Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-07-12
CHAPTER XIV.
Billy Louise GETS a Surprise.

FRIGHTENED. worried, sick at
IL 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
vague comprehension of the tempta-
tion Ward must have felt. She had
come TO accept pityingly the possibility
that the canlser of old influences had
eaten more deeply than appeared on
the surface. She had set herself
stnnchly 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 Mt all. He had no warped ethics
wherewith to ease his conscience. She
knew his ideas OF right and wrong
were as uncompromising as her own,
and II he stole cattle, he did it with
his eyes wide open to the wrong he
was doing. And yet
"That's bad enough, but to try and
fastcn evidence on sor ne else ("
Billy Louise gritted her te< over the
treachery of II. She believed he had
done that very thing. How could she
help it7 She had seen the corral and
had seen Ward ride away from it in
the dusk Of the evening; or she be-
lleved she had seen him, which was
the same thing. And she knew what
lny 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
truth7
Billy Louise fought for him; fought
with her stern, youthful judgment
which was so uncompromising 1t takes
years OF close contact with life to
give one n sure understanding Of hui
man weakness and human endeavor.
At the ford. when Blue would have
crossed and taken the trail home. Billy
Louise reined him impulsiveIy the
other way. Until that instant she had
not intended to seek Ward, but once
her fingers had twitched 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 thatit was not yet noon--so much
may happen In two or three hours -
and sent Blue up the hill at 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 Mt least keep his
horses in better shape. Billy Louise
censured. as she passed them by.
Farther lflong. Billy Louise heard a
welcoming nicser and turned her head.
Here came Rather. thin-hanked and
rough-conted, trotting down a shallow
gulley 10 meet Blue. The two horses
chummed together whenever Ward
was. at the Wolverine. Billy Louise
pulled up and waited till Rather
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 Rattler
like this. And he must be at home
since here was his horse. Or else =
: She struck Blue suddenly with hel
reln-ends and went gathering up the
trnil where the snow lay in shaded
er..-ty patches rimmed with dirt. The
trail was untracked save by the loose
stock. Where whs Ward7 What hat
happened to him7 She looked agair
at Rather. There was no sign of re
cent saddle marks along his side, M
tclltale imprint of the clnch under hi
belly. Where was Ward?
Blind. unreasoning terror filed BIZ.
Louise. She struck Blue again an
plunged into the icy creek crossini
near the stable. She stopped ther
Just long enough to see how empt
and desolate It was, and how tn
horses and cattle had huddled agains
its sheltering wall out Of the bitin
winds and how the door was shu
and fastened so that they could nc
get in. She opened II and looked II
aed shut Il again. Then she turne
and ran, white-faced. to the cabir
Where was Ward? What had haI
pened 10 ward7 Thief or honest mai
trencherous or true-what had hal
pened to hm7
Billy Louise saw the doorstep banke
over with old. crusted snow. HI
heart gave n jump and stopped stil
She felt her knees shake under he
Her face seemed to pinch together, Il
flesh clinging close to the bones. HI
whole being seemed to contract vii
the deadly fear that gripped her.
wns like that chill morning when 81
had crcpt out OF her cot and gone ov
10 mOmmle's bed and had lifted moi
mics hand that was hanging down.
She came to herself; she was ru
ming up the creek away from q
cabin. Running and stumbling ov
rocks. and getting tripped with h
riding skirt. She stopped, as soon
she realized what she was doing; s
stopped and stood with her han
pressed haIu hkhlnSt tdcu Siue VI II
face. forcing herself to calmness aga
-or at least TO sanity. She had to
back. She told herself so. many tim
so Billy Louise went back to /
cabin. slowly. with shaking legs a
heart that futtered and stopp'
futtered and jumped and stopped, a
made her stagger as she walked. s
reached the doorstep and stood the
with her palms pressing hard agair
her cheeks again. you've got, to
A.. You've got tot" she whispered
herself commandingly.
She never doubted that Ward "
inside She thought she would q
him dead--dead and horrible, perha
No other solution seemed to at
circumstances. He was in there, de
II took courage to open that do
but Billy Louise had courage enoJ
to open II, and to step inside and cl
the door after her. She did not Il