The Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge

  CHAPTER X.

  BACK TO RAINBOW LODGE.

  "AUNT SALLIE, if you don't mind," said Jacqueline next day, "I think wehad better go back to Rainbow Lodge."

  Jack's arm and shoulder were swathed in white cotton and she had none ofher usual color, but she was out on the veranda and insisted that shewas not suffering in the least.

  "Nonsense, Jack," Mrs Simpson returned kindly. "You are not angry at thescolding I gave you last night, are you? You know you deserved it, butof course you and Jean were only thoughtless. We have forgotten allabout it to-day."

  Jack looked away. "Everybody hasn't forgotten, Aunt Sallie, but I am notrunning away because of that. I had a note from Jim this morning and Ithink he needs me at the ranch."

  Mrs. Simpson flushed. "I know you are referring to my niece and sister,Jack, but you must remember that Mrs. Post and Laura have lived alwaysin the East. Laura has been very carefully brought up and they are notaccustomed to our Western ways of looking at things. But I am sure thatif you show them you are sorry, they will forgive you in course oftime."

  Jack's face was no longer pale, she was crimson with anger. If there wasone thing in the world which she had no intention of doing, it was toshow penitence for her conduct to Laura Post or her mother. It seemed toJack that to treat a guest in the fashion that Miss Post had treated herand Jean and to be malicious and vain and small-minded, was a good dealworse than to have committed the thoughtless act that she and Jean hadbeen guilty of. But for the sake of Mrs. Simpson, Jacqueline for themoment held her peace. She hoped she would be able to hold it until shegot away from the Simpson ranch, but was by no means sure.

  Olive and Frieda were out in the yard walking quietly up and down.Frieda was chattering like a magpie, but the Indian girl was silent andrarely lifted her eyes. Frieda waved to Jack and the two girls startedtoward her and Mrs. Simpson, but at this moment, Laura Post and Dancame out of the front door of the ranch house.

  Jack saw Laura stop and say something to the Indian girl. Olive turnedquickly and with her head drooping went directly into the house.

  Sturdy little Frieda stood stock still and then raised a pair ofindignant blue eyes to Laura. "I don't believe you!" she exclaimedhotly, "I am going to ask Jack."

  Frieda rushed across the porch, her eyes streaming with tears and flungherself into Jacqueline's arms, Dan Norton and Laura following her moreslowly.

  Neither Olive nor Frieda had been told anything of Mrs. Simpson's planto keep Olive at her ranch as a maid for her niece. There had not beentime to discuss it and Mrs. Simpson had been too busy that morning totalk to the Indian girl, but regarded the matter as having been entirelysettled with the ranch girls.

  "Oh, please, Jack," Frieda cried, her voice trembling, "Laura Post justtold Olive to go into the house at once. She said that as long as Olivewas to be her maid, she did not wish her to be out in the front with herguests. It wasn't true, was it? She is coming back home with us, isn'tshe?"

  Jack made no reply. She only looked at Laura Post with a pair of clear,wide open, grey eyes that held more than a touch of scorn in them.

  For once, Mrs. Simpson appeared slightly displeased with her adoredniece. "Laura," she remarked disapprovingly, "I am sorry you spoke inthat way to the Indian girl. Remember I asked her here as your guest. Ihave not had time to explain to her that she is to remain as your maid."

  "What on earth is all this pow-wow about?" Jean demanded, appearingsuddenly on the scene, swinging a tennis racquet and followed by Harry,who was usually her shadow. "You look as tragic as the tale of SolomonGrundy. 'Died on Saturday, buried on Sunday, this was the end of SolomonGrundy,'" Jean chanted in mournful tones. "Who are you trying to get ridof, at present?"

  "No one, Jean," Mrs. Simpson replied. "I was only speaking to Laura ofthe Indian girl's remaining here as her maid. I will go now and tell thegirl about it myself."

  Jean caught hold of Aunt Sallie's ample skirts. "Not so quickly,please, Aunt Sallie," she urged, while she looked pleadingly at Jack."We are not sure that we can give up Olive to you. You must not beangry, for you know we did find her first and we have the first right toher."

  "But I have got to have some one to wait on me," Laura broke inpettishly. "I can't button my own shoes and comb my hair, and Auntiepromised me this girl for my maid."

  "Never mind, dear," Mrs. Simpson returned soothingly. "It is allsettled, Jean and Jack can't possibly be so foolish as to attempt tokeep this girl at Rainbow Lodge."

  "Oh, yes, we can, Aunt Sallie," Jack answered, sweetly but firmly. "Ihave been wanting to talk to you alone, but I haven't had a chance. Ihave thought things all over and though we do not wish Olive for aservant at Rainbow Lodge, we do want her for another ranch girl!" Youcould have heard a pin drop as Jacqueline went on. "You see we haveplenty of room in our home and I am sure that four girls ought to beeven happier together than just three. If Olive will trust herself withus, we shall try to do the best that we can for her. I hope some day,for her sake, we may find out who she really is, but if not, whyperhaps she may be willing to be known as one of us."

  Jack looked so proud and at the same time so generous and fine thatFrank Kent, who was standing near enough to overhear her, wanted toshout with delight, but managed to appear perfectly indifferent, thoughLaura did think she heard him say "Ripping!" under his breath.

  Mrs. Simpson was crimson with vexation. "Very well, Jack Ralston, do asyou like," she replied coldly. "Understand I wash my hands of the wholeaffair. You will live to regret this piece of Quixotic foolishness andwhen this Indian girl gets you into trouble, don't come to me."

  "We won't, Aunt Sallie," Jacqueline returned gently. "And I hope youwon't think we are ungrateful to you. We saw lots of real Indian girlsat the village yesterday, perhaps Miss Post will have one of them as hermaid. I'll ask Olive to recommend one."

  Jack walked quietly away from the group on the veranda, holding Friedaby the hand while Jean murmured more apologies to Aunt Sallie, being ascareful as possible not to look that lady in the face. Miss Brucehardly wished Mrs. Simpson to see how her brown eyes were dancing withpleasure and pride, but when Aunt Sallie had gone away, Jean made noeffort to conceal her satisfaction from Laura Post and Dan Norton.

  Jacqueline marched straight in to find Olive. She was not in her room.She was not in the maids' room, nor in the big kitchen. Hong Su, Mrs.Simpson's Chinese cook, explained that the 'Lil Mlissie' had gone out inthe back yard.

  To one side and behind the Simpson ranch house was a large kitchengarden, at only a short distance from the house itself.

  Jack and Frieda could not find Olive at once. There was nothing to hideher and she could not have gone down to the stables that were somedistance away, yet she was nowhere in sight.

  Half an acre of Indian corn was ripening and yellowing in the sun. Itrustled and its long dried leaves crackled and swayed, and they soon sawthe Indian girl walking through it with her head bent and tears fallingfast. Straightway Jacqueline thought of the Song of Hiawatha and theIndian legend of the corn. Poor little Olive was the Minnehaha, afterher laughter had been stilled! Frieda ran straight to her friend andthrew her arms around her. "Oh, Olive, it isn't true," she cried. "Youare to come home with us to Rainbow Lodge."

  But Olive shook her head. She could not understand.

  Jacqueline took the girl's slender, brown hand. "Olive," she askedgently, "do you think you could be happy if you came to live with us atthe ranch? I am dreadfully cross sometimes and you may not like me, butFrieda and Jean are dears. We are only girls like you and perhaps we maymake mistakes, but you won't mind, if we all do our best together."

  Jacqueline was frightened at the expression of the Indian girl's face."You want me to live with you like one of you?" she gasped. "Oh, itcan't, it can't be true."

  "But it can be true, Olilie," Jack answered lightly, using the girl'spretty Indian name. "And there is nothing so remarkable in our wantingto have you. Suppose when mother and father came out here to Wyomingfrom the East, somethi
ng had happened to them and they had left mesomewhere for a stranger to find me. Then the same thing might havehappened to me that has happened to you, and I am sure you would havecome along and rescued me if you could."

  "Then you don't think I am an Indian girl?" Olive questioned eagerly.

  Jack hesitated. "I don't know, Olive, I'm sure," she returned. "Ofcourse I was only talking. Come, let's pack up our things, I think wewill go home to-morrow."

  "But if Laska and Josef come back for me?" Olive pleaded, unable tobelieve in her wonderful good fortune.

  Jacqueline's face sobered. She was thinking of what Jim Colter would saywhen he learned of their adoption of Olive. She knew that Jim wastroubled about something; had the ranch girls any right to offer a hometo any one when their own future was so uncertain?

  But Jack's lips closed firmly. "Never mind, Olive," she answered. "Wewon't worry over things until they happen, when they do we will facethem the best we can."

  Rainbow Lodge had never looked more dear and homelike than it did whenthe four ranch girls arrived before its open front door. Jim had sentone of the cowboys to drive them home and Jack wondered why he had notcome himself. But she forgot to ask what had kept him, when she saw AuntEllen's smiling face and smelt the odor of ginger cookies coming fromthe kitchen back of her.

  "Isn't it great to be at home, children?" Jack exclaimed triumphantly.But Frieda had flown to look after her chickens and Jean was shakinghands with old Zack, who was building the frames over her violet beds.

  "This bandage is cutting my arm off, Olive," Jack went on, noticingOlive's wistful face as Jack said the word "home." "Won't you come inand fix it for me, please? I am going to make you and Jean and Friedawait on me all I can, now we are away from Aunt Sallie's. Of course Ihad to pretend my arm didn't hurt over there, because I knew that thatabominable Laura Post and Dan Norton would say 'serves her right,' everytime I had a twinge of pain."

  Jack was talking nonsense to keep Olive from thinking and as the twogirls passed under the arch of the door, Jack kissed her lightly. "Goodluck to Ranch Girl Number Four. May you live long and prosper at RainbowLodge," she whispered.