CHAPTER XXIII.
JACK IS HAPPY.
"CHILLUNS, it's time for bed," Cousin Ruth announced softly. "Frieda hasbeen asleep in my arms for the last ten minutes. Perhaps I can tumbleher in bed without waking her, she is so frightened at the storm."
Jean glanced up at the clock over the living-room mantle. "Do let's waita little while longer?" she begged. "I am just at the most thrillingpart of my book and I am bound to finish it before I go to bed. Jack,you stay here with me, if Cousin Ruth is going with Frieda. I don't liketo sit up alone. This storm is a terror! Listen how the wind howls downthe chimney. I hope our stock won't be frozen to death to-night."
Ruth led Frieda gently out of the sitting-room while Jack got up andwandered to the window. But the frost covered the glass. She scratched alittle space away with a hairpin, but there was nothing to see outsidesave the snow.
Jack walked restlessly up and down the room for a minute. It was justnine o'clock and she did not feel like going to bed. She could not readas Jean was doing. These terrible western storms, that came once ortwice every winter, always filled her with foreboding. Jack was too gooda rancher not to understand that they caused great suffering and lossamong the cattle. The rude corrals, which the ranchmen built for theirstock, could not save them on a night like this.
Jack dropped down on her knees before their book shelves and began tolook over the collection of volumes that had once belonged to herfather. The books were the same ones that Jean had found in her uncle'strunk and brought to the living-room to impress their new governess onthe day of her arrival at Rainbow Lodge. Shep got up from his warm placeby the fire and trotted over to lie down by Jack, seeming to know thatshe was worried and wishing to offer her his subtle sympathy.
Jack turned over the pages of half a dozen books, shaking them, so thatevery leaf fluttered apart.
Jean glanced over at her cousin. Jack was quieter and older than everto-night. "What are you doing, Jack, want me to help you?" Jean askedlovingly.
"No, Jean, I am not doing anything special," Jack replied quietly. "I amjust killing time."
But Jean knew that her cousin was searching once more for the lost titledeed to Rainbow Ranch and she had gone to the window to gaze out on thesnow with the thought of Olive on her mind. Even light-hearted Jeansighed. It was only a few days before Christmas.
Jack was getting up off the floor, when a sound startled her. She jumpedquickly to her feet. Old Shep gave a long howl.
"What is the matter with you, Jacqueline Ralston?" Jean demandedpettishly, partly because she had just been so sorry for Jack. "Youalmost scared me out of my wits."
Jack was pointing toward the window. "I heard a noise outside in thesnow," she exclaimed excitedly.
"You did no such thing, Jack, it's only the wind howling. It has beenmaking a racket for the last four hours. I don't see why you are sosurprised all of a sudden. I heard nothing unusual," Jean protested.
"But it wasn't the wind I heard, Jean. This noise was quite different.Shep heard it too, see how queerly he is acting," Jack argued.
Old Shep had gone to the front door of the ranch house and was stretchedagainst it with his fore paws resting on the door.
"Well, if you didn't hear the wind, it is some animal that has seen thelights in the Lodge and stolen near here for protection. Do sit down,Jack, you make me dreadfully nervous, staring like that. You know youhaven't heard the sound a second time. Let's go to bed."
Jean slipped her arm about Jack's waist, but Jack pushed her gently off."I am going out in the snow to find out what that cry meant, Jean," Jackannounced decisively. "Suppose it was an animal, I can't allow anythingto die just outside our home to-night."
Jean clung to her cousin's skirts. "You shan't go out that door, Jack,"Jean avowed. "You will be blown off your feet by the wind. You will befrozen. If a wild animal has come out of the woods for shelter, you'llbe torn to pieces." Jean pictured every horrible fate that she couldimagine overtaking Jacqueline. But Jack was quickly buttoning up herovercoat and tying a thick woolen scarf about her head.
"I won't stay out but a minute, Jean dear," she returned. "Shep will gowith me. He will keep me from getting hurt."
"I'll call Cousin Ruth, Jack, you are the most obstinate person in theworld!" Jean exclaimed passionately, but Jack had wrenched open the bigfront door of the ranch house, and plunged out into the night. A gust ofsnow swept into the wide hall. Straining with all her might, Jack closedthe door back of her, so that Jean should not feel the fury of thestorm. With Shep by her side, Jack faced the white wilderness of snow.
Jean ran down the hall toward Ruth's room, but Ruth had already heardthe noise and joined her. For an instant the two women awaited Jack'sreturn. They believed that she would come into the house as soon as shesaw what lay ahead of her.
Jack seized the lantern, that swung always above the door of theirLodge. The light was out, but by crouching down and turning her back tothe wind, Jack managed to relight it. She knew the light would soonblow out again, but for a minute it would serve a purpose.
Jack climbed off the porch. Shep ploughed in front of her. Jack swungher lantern once, twice it flashed, then the wind blew it out.
But in that space of time she saw something dark in a mound of snow notfar from the house. Jack felt her way toward it, guided by anoverwhelming instinct. Shep shook all over, not with the cold, but withthe foreknowledge of what was ahead of them.
When Jack reached Olive, Shep had already covered the still body withhis own warm one. Jack pushed Shep away. She had to feel under thedrifting snow before she knew the object she touched was a human being,but it was not until her hand touched the delicate frozen face, that sherealized that Olive was found at last.
Jack's cry for help brought Ruth, Jean, and from the kitchen, Aunt Ellenand Zack. There was such agony in Jack's tones, that they all believedsome horrible thing had happened to her.
The women got Olive inside the house, not one of them having an ideathat she was alive, but no one dared to tell Jack so. They stripped offthe girl's clothes and found the little sandal-wood box hidden insideher dress.
If Jack had not already learned to love Ruth Drew, she would have begunto care for her to-night. For Ruth knew exactly what to do for Olive.She would not let the girls and Aunt Ellen carry Olive too near thefire. She sent Uncle Zack off to find Jim Colter. Ruth and Jack rubbedOlive's stiff body with snow, until their hands felt almost as numb ashers and forced hot tea between her clenched teeth. By and by Aunt Ellenand Jean were allowed to bring warm blankets and hot irons.
At last the blue, stark look left Olive's face. It was Jack whodiscovered a tiny bit of color in her lips. Jack flung herself on herknees and hardly knowing what she was doing, breathed all the warm,vibrant breath of her own vigorous body into Olive's almost frozenlungs.
After another hour, Olive stirred and moved one hand. She half openedher black eyes. "I am all right, Jack," she whispered. "I have got homeat last."
CHAPTER XXIV.
CHRISTMAS EVE.
"IT'S the most beautiful one we have ever had, Jim; I'm so glad," Jackdeclared happily.
Jim beat the snow from his coat and folded his arms proudly. "It tookall day to get it, Jack, but it's worth it. Where are the other girls?"
Jim Colter and Jacqueline were standing at the base of a wonderful pinetree, whose top pressed against the ceiling of the living-room atRainbow Lodge. The frost still clung to the tree and the snow andicicles melted into long chains of diamonds, as they fell in drops ofcrystal clearness to the floor.
"The girls are in Cousin Ruth's room at work," Jack answered. "Olive andFrieda have promised not to look at the tree until the evening. We aregoing to have everything in pure white, a regular German Christmas tree,in honor of Frieda's birthday and her name. There is a white worldinside and out and we shall be at peace for to-night at least," Jackended with a little sigh.
Jim moved nearer to the tree and shook one of the branches until thebits of frost fell to th
e ground with a soft tinkle like the far-offmusic of sleigh bells. He kept his clouded blue eyes turned away fromJack's.
Jack slipped her arm through his and pressed it affectionately.
"Never you mind, Jim, I didn't mean to be doleful," Jack persisted. "I'mnot a bit, really. Olive is all right, and you've seen that thatwretched Josef and old Laska have been sent away, so they can't annoyher any more. And I think it's perfectly great that we are going to havesuch a lovely Christmas to-night as we have hardly ever had before!Suppose it is our last one at the Lodge, we will have it to remember!But, Mr. Colter," Jack danced away from Jim and made him a mock curtsy,"you may kindly observe that I haven't begun to pack up the furniture atthe Lodge just yet. We never say die, do we, Jim? I think I will havethat motto engraved on a coat of arms for Rainbow Ranch."
Jim nodded approvingly. "It's a pretty good sentiment, Jack," he agreed,as he started toward the door. "I must be off now, but I'll be backto-night, promptly at seven, for the festivities."
But Jack clung to him. "See here, Jim, you can't go so soon. You haven'tsaid hello to Cousin Ruth or showed her the tree. You know you want tosee her. She has had a bad cold ever since the night we found Olive andit is only polite that you should tell her you are glad she is well."Jack's tones were perfectly serious and her expression as innocent as ababy's.
Jim flushed a little angrily. "No. I don't want to see her, at least notparticularly. Why should I?" Jim demanded awkwardly. "That is,--"
Ruth was standing at the living-room door with her arms full ofmysterious packages. She laughed and came into the room, glad that Jimlooked as awkward as she felt on the day of her first horseback ridewith him.
When Ruth was putting down her packages Jack winked solemnly at Jim, andin return for his irritated glance at her, she slipped quietly out ofthe room.
All the way down the hall Jack was smiling to herself. "Wouldn't it betoo funny if old Jim should fall in love with Cousin Ruth?" shethought. "Goodness knows why he is so touchy about her! She has beenawfully nice to him, since he taught her to ride horseback, but thefriendlier she is, the queerer he behaves.
'Oh, young Lochinvar has come out of the west, Of all the wide world, his steed is the best,'"
Jack quoted, apropos of nothing, as she joined the other girls in Ruth'sbedroom.
Olive, Jean and Frieda were working industriously. Over in the cornerthere was a little mound that looked like a pile of snow but was onlythe strings of popcorn for the Christmas tree. Jean was fashioning animmense silver star. Olive and Frieda were filling boxes of white paper,decorated with the initials, "R. G.," with homemade taffy candy andchocolate fudge. The ranch girls had not invited their neighbors totheir Christmas eve party, but the cowboys who worked on their ranchwere coming up to the Lodge to wish them good luck.
Jack dropped down on the floor and deliberately began devouring thefudge from a big China dish. "Don't work too hard, Olive," Jackinsisted, reaching up to pop a piece of candy into Olive's mouth."Remember you are not very strong yet."
Olive only laughed. She was a little paler than when she first came tothe ranch in the early autumn, but her eyes were serene and untroubledand she looked far less timid and shy. Since finding her mother'spicture in the possession of old Laska, Olive felt that she was morelike the other girls and the thought that old Laska had any real claimon her, no longer worried her.
"This isn't very hard work, Jack," Olive replied gaily. "And there isstill a lot for us to do to be ready for to-night. Just think, this willbe the first real Christmas tree I have ever seen!"
"Well, we won't have so much work to do, Olive, if Jack eats all thecandy," Jean remarked severely. "And Jack, perhaps if you would helpFrieda and Olive, instead of talking so much, they wouldn't have such alot to do."
Jack flung a cotton snowball at Jean. "Bear with me, sweet coz," shepleaded cheerfully. "I don't know just why, girls, but I feel so kind ofhappy to-day, that I suppose I am silly. I believe all the clouds havepassed over our benighted heads and the Rainbow Arch of Promise is justover the Lodge."
Jean pointed scornfully to the winter landscape outside the window.
"It looks rather like we might have a rainbow after the summer shower:don't you think so, Olive?" she inquired. But she bent over and crownedJack with a wreath of silver tinsel and went on with her work, smilingas though she had more faith in Jack's prediction than she cared toconfess.
"Ah, Jean," Jack went on, "don't you know there is a legend thatsomewhere there is a wonderful land where all the rainbows that haveever been or ever will be, drift to and fro, like beautiful coloredflowers? Perhaps one of these rainbows will find us to-night in spite ofthe weather." Jack's face softened at her own pretty fancy.
All day the girls worked and whispered and laughed. Ruth and Jean andJack decorated the great Christmas tree. The gifts were piled up underthe tree, for nothing was to be allowed to mar the perfect whiteness ofits decorations. Only Ruth's presents were to be given just beforesupper time. She insisted that this was absolutely necessary, or elsethey would lose half their value.
When Jack came into her room at about five o'clock to get ready for theevening, she saw what Ruth had meant. Lying on the foot of her bed wasthe prettiest dress Jack had ever owned in her life. It was very simple,of a soft white material like crepe, with a lovely band of silverembroidery about the low, square neck and around the waist and skirt.Jean was busy in the kitchen. But Jack saw that her dress was ofdelicate, pink cashmere, the color Jean most loved.
Jack slipped into her costume very quickly and stole softly into thegreat closed living-room, thinking she would find Ruth there. She had noidea how beautiful she looked.
The room was empty. The pine tree stood in one corner, lifting its noblegreen branches hung in dim festoons and covered with myriads of smallwhite candles. It was quite dark. Only the fire, that never went out allwinter long at the Lodge, flickered and danced and threw fantasticshadows over the girl who was standing near the Christmas tree.
Jack's eyes were misty as she gazed about her. Her loves were not sovery many, but they were deep and strong. She cared for the old ranchhouse more than most girls would for a fairy palace.
Suddenly Jack heard a stamping on the porch just outside the front doorand Shep's quick bark. She ran swiftly to open it. She supposed Jim hadcome up to the house earlier than he had promised. But it was dark andthe glare of the snow for a moment blinded her.
Frank Kent held out his hand. "May I come in, Miss Ralston?" he asked."I know it's late, but I have tramped all the way over here and it'staken a long time. I want to tell you something and I want to saygood-bye."
Jack hurried Frank in near the fire. He had been to the Lodge once sinceOlive was found, but the girls had not seen or heard of him in severaldays.
Jack lit the candles on the mantelpiece and then turned to smile at herguest. Frank stared at her boyishly and then: "Gee, Miss Ralston," heexclaimed. "If you don't mind my saying it, you look perfectly ripping!"
But Jack was regarding Frank anxiously. He had a deep and ratherunbecoming bruise over one eye and the other side of his face wassomewhat swollen.
"What on earth is the matter with you, Frank, Mr. Kent, I mean?" Jackdemanded. "You look like you had been in a fight." And Jack laughed atthe thought of so well-bred a fellow as Frank Kent engaging in such asmall-boy occupation.
"I have. That is what I came over to tell you about." Frank replied."That is, I didn't come to tell you about the fight, but of somethingthat led to it. I shall not go back to the Norton ranch again. I amthrough with those people forever." Frank dropped into a chair whichJack drew forward. "You see, Miss Ralston, it's like this. I have beenknowing for some time that Dan Norton, Jr., was a cad, and I have had agood many scores to settle with him. But I didn't know that he and hisfather were thieves until to-day. I happened to be in the room next Mr.Norton's study, when I heard Dan and the old man talking about yourranch. I don't say I actually hurried away, but I wasn't going toeav
esdrop. Just as I started to clear out, however, I overheard Mr.Norton say: 'Well, we've fixed them good and plenty, haven't we, Dan,Jr. Rainbow Ranch is the same as ours! I tell you might is right in thiscountry, my lad.' I kind of stopped then, Miss Jack," Frank added. "Ididn't exactly like the sound of what Mr. Norton said."
Jack had come close to Frank, but her hands were clasped behind her tohide her impatience. "Do go on, please," she urged breathlessly.
"Then Dan answered: 'You are sure right, Father. We are going to provethat Rainbow Ranch belongs to us a whole lot easier than if it reallydid.' I heard just exactly those words. Miss Ralston," Frank remarked,quietly. "And I am ready to swear to them in any court of law."
"Oh-h," Jack bit her lips to hide their trembling and a hot colorflooded her face. "What did you hear next?" she pleaded. "Do go on."
"I didn't hear anything more," Frank answered. "I marched into theirstudy and told Mr. Norton and Dan exactly what I thought of them. ThenDan and I got to using some language and we rather broke up thefurniture for a while. Of course I can't stay in the house of a man whomI know to be a rogue. But will you tell your overseer, Mr. Colter, thatI won't get too far out of this neighborhood to appear when your suitabout the ownership of Rainbow Ranch comes into court." Frank lookedaround for his hat. "I hope you will have a very happy Christmas," hesaid. He held himself so erect, with a dignity of grace and breedingsuch as Jack had rarely seen. Before Jack realized what was happening,Frank was out of the room.
For the second time in their acquaintance, she ran after him. This timeshe put her hand on his and fairly dragged him back with her.
"Oh, please, please don't go. You must stay and have Christmas at theLodge with us," Jack entreated. "We have plenty of room and we would solove to have you. Do wait here until I go and find Cousin Ruth, I knowshe will be more apt to persuade you to stay."
Needless to say, Cousin Ruth was successful and at eight o'clock, theranch girls, Cousin Ruth, Frank Kent, Jim Colter, Aunt Ellen, UncleZack, and six bashful cowboys were gathered about the mammoth Christmastree.
Frieda was to light the candles. She looked like a plump little Germanfairy in her new white frock, with her long braids of flaxen hair.
But Frieda could not reach up to the tall candles on the big tree andshe would not allow either Jim or Frank to lift her up.
On the largest chair in the room, Frieda could tiptoe up to almost thetallest row of candles. But just under a little wax figure of the Virginand the Christ Child, Jean had set seven in a circle. These were thetopmost glory of the tree and Frieda's crowning ambition and were theonly candles she could not possibly reach from her chair.
The little Christmas-eve girl slipped onto the floor, and before any ofthe men in the room guessed what she was after, dragged out from thebook shelves an immense old law book, bound in worn brown leather.Frieda started gallantly across the room with it. But it dropped fromher small hands and scattered yellow parchment leaves over the floor.The back of the book ripped off and Frieda held only the leather cover.Out of this, from a kind of inner pocket, a folded sheet of paperfluttered and fell at Frieda's feet.
The company crowded to the rescue. Blonde heads and brown heads bumpedinto each other in picking up the leaves. Frieda started to the firewith the old book cover and the folded paper. She gave them both a tosstoward the flames, but the paper fluttered back to her feet.
Frieda laughed and picked it up again. "This paper won't be burned up,Jack," she exclaimed. "Let's light it in the Christmas candles."
Jack caught Frieda's hand. "May I look at it, dear?" she asked gently.
Frieda consented to have Frank lift her to the row of lights on top oftheir Christmas tree. Jim was talking to Cousin Ruth, Jean wasdistributing boxes of candy, and it was Olive who put her arm aroundJack.
"What is it, dear? What has happened?" she whispered. "Are you glad orsorry over something?" It was no wonder Olive asked. Jack's eyes werestreaming in tears, but under them shone a kind of radiance. Her facewas white one minute and then glowed with a beautiful rose color.
"Oh, I am so happy, happy, Olive!" she cried, throwing her arms aroundOlive and forgetting the rest of the company. "See, we have the mostwonderful Christmas gift. Frieda has found our deed to Rainbow Ranch! Ibelieve somehow that Father sent it to us to-night."
But Jim and Cousin Ruth and everybody in the room had heard Jack.
Jim lifted Jack up in the chair, which Frieda had given up. She wavedher wonderful paper before her friends. The cowboys broke into aprolonged cheer. The girls cried a little, because they couldn't helpit. Jim suddenly looked ten years younger and what he whispered toCousin Ruth, no one ever knew, but she blushed and shook her head.
"Do let's dance or do something, quick!" Jean exclaimed, "or I simplycan't bear it." She ran over to the piano. But at this moment sleighbells sounded outside and a pair of horses could be heard stamping onthe frozen ground. Then another sleigh followed and the wide hall ofRainbow Lodge was quickly crowded with Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, HarryPryor, Laura, who for once looked friendly, and all the neighbors of theranch girls for miles around.
"Villagers all, this frosty tide, Let your doors swing open wide, Though wind may follow and snow beside, Yet draw us in by your fire to bide."
Harry Pryor sang the first verse of the old Christmas carol alone.Before he had finished Jean was playing the air softly on the piano andall the guests joined in the second verse.
"Here we stand in the snow and the sleet, Blowing fingers and stamping feet, Come from far away, you to greet, You by the fire and we in the street, Bidding you joy in the morning."
"How did you know, Aunt Sallie? How could you have come to congratulateus at just the right moment?" Jack inquired with a puzzled frown, as shehelped Mrs. Simpson out of her wraps. "We only found it about a minutebefore."
"Found what?" Mrs. Simpson demanded curiously. But the next instant sheput her comfortable arms about Jack and hugged her with all her might.
"Of course we didn't know you had found your deed to Rainbow Ranch,child," Aunt Sallie exclaimed. "We came over because we were afraid youmight not be happy this Christmas. We wanted you to know that we allmeant to stand by you. I don't think there is anything in this Statethat we have a better right to be proud of than our ranch girls," andAunt Sallie choked a little with mixed emotions.
Jack laughed gaily. "You are a dear, Aunt Sallie," she answeredgratefully. "I don't know why you should be proud of us. But anyhow, itis lots of fun to be a Ranch Girl."
The Ranch Girls Series.
The story of the four Ranch Girls is plainly just beginning. Girls soentirely unlike in temperament and ideals, as Jack, Jean, Olive andFrieda, cannot fail to lead lives that will develop in interest. In thesecond volume in the Ranch Girls Series, which will be entitled, "TheRanch Girls' Pot of Gold," they have even more unusual experiences andadventures and are brought into closer contact with the real life of theWest. It isn't possible to tell exactly what the Ranch Girls will do inthis second book, but it is safe to promise that it will be somethingeven more original and full of delightful opportunity, than running aranch.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Text uses both some one andsomeone.
Page 40, "timew anted" changed to "time wanted" (same time wanted to)
Page 62, "franticall yout" changed to "frantically out" (frantically outthe window)
Page 91, "Pryer" changed to "Pryor" (special friend, Harry Pryor)
Page 178, "creek" changed to "Creek" (Rainbow Creek lay on)
Page 241, "seemes" changed to "seems" (it seems almost foolish)
Page 268, "we" changed to "me" (telling me where this)
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