tches,
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 album?
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. Damn 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-glass, William? How the deuce
do you think a man's going to shave without a glass? 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 glass 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 glass, held it
up, and looked within.

"Sufferin' saddle blankets!" he grunted and dropped the glass. "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.

"Hello, Floyd! Is Mr. Seabeck at ho