"That"s what I"m going to tell you--now you"re through being just pals.
Oh, I"d have told you, anyway, I reckon, only the play never came right, after that first little squabble we had over it." He put an arm around her, pulled her down beside him, and rubbed his bristly chin over her hair. "That"s the wolf joke, William. I did make a lot of money wolfing--on the square. I dug out a den of pups and struck a little pocket of pretty rich gravel. I"ve been busy panning it out all the time I could spare, till the creek froze up."
"You found a gold mine?" Billy Louise gasped. "Why, whoever would have thought--"
"Oh, I wouldn"t call it a gold mine, exactly," he hastened to a.s.sure her, before her imagination dazzled her. "There isn"t enough of it.
It"s just a pocket. I"ve cleaned up about eighteen hundred dollars, this summer, besides these nuggets. Maybe more. And there"s some left yet. I found both ends of the streak; it lies along a ledge on the side of a gully. I couldn"t find anything except in that one streak of gravel; and when that"s gone she"s done, as near as I can figure. But it isn"t all gone yet, lady mine. There"s enough left to pay the preacher, anyway. That big fellow I found along toward the last, just before I quit working." He kissed her gravely. "Poor old girl! She"s dead game, all right, and she"s kind of had the cards stacked against her from the start. But things are going to come easier from now on, if I"m any prophet. It"s too bad--"
Billy Louise read his thought.
"Mommie looked so peaceful, Ward. At the last, I mean. If I could have waked her up, I don"t believe I"d have had the heart to do it.
She never was very happy; you know that. She couldn"t seem to see the happiness in little things. So many are like that. And she looked happier--at the last--than I ever saw her look before. So--I"m happier, too--since yesterday."
"Are you?" Ward dropped his face against her hair and held it there for a minute. It was not his cold altogether that had made his voice break hoa.r.s.ely over those two words.
"Do you know--" Billy Louise was lifting the nuggets one after the other and letting them drop to her lap--"happiness is like gold, Ward.
We"ve got to pan it out of life ourselves. If we try to steal it from someone else, we pay the penalty, don"t you think? And so many go looking and looking for great big chunks of it all--all--whatever they do to it." She laughed a little at her ignorance of the technical process. "You see what I mean, don"t you? We get a streak of gravel; that"s life. And we can pan out happiness if we try--little nuggets and sometimes just colors--but it keeps us hoping and working."
"Doctor of philosophy!" Ward kissed her hair. "You"re a great little girl, all right. And I"m the buckaroo that has struck a mighty rich streak of pay dirt in life, Wilhemina. I"m panning out happiness millions to the pan right now."
Billy Louise, attacked with a spasm of shyness, went abruptly back to padding the makeshift crutches and changed the subject.
"I"m going home, soon as I fix you comfy," she said.
Whereupon Ward protested most strenuously and did not look in the least like a man who has just announced himself a millionaire in happiness.
"What for?" he demanded, after he had exhausted himself to no purpose in telling her that she should not leave the cabin until he could go along.
"I want eggs--for you, you ungrateful beast. And some bread for toast.
And I want to tell Phoebe and John where I am."
"You think those Injuns are going to hurt themselves worrying? I don"t want any eggs and toast. I"ve managed all right on crackers and jerky for six weeks, so I guess I can stand it a few hours longer. Still, if you"re crazy to go--" He dropped back on the pillow and turned his face away.
Billy Louise worked silently until she had made the crutches as soft on top as she could. Then she hunted for Ward"s razor and shaving-cup and after one or two failures--through using too much water--she managed to make a cup of very nice lather.
"Now, buckaroo, don"t be a sulky kid," she said, firmly as she could.
"You know it"s hard enough for me to go off and leave you here like this. But, as you say, you"ve managed to get along for six weeks without me, so--"
"Sure. I could do it again, I reckon." Ward turned a gloomy pair of eyes upon her. "What"s the rush? Do you think it isn"t proper--"
"It"s always proper to do what is right and helpful and kind," said Billy Louise with dignity, because she had made up her mind and was trying not to weaken. "I"ve lived in this country all my life, and I guess my reputation will stand this little strain," she went on lightly, "even if anyone finds it out. I"ve got to go, that"s all.
Those people in the Cove--" It was eloquent of her stern justice that she could not bring herself to speak them by name.
"You aren"t going to turn them over to the sheriff, are you, William?
Good Lord, girl! If I can--"
"Your lather is getting cold," Billy Louise said evenly. "I ought to have known better than mention the subject at all. I"m going to do what"s right. I believe I have some faint idea of right and wrong, Ward Warren. And I"m not going to do anything that I don"t feel is right, or anything that I"ll be sorry for. You might trust me, I think. It"s early yet--"
"You"ll come back before night, won"t you?" From his tone, Ward had yielded the point--and was minded to yield with what graciousness he could command. It had occurred to him that he was behaving like a selfish b.o.o.by. Billy Louise should not call him weak-kneed; whatever happened.
"No, I don"t think I can, Ward. I might send John."
"You needn"t bother. I don"t want John."
"Well, I don"t suppose he would be much comfort. I"ll make a pot of coffee, Ward, and I"ll fill the lantern and fix it so you can heat a cup when you want to; how will that be?" She brightened a little at the idea. "And I"ll fix your lungs up again before I go and bake some nice, hot biscuits and put here, and b.u.t.ter, and fix you just as comfy as possible. Or, if you can manage to get around with the crutches, all the better. I"ll leave things so you won"t have to go outside for a thing.
"And, Ward"--she bent over him anxiously--"I"m going because I must.
For all our sakes I must go right away. And I"ll come back to-morrow just as early as I can get here. So if you are real good, and take care of your cold, and get a little strong about walking, you can go back with me. And to-morrow night you can sit in daddy"s chair before the fireplace, and we"ll have chicken and--"
"All right--all right!" Ward laughed suddenly. "Will you give me a lump of sugar and let me look at all the pitty pittys in the alb.u.m?
Oh, you William the Conqueror!" He caught her close, when he saw that he had hurt her feelings a little, and held her a minute. "When I get two good legs under me, Wilhemina," he promised softly, "I"m going to stake myself to the job of taking care of you. Your cheeks are pretty thin, little lady-girl. d.a.m.n the luck, anyway!"
"Here"s the lather. I"m going down and saddle up," said Billy Louise.
"When I come back, we"ll see how the crutches work."
"Oh, say!" Ward called after her. "My saddle"s behind a buck bush up along the trail where the bank is cut straight. I forgot about that.
And would you mind bringing the looking-gla.s.s, William? How the deuce do you think a man"s going to shave without a gla.s.s? And that old paper to wipe the lather on, while you"re at it. I see the Billy of you hasn"t got to the shaving-point yet, at any rate!"
Billy Louise took down the gla.s.s and flung it on the bed, threw the newspaper after it, and departed with her chin in the air to find his saddle and bridle and carry them to the stable.
Ward, sitting up in bed, stared at the closed door remorsefully. When he was convinced that she did not intend to return even for the last word which is so tempting to a woman, he reached for the gla.s.s, held it up, and looked within.
"Sufferin" saddle blankets!" he grunted and dropped the gla.s.s. "And she could kiss a mug like that!"
CHAPTER XXVI
"HM-MM!"
Floyd Carson was a somewhat phlegmatic young man, but he swore an astonished oath when he saw Billy Louise galloping along the lane that led nowhere except to the womanless abode of Samuel Seabeck. He walked very fast to the stable, which was the first logical stopping-place, and so he met Billy Louise before she had time to dismount, even supposing she intended to do so.
"h.e.l.lo, Floyd! Is Mr. Seabeck at home?" Billy Louise was not one to waste time in the superfluities of speech when she had anything on her mind.
"Sure. Get off, and I"ll put up your horse. We"re just through eatin", but our grub carpenter will rustle something for yuh, all right."
"No, I can"t stop this time. I"m not hungry, anyway. Just give a yell for Mr. Seabeck, will you? I want to see him a minute."
Floyd eyed her uncertainly, decided that Billy Louise was not in the mood to yield to persuasion, and tactfully hurried off to find Seabeck without shouting for him--lest he bring others also, who were evidently not wanted at all. He took it that Billy Louise felt some diffidence about visiting a strictly bachelor outfit, and he set himself to relieve her of any embarra.s.sment.
Presently Seabeck himself came from the dirt-roofed, rambling cabin which was his home and strode down the path, b.u.t.toning his coat as he came. Floyd"s face showed for a minute in the doorway before he effaced himself completely, and not another man was in sight anywhere.
Billy Louise was grateful to circ.u.mstance; she had dreaded this visit, though not for the reason Floyd Carson believed.
"How de do, Miss MacDonald? Pretty nice day, but I"m afraid it"s a weather-breeder. The wind"s trying to change, I notice."
"Yes, and so I mustn"t stop. Could you ride part way home with me, Mr.
Seabeck? I--want to talk with you about something. And I can"t stop a minute. I must get home."