The Range Boss

  CHAPTER XV

  THE RUNAWAY COMES HOME

  Masten's note to Ruth contained merely the information that he was goingto Lazette, and that possibly he might not return for two weeks. Hehinted that he would probably be called upon to go to Santa Fe onbusiness, but if so he would apprise her of that by messenger. He gave noreason for his sudden leave-taking, or no explanation of his breach ofcourtesy in not waiting to see her personally. The tone of the note didnot please Ruth. It had evidently been written hurriedly, on a sheet ofpaper torn from a pocket notebook. That night she studied it long, by thelight from the kerosene lamp in her room, and finally crumpled it up andthrew it from her. Then she sat for another long interval, her elbows onthe top of the little stand that she used as a dressing table, her chinin her hands, staring with unseeing eyes into a mirror in front ofher--or rather, at two faces that seemed to be reflected in the glass:Masten's and Randerson's.

  Next morning she got downstairs late, to find breakfast over andRanderson gone. Later in the morning she saw Uncle Jepson waving a handto her from the corral, and she ran down there, to find her pony standingoutside the fence, meek and docile. The bridle rein, knotted and broken,dangled in the dust at his head.

  She took up the end with the knot in it.

  "He's been tied!" she exclaimed. She showed Uncle Jepson the slip knot.And then she became aware of Aunt Martha standing beside her, and sheshowed it to her also. And then she saw a soiled blue neckerchief twistedand curled in the knot, and she examined it with wide eyes.

  "Why, it's Randerson's!" she declared, in astonishment. "How on earth didit get here?"

  And now her face crimsoned, for illumination had come to her. She placedthe neckerchief behind her, with a quick hope that her relatives had notseen it, nor had paid any attention to her exclamation. But she saw UncleJepson grin broadly, and her face grew redder with his words:

  "I cal'late the man who lost that blue bandanna wasn't a tol'able pieceaway when that knot was tied."

  "Jep Coakley, you mind your own business!" rebuked Aunt Martha sharply,looking severely at Uncle Jepson over the rims of her spectacles.

  "Don't you mind him, honey," she consoled, putting an arm around the girlas Uncle Jepson went away, chuckling. "Why, girl," she went on, smilingat Ruth's crimson face, "you don't blame him, do you? If you don't knowhe likes you, you've been blind to what I've been seeing for many days.Never mention to him that you know he tied the pony, dear. For he's agentleman, in spite of that."

  And obediently, though with cheeks that reddened many times during theprocess, and laughter that rippled through her lips occasionally, Ruthwashed the neckerchief, folded it, to make creases like those which wouldhave been in it had its owner been wearing it, then crumpled it, andstole to Randerson's room when she was sure that he was not there, andplaced the neckerchief where its owner would be sure to find it.

  She was filled with a delightful dread against the day when he woulddiscover it, for she felt that he might remember where he had lost it,and thus become convinced that she knew of his duplicity. But many dayspassed and he did not come in. She did not know that on his way out tojoin the outfit the next morning he had noticed that he had lost theneckerchief, and that he remembered it flapping loose around his neckwhen he had gone toward the timber edge for her pony. He had searchedlong for it, without success, of course, and had finally ridden away,shaking his head, deeply puzzled over its disappearance.

  Nor did Ruth know that on the day she had discovered the neckerchiefdangling from the knot, Aunt Martha had spoken again to Uncle Jepconcerning it.

  "Jep Coakley," she said earnestly; "you like your joke, as well as anyman. But if I ever hear of you mentioning anything to Randerson aboutthat bandanna, I'll tweak your nose as sure as you're alive!"