The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-02-21
By B. NJ. BOWER
Copyright BY Little. Brown and Company

Copyright by Little, Brown and Company
and went in boldly to hide her inward
embarrassment-and she found nothing
but emptiness there.
Billy Louise did not take long to in
vestigate. The coffee pot was still
warm on the stove when she laid her
palm against it, and she Immediately
poured herself a cup of coffee. A plate
and a cup Old the table indicated that
Ward had eaten a hurried meal and
had not taken time to clear away the
litter. Billy Louise ate what was left,
and mechanically she washed the
dishes and made everything neat be-
fore she went down to look for Rather.
She had thought that Ward was out
somewhere about the place and would
return very soon probably. Blue she
had left standing In plain sight before
the cabin so that Ward could see him
and know she was there, a fact which
she regretted.
While she was washing dishes ant
sweeping she had been trying to think
of some excuse for her presence there.
1t was going to be awkward, her com-
ing there on his heels, n might say.
Billy Louise began to wish she had
not come. She began to feel quite GER
tain that Ward would be surprised and
Disguised when he foundsher there and
would look at her with that faint curl
Of the lip and hat fainter lift of the
nostril above it, which made her go
hot all over with the scorn in them.
She had seen him look that way once
or twice, and in spite of herself she be-
gan to picture his face with that ex-
preston.
Billy Louise was on the point of rid
ing away a good deal more hastily
than she had come In the hope that
Ward would not discover her there.
Then her own stubbornness came up
permost, and she told herself that she
had a perfect right to ride wherever
she pleased and that If Ward didn't
ike 1t he could do the other thing.
She went to the door and stood look
ing out for a minute, wondering where
ne was.
There was a little window behind
The bunk and beside that a shelf filed
with books and smoking material and
matches. She knew by the very ar
rangement of that shelf and window
that Ward liked to lie there on the
DUNK and read while the light lasted.
At the head of the bed hung a -four
sack half full of some hard, lumpy
stuff which Billy Louise mad not no
iced before. She felt the bag tenta-
lively, could not guess its contents and
inally took 1t down and united 1t.
Within were irregular scraps and
strips of stuff hard as bone, a puzzle
still to one unfamiliar with the from
tier. Billy Louise pulled out a little
piece, nibbled a corner and pronounced:
Mimi Jerky, I'm going to swipe
some of that" which she proceeded to
10 to the extent of filling her pocket,
for to those who have learned to like
1t jerked venison is quite as desirable
as milk chocolate or any other nibbly
tidbit.
The opposite wall had sacks of -four
loNht0 dSdliSl II anu UOAcS VI SldIIC
aimed goods, such as corr and toma-
toes and milk and peaches. A box OF
canned peaches stood at the head of
the bed and upon that a case of toma-
coes. Ward used them for a table and
set the lantern there when he wanted
10 read in bed. Hes got a pretty good
supply of grub was the verdict of
Billy Louise. sizing up the assortment
while she nibbled at the piece of jerky.
i wonder where he is anyway? 2" And
a moment later: "He oughtn't to hang
his best clothes up like that. They'll
be all wrinkled when he want to put
them on"
She went over and disposed of the
best clothes to her liking and shook out
the dust. she had TO w to herself
hat for a bachelor Ward vas very or
Derby, though he did let his trousers
hang down over the -four sacks in a
way to whiten their hens. She hung
them in a different place.
But where was Ward? Billy Louise
bethought her that Blue deserved
something to eat after that hard ride
and led him down to the stable. There
was no sign of Rather, and Billy
Louise wondered anew at Wards alb
sence. Ii did not seem consistent with