 1t wouldn't
wriggle around so much" Neverthe-
less. she plueked the tormenting
thread and threw 1t on the floor.
Gimme - drink" Ward mumbled
again.
There's more sage tea"
"Waugh"
st suppose that mean you aren't
crazy about sage teal Well, / might
give you a teenty-weenty speck more
of coffee. You can't have water yet,
you know. You've-you've got to
sweat like a niger in a cotton patch
first"
Ward grunted something and after
wards signified that he would take the
coffee and call II square.
The next time she went near him he
was wrinkling his. lean nose because
beads of p~erspiration were standing
there and slipping occasionally Town
to his cheeks.
"Finel You're two niggers In a cot
ton patch now" she announced cheer
ingly. "And Mr.. Hookin' Cough Will
have to hunt another home, / reckon.
You weren't half as hoarse when you
swore last time"
1t was physically impossible for
Ward to blush. since he was already
the color Of a boiled beet; but he
looked guilty when she uncovered the
rest Of his face and wiped of the
gathered moisture. 81 didn't think
you'd hear" he grinned e-mbarrassedly.
II was listening for 1t, buckaroo. I'd
have been scared to pieces II you
hadn't cussed a little. I'd have thought
o.o xolD1 90 dIo man "