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Show I Billy's Use t of Pet Names t t x By JOHN TILTON t (Copyright.) 0 ILLY WINCH halted his horse at -' the cross trail and slipped from the saddle to tighten a girth. As he lifted his head he heard a light footstep foot-step on the sad and bounded into the saddle. "Ho, Miss Pretty," he cried. The girl stopped short and looked at him from indignant blue eyes. There was a lunch basket swinging from one hand and she carried some school books in the other. "How dare you speak to me In that way?" she asked. He bared his dark head sheepishly. "Sorry, ma'am I didn't know that 1 was speaking to you," he said humbly. The lovely young face flushed deeper. deep-er. She turned off into a by-path. "I'm getting off the trail we're ' hiking right along don't you walk In the tall grass there might be rattlers," rat-tlers," he suggested. She skipped back again. "I hop-? that's the truth," she said suspiciously. "Look behind you look out !" She backed away with a little scream, for coiled in the path was a small rattlesnake rattle-snake basking in the hot sun. "Is he alive?" "Just now he is but wait a minute..' min-ute..' He whipped out a gun and fired. There was a flurry of dust and something flopped into the sagebrush and was still. The horse danced excitedly. ex-citedly. "Oh !" screamed the girl, shutting her eyes from death in the light and sunshine of a beautiful day. "How cruel men are!" "I'll be hanged !" growled the exasperated exas-perated Mr. Winch. "Women always did get my goat ! Oh, Pretty Lady, have a heart be still !" "You are impossible !" tossed Beth over her shoulder as she ran down the trail toward Blair's ranch, where she was boarding. Mr. Blair was chairman of the board of school trustees, trus-tees, and Beth Carvel was the new school teacher from the East. Beth thought Billy Winch was handsome, and secretly she believed he was the nicest cowpuncher she had met out in the Stone Gulch country. But, although she knew him so slightly, slight-ly, she had been annoyed and finally angered by his familiarity in calling her "Miss Pretty" or "Pretty Lady." The next day when she met Billy Winch she barely inclined her proud little head. He stopped his horse and watched her until her straight, slim form was out of sight. He sat like a bronze figure, dumb misery on his face. He had been waiting for her to tell her that he loved her and that if it was necessary he would go to school all over again although he had graduated gradu-ated from a well-known university. Lunch hour was over and the children chil-dren In the little schoolhouse under the cottonwoods were drawing near the entrance waiting for Beth and her bell. Two of the larger boys who rode home for the midday meal came racing rac-ing back to school. "Oh, teacher! Something happened hap-pened to Billy Winch this morning something awful !" "What w was it?" chattered Beth, leaning against the doorpost white and sick. She could see him now sitting on his horse like a young centaur that hurt look on his face "He was riding like everything like he does when he's mad or when he's after somethin' and his hoss stepped into a gopher hole and threw him and he's unconscious yet they took him to Blair's." "Tlie doctor?" gasped Beth. "He was on the way when I left ain't it awful and him so kind to all us kids letting us ride Miss Pretty and " "Miss what?" screamed Beth. "Miss Pretty that's the name of his boss the one he always rides somelimes he calls her 'Pretty Lady.'" That afternoon, when she approached ap-proached Blair's house, she crept in unseen and tiptoed into her own room and closed the door. But her room was occupied. In her pretty white bed lay the invalid Billy Winch, pale and dillident in his strange quarters. His unhappy eyes had wistfully surveyed the dainty I things in the room. I "(Hi." she half sobbed. "I am so ; giad they put you here it's the best ! room in the house." : "Tiioy said they'd have to til1, to- j morrow I'm ashamed, .Miss Culver ' when I know you don't like me to lit- , laid up here with a b:oken leg it.'s an unwarranted intrusion ma'am." "Please don't say that. I",i!!y ' Winch." she leaded. Iineeiing beside . ! him; "1 was n'ean r i i ! s i::m:i;is ; I'm i so sorry; I dien't understand t hnt ' j your l.o.sp was named M Miss Prc-t- , I ty. and I thought yn:i e:-e c:i I i i n : me j that!" Lower her head sank until it was hurled in the t-e.i eoveriiig. I She .)(.( t:t,t see tl:- weteieffal light : I that fan :o into li.e battel eyes, bin she ; did f . 1 tho t"iuler t .!'-:( ef his I'-e.-.vn '. laM.fl on her l.orrty !,: d, and u'ie ot ved tie tl i-i'itag toae of ,u t -. ! "i love you. r,et::."M:e ;.!! le r lein- f-:!.v: "eo;i, you ..ye tM, el.or.gll to 11,.-. try mo';" "I eonM I c-fuld. if yon v ;i realise real-ise to (ail n.e 'Mi.-s l'.-.sJiy' .;!:;. t :..'." sap te!d hln i, her face at: tast his I,;, tel. 'n-at's .-'-" i.p !a'--'-'d -he- |