Part 21 (2/2)
”How are you, Wils?” she asked.
”Pretty good for a club-footed has-been cow puncher.”
”I wish you wouldn't call yourself such names,” rejoined Columbine, peevishly. ”You're not a club-foot. I hate that word!”
”Me, too. Well, joking aside, I'm better. My foot is fine. Now, if I don't hurt it again I'll sure never be a club-foot.”
”You must be careful,” she said, earnestly.
”Sure. But it's hard for me to be idle. Think of me lying still all day with nothing to do but read! That's what knocked me out. I wouldn't have minded the pain if I could have gotten about.... Columbine, I've moved in!”
”What! Moved in?” she queried, blankly.
”Sure. I'm in my cabin on the hill. It's plumb great. Tom Andrews and Bert and your hunter Wade fixed up the cabin for me. That Wade is sure a good fellow. And say! what he can do with his hands! He's been kind to me. Took an interest in me, and between you and me he sort of cheered me up.”
”Cheered you up! Wils, were you unhappy?” she asked, directly.
”Well, rather. What'd you expect of a cowboy who'd crippled himself--and lost his girl?”
Columbine felt the smart of tingling blood in her face, and she looked from Wilson to the wagon. It contained saddles, blankets, and other cowboy accoutrements for which he had evidently come.
”That's a double misfortune,” she replied, evenly. ”It's too bad both came at once. It seems to me if I were a cowboy and--and felt so toward a girl, I'd have let her know.”
”This girl I mean knew, all right,” he said, nodding his head.
”She didn't--she didn't!” cried Columbine.
”How do you know?” he queried, with feigned surprise. He was bent upon torturing her.
”You meant me. I'm the girl you lost!”
”Yes, you are--G.o.d help me!” replied Moore, with genuine emotion.
”But you--you never told me--you never told me,” faltered Columbine, in distress.
”Never told you what? That you were my girl?”
”No--no. But that you--you cared--”
”Columbine Belllounds, I told you--let you see--in every way under the sun,” he flashed at her.
”Let me see--what?” faltered Columbine, feeling as if the world were about to end.
”That I loved you.”
”Oh!... Wilson!” whispered Columbine, wildly.
”Yes--loved you. Could you have been so innocent--so blind you never knew? I can't believe it.”
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