CHAPTER VI A Wager
Peggy Webster was standing alone, smoothing the shaggy coat of one of thepair of mules hitched to their wagon. Her brother had gone into the hotelnearby to find a physician for their new acquaintance.
Peggy was not wearing her Camp Fire dress. She was under the impressionthat it made her more conspicuous in coming to a fashionable hotel, suchas this one. The guests might or might not understand the reason for herunusual costume.
However, being Peggy, characteristically her toilet was of the simplestand most convenient kind. She had on a short, tan-colored corduroy skirtand jacket, a cream silk blouse and a corduroy hat. She also wore ridingboots of brown leather, finding them more convenient than ordinary shoes.
Yet, in spite of her simplicity, perhaps because of it, she made acharming figure. She was of medium height and slender, with broadshoulders and narrow hips; although Peggy was sixteen, she stillsuggested in the carriage of her head and body the vitality and grace ofa boy rather than a girl. It was difficult to analyze this quality of thegirl's which, however, people recognized at once. It may have come from acertain independence of spirit--a love of outdoor things--astraightforwardness and an avoidance of the emotions which most girlsenjoy. Yet none of these qualities are essentially boyish, sinceninety-nine boys out of a hundred may not possess them, but thedescription is used for want of a better one.
From the three months of living outdoors Peggy's olive skin was a deepertone and her color more brilliant. In her Camp Fire costume she sometimeswore her hair loose; but on occasions like this, it was braided andfastened close about her small head. In looking close at Peggy, what onewas forced to admire in her most was the clearness and beauty of her darkeyes, which stared straight into yours with a perfect faith that theideals of every human being were as clear and sincere as her own. Anothercharm was the unconsciously proud tilt of her short, straight nose andchin.
Glancing up to see if her brother had finished his errand, Peggy saw animmaculate figure coming toward her over the carefully tended grounds ofthe hotel.
She waved a friendly hand toward him, the young man returning hergreeting more languidly.
"Gotten up regardless, aren't you Ralph?" Peggy remarked good-naturedly,as Ralph Marshall joined her.
She did not dislike him as Bettina Graham did; indeed Peggy rarelydisliked any one. And Ralph had been coming to their place in NewHampshire for a portion of his holidays for several years. He wasordinarily sweet-tempered and obliging and his affectations and lack ofinterest in serious matters only amused Peggy, if she happened to thinkof them at all, while they made Bettina angry.
"Oh, I am showing the West how the thing ought to be done," he answeredwith equal good temper, surveying himself with a not unpleasant vanity.For Ralph was extraordinarily good looking--rather too much so to bedesirable in a man, according to some ideas. In spite of the fact that itwas morning, Ralph was wearing a tennis costume of such amazingperfection that he suggested a magazine advertisement.
"I thought you would soon get tired of roughing it on Mr. Gardener'sranch," Peggy went on. "After a while, Ralph, you will have surveyed allhuman occupations and found none of them worth the effort of pursuing,won't you?"
Ralph laughed. "I say, Peggy, that is unworthy of you. Such severityshould have come from Bettina Graham. Why can't you think I left theGardener ranch in order to be nearer the Camp Fire girls, even if you arenot enthusiastic over my society? By the way, Terry Benton and HowardBrent are here with me for a few weeks. They both felt a holiday was duethem, and naturally, as I was so near, I wished to see the Grand Canyon."
Peggy nodded. "I am glad Howard Brent is with you, I like him."
This also was characteristic of Peggy Webster. Most girls would not havebeen willing to be so straightforward in expressing an interest. Butreally it did not occur to Peggy that she should not state her liking forHoward Brent as freely as if he had been a girl; and, of course, therewas no reason why she should not.
However, Ralph felt slightly annoyed. He was accustomed to being bothadmired and flattered by his girl acquaintances. Even Bettina Graham'sdislike of him was more agreeable than Peggy's good-natured indifference.
Moreover, Peggy's expression had at this instant changed, as she wentquickly forward to greet the two young men who were advancing towardthem.
"It is awfully good luck to have you so near our camp again; I hope youwill both come over to see us," Ralph heard her say the moment after shehad shaken hands with the newcomers. She had not suggested a visit tohim.
Howard Brent and Terry Benton in a lesser degree were types of men whomPeggy might have been expected to admire.
Howard Brent was the son of an Arizona ranchman and was himself one. Hewas a big, strong, fearless fellow of about twenty; having spent most ofhis life outdoors, he was nearly as dark in appearance as Peggy herselfand almost as straightforward. Terry, of course, was an Irishman and,although he also lived outdoors, he had the Irish subtleties and theability to laugh at himself, which Peggy could not at this time of herlife understand.
A short time after, while the little group of four were continuing totalk, Dan Webster came out from the hotel. Ralph Marshall introduced himto his two friends and straightway they fell into a discussion of futureplans.
Dan was younger than the other men and had never been west before. But hehad spent his life in the New Hampshire woods and was devoted to outdoorsports. Moreover, he was tremendously grateful and enthusiastic over thesuggestion of his two new acquaintances, that he join them in the huntingand tramping expeditions which they were then planning.
He knew Ralph Marshall, of course, and they were friendly enough, but hadno particular liking for each other.
"You are not going to join in these strenuous enterprises, are you,Ralph?" Peggy asked as she and Dan were about to climb back into theirwagon to return to their own camp.
"Why not?" Ralph demanded, flushing a little, not so much from Peggy'stone, which had been nothing but friendly, but from the attitude which hesuspected in the other three men.
"Oh, for no reason at all," Peggy returned quickly, "only that I thoughtyou liked other amusements better. You know I don't think a great deal oftrying to destroy things, although so long as I like to eat what Dankills I suppose I can't criticise his hunting."
In her first speech Peggy had had no idea of hurting Ralph's feelings, oreven his self-esteem, which is what people are apt to hurt in us.Therefore, appreciating the fact that he seemed a little uncomfortable,she had attempted to change the subject. Moreover, in saying good-bye shegave her hand last to Ralph, looking at him with an appeal forforgiveness for her unconscious awkwardness. Under the circumstances shefound it impossible to apologise openly.
Ralph Marshall had not Peggy's generosity of nature. He said good-byewith perfect politeness, but the girl still felt that he was chagrined.
"Bully girl, isn't she? As good a sport I should think as the best kindof a fellow!" Howard Brent exclaimed after Dan and Peggy had driven off.
For a moment Terry Benton whistled softly before replying. Then, being anIrishman, he was a little enigmatic.
"They are made differently, aren't they, girls? We men may be cut afterthe same pattern, but sometimes I believe no two girls are alike.Personally I like the old-fashioned types better. Peggy Webster would bethe best kind of a comrade I expect, but somehow I suppose, being Irish,I could stand for a little more sentiment than she possesses."
In point of fact Terry was then thinking of Sally Ashton, by whom, sincetheir first meeting, he had been strongly attracted. But there was nodistinction in this, as Sally attracted most men. She also made most ofthem believe that she was filled with exquisite, womanly emotions, when,in reality she had not half the hidden depth of feeling that Peggy'sfiner and more sincere nature concealed.
Ralph Marshall had been listening to his two friends, without enteringinto the conversation, but he now shrugged his shoulde
rs.
"Oh you and Benton are both wrong, Brent; girls are all alike. It is onlythat they are better actresses than men are and can appear to bedifferent. I'll bet Peggy Webster is as sentimental and as vain as mostof them. I'll wager I can prove it to you. She is an only girl and haslived surrounded by an adoring family. I don't suppose she has ever hadany man pay her the least attention. If she had she would be like all therest."
Terry Benton laughed. "Friend Ralph is a trifle annoyed, isn't he? Hasn'tMistress Peggy been sufficiently impressed? Anyhow, Marshall, you can bepretty sure she will never change her temperament for either of us."
Ralph shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, I don't know. I'll bet you a hundred I could make her like me if Itried hard enough."
"Taken," Terry Benton replied quickly.
Until this moment Howard Brent had been silent during the conversationwhich his own words had innocently provoked. However, his face hadcrimsoned and he was now looking rather angry.
"You men are a couple of--oh, you know well enough what I would like tocall you without my saying the word," he added. "But, in any case, kindlydon't consider me a third in this transaction. It is rather hard luck tohave had to stay and hear this much of your conversation." He turnedangrily away.
Terry Benton followed him.
"Oh, don't take a joke so seriously, Howard. Marshall is ridiculous abouthimself, although he is a fine enough chap in some ways. I only took upthat proposition of his because I thought it would be a good thing forhim to lose. He needs to be taken down by a Peggy or two."
Although the two men were walking away, it was still possible for RalphMarshall to overhear what they were saying. He felt fairly uncomfortable.
He had spoken at first without any particular realization of thesignificance of his words and without any direct intention of involvinghimself in a wager, which certainly appeared objectionable upon the faceof it. Then, as often happens, the situation had gotten beyond him.
He wished now that he had never mentioned Peggy. It was bad form for mento discuss a girl with other men, and certainly it was a good deal worseform to have made so absurd a bet concerning one. It was Benton's ownfault. He should not have taken him up so quickly; he should haveunderstood that he had spoken without thinking.
Nevertheless Ralph was not sure that he would not still like to prove toTerry that he could make good.