He discovered that her name was Honora Krause, and that she
was called Honey "for short." Her father had been Dutch and
her mother a Yankee, and she lived with her uncle, Dave
Truman, who owned Little Lost ranch, and took care of the
mail for him, and attended to the store--which was nothing
more than a supply depot kept for the accommodation of the
neighbors. The store, she said, was in the next room.
Bud asked her what Little Lost meant, and she replied that
she did not know, but that it might have something to do with
Sunk Creek losing itself in The Sinks. There was a Little
Lost river, farther across the mountains, she said, but it
did not run through Little Lost ranch, nor come anywhere near
it.
After that she questioned him adroitly. Perversely Bud
declined to become confidential, and Honey Krause changed the
subject abruptly.
"There's going to be a dance here next Friday night. It'll be
a good chance to get acquainted with everybody--if you go.
There'll be good music, I guess. Uncle Dave wrote to Crater
for the Saunders boys to come down and play. Do you know
anybody in Crater?"
The question was innocent enough, but perverseness still held
Bud. He smiled and said he did not know anybody anywhere, any
more. He said that if Bobbie Burns had asked him "Should auld
acquaintance be forgot," he'd have told him yes, and he'd
have made it good and strong.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121