t go; so they rode hand in
hand down the narrow valley.

"I was wondering--" he hesitated, drawing in a corner of his lip,
biting it, and letting it go. "Wilhemina, if old Lady Fortune takes a
notion to give me another kick or two, just when life looks so good to
me--"

"Why, we'll kick back just as hard as she does," threatened Billy
Louise courageously. "Don't let happiness get on your nerves, Ward."

"If I wasn't crippled, it wouldn't. But when a man's down and out,
he--thinks a lot. The last three days, I've lived a whole lifetime,
lady-girl. Everything seems to be coming my way, all at once. And I'm
afraid; what if I can't make good? If I can't make you happy"--he
squeezed her fingers so that Billy Louise had to grit her teeth to keep
from interrupting him--"or if anything should happen to you--Lord!
I--I never knew what it was to be crazy scared till I saw you fall off
Rattler. I--"

"You've got nerves, buckaroo. You've been shut up there alone so long
you see things all distorted. We're going to be happy, because we'll
be together, and we've so much to do and so much to think of. You must
realize, Ward, that we've got three places to take care of, and you and
me and poor old Marthy. She hasn't anybody, Ward, but us. And she's
changed so--got so old--just in the last few days. I never knew a
person could change so much in such a little while. She's just let go
all holds and kind of sagged down, mentally and physically. We'll have
to take care of her, Ward, as long as she lives. That's why I'm taking
you there--so we can look after her. She won't leave the Cove. I--I
was hoping," she added shyly, "that we could sit in front of our own
fireplace, Ward, and have nice cozy evenings; but---well, there always
seems to be something for me to do for somebody, Ward."

"Oh, you Wilhemina!" Ward slipped his arm around her, to the disgust
of Rattler and Blue, and made shift to kiss her twice. "Long as you
live, you'll always be doing something for somebody; that's the way
you're made. And nobody's been doing things for you; but if the Lord
lets me live, that's going to be my job from now on."

He said a great deal more, of course. They had nearly fifteen miles to
go, and they rode at a walk; and a man and a maid can say a good deal
at such a time. But I don't think they would like to have it all
repeated. Their thoughts ranged far: back over the past and far into
the future, and clung close to