Sisters

  CHAPTER XXXIV. AN AGREEABLE SURPRISE

  Gwynette went about in a dream. She and Charles had been for a sunrisesail (as Lenora had said that she and her brother had so often been onLake Tahoe) and they had made their plans. Charles was to return to theDakota ranch on scheduled time and work with his father during thesummer, then, in the fall, he would return for his bride.

  "Unless you change your mind and wish to marry someone in your _own_class," he said, as hand in hand they returned to the big house. The girlflushed. "Don't!" she pleaded. Then, "I want to forget how worthless weremy old ideals."

  "And you wouldn't even marry the younger son of a noble English family,in preference to me, I mean, if you knew one and he asked you?" Gwynthought the query a strange one, but looked up, replying with sweetsincerity: "No, Charles, I shall marry no one but _you_." Then shelaughed. "What a queer question that was. A young nobleman is not veryapt to ask _me_ to marry him."

  There was a merry expression on the lad's handsome, wind and sun tannedface as he said: "Wrong there, Gwynette, for one _has_ asked you." Then,when he thought that he had mysterified her sufficiently, he continued:"Did you ever hear it rumored that a pupil of the Granger Place Seminarymight, some day, have the right to the title 'My Lady'?"

  Gwyn flushed. Even yet she did _not_ suspect the truth, and she fearedHarold had told of her humiliation in giving a ball at The Palms in honorof a supposed daughter of nobility whose father proved to be a pigraiser.Rather coldly she said, "I had heard such a rumor, but we all decidedthat it was untrue."

  "But it wasn't. Were my sister in England she would be called 'LadyLenora.' Our uncle died last winter and father is now in possession ofthe family estates and title."

  The girl flushed and tears rushed to her eyes. "Why didn't you tell meall this sooner?" she asked, and the lad replied: "I had two reasons. Onewas that I wished to be loved just for myself, and the other was that Ido not care to marry a snob."

  Then he had bounded away to breakfast with Harold at the cabin and to donhis overalls, for, not one morning had the boys neglected to appear atthe farm, on time, to help Grandpa Si.

  * * * * * * * *

  It was the hour for Gwyn to read to her mother, who was already waitingin the pond-lily garden. The woman, much stronger than she had been, wasamazed to see the joy so plainly depicted on the beautiful face of heradopted daughter. She held out a hand that was as white as the lilies onthe blue surface of the water.

  "Gwynette, dear girl, what _has_ so transformed you?" To the woman'ssurprise, Gwyn dropped down on the low stool and, taking her hand,pressed it close to her cheek. "Mother dear, I am so happy, sowonderfully happy! But I don't deserve it! I have always been so hateful.How could I have won so priceless a treasure as the love of CharlesGale?"

  There were conflicting emotions in the heart of the listener. She had haddreams of Gwynette's coming-out party which they had planned for the nextwinter. Mrs. Poindexter-Jones had often thought over the eligibles forwhom she would angle, after the fashion of mothers with beautifuldaughters, and here the matter had all been settled without her knowledgeand Gwyn was to marry a rancher's son. "Dear," she said tenderly,smoothing the girl's sun-glinted hair, "are you _sure_ that you love him?With your beauty you could have won wealth and position."

  How glowing was the face that was lifted. "Mother, I _chose_ love, andhave won a far higher social pinnacle than _you_ ever dreamed for me."

  When the story had been told Mrs. Poindexter-Jones, notwithstanding herchanged ideals, was nevertheless pleased. She leaned forward and kissedher daughter tenderly. "Dear girl," she said, "I am especially glad that,first of all, you chose love. I did when I married your father, but thegreat mistake I made was continuing to be a snob."

  Gwyn arose. "I shall _not_, Mother, and to prove it, I shall go thisafternoon to call upon the Warners."