Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party

  CHAPTER XIX

  BLUE BONNET'S BIRTHDAY

  "SIXTEEN to-day!" was Blue Bonnet's first thought as she opened hereyes next morning.

  Could it be only a year since her last birthday? Less than a yearsince she had first seen Grandmother? Why, it seemed now as if shemust have known Grandmother and Aunt Lucinda all her life! She triedto remember how she used to feel before she ever left the ranch;before she had ever seen Woodford, or the We are Sevens, or--but thelist seemed interminable; she gave up trying to recall how the BlueBonnet of that careless time had thought and felt and spent her days.

  Was every year to bring as many new experiences, as many new facesinto her life? Surely not if she stayed on the ranch, and if shewent-- But Uncle Cliff had said that question was to be banished forthis day.

  Rising and dressing noiselessly, she stole out of the nursery for oneof her usual early morning romps. Being sixteen should not rob her ofthe right to be a child at this hour of the day!

  "Wish me many happy returns, Solomon!" she cried as the dogs raced toher across the yard. "Don, this is the fifth occasion of this sortyou've attended,--you're getting on in years, too. Come on, I'll raceyou to the fence!"

  Uncle Cliff watched her from the pasture, a chuckle of satisfactionescaping him at this evidence of untamed tomboyism. He met her as shecame up flushed and breathless.

  "Getting mighty dignified since you turned sixteen, aren't you?"

  Her laughing face peered at him over the rough old logs. "Not so you'dnotice it!"

  "I reckon I ought to thump you sixteen times and one to grow on. Butthat would make it necessary to climb the fence. How would you likekisses instead?"

  "Give me the big one to grow on, anyway." She held up her lips. "Andnow I must run in to Grandmother,--she must have the next."

  She found the Senora waiting for her in the living-room.

  "I'm so glad you're alone, Grandmother. I wanted you all to myself fora minute or two." She went straight into the arms Grandmother held outto her, was folded close for a moment and received a second kiss "togrow on."

  "IT WAS AN EXQUISITE MINIATURE, PAINTED ON IVORY."]

  "While we're alone I want to tell you something," Blue Bonnet saidearnestly, "--about this last year, I mean. I never have said justwhat I've felt. It has been the best of all years, Grandmother, andthe best of all the good things it has brought me--is you."

  "Thank you, dear. And you must know, Blue Bonnet, without my tellingyou how great a comfort you are to me."

  "Truly, Grandmother,--a comfort?"

  "Beyond words, dear." And Grandmother gave her another kiss to growon. "And now, Blue Bonnet, here is something for your birthday."

  Blue Bonnet took the dainty package and unwrapped it with fingers thattrembled a little. Within the paper was a box, and inside that,looking out from a frame of dull Roman gold, was her mother's face. Itwas an exquisite miniature, painted on ivory. The rose-tints of theflesh and the deep tender blue of the eyes that smiled up at her, madethe portrait seem a living thing. Blue Bonnet could not speak. Shegazed and gazed at the dear features until her eyes blurred and shehad to put up her hand to brush the tears away.

  "Oh, Grandmother--!" Her lip quivered and she could say no more.

  But Grandmother understood.

  "Your aunt had it done from a photograph while she was in Rome. Thepainter was a Boston woman--an old friend of ours who knew yourmother, Blue Bonnet. That is why the coloring is so true. The eyes areyour eyes--can't you see, dear?"

  "Am I truly like her?"

  "So like, Blue Bonnet, that sometimes it seems as if Elizabeth hadnever left me."

  "I'm glad, Grandmother. Oh, how I shall treasure this! How can I everthank you and Aunt Lucinda? There come the others,--I think I won'tshow them this just now. I'd rather let them see it one at a time.Somehow a crowd--"

  "I understand, Blue Bonnet."

  It was well that she and her grandmother had made the most of thatquiet five minutes before breakfast; for it was the last peacefulmoment that day.

  As all the gay party trooped into the dining-room with its long tablelooking like a real banquet board, a big floral decoration was thefirst thing to greet all eyes. A long low basket of closely wovenfibres formed a centrepiece, and inside it, growing so densely thatonly a vivid mass of blue showed above the brim, were blue bonnets inbloom.

  "How sweet! Where did they come from?" Blue Bonnet demanded, lookingfrom face to face.

  "There's a card on the handle," some one suggested.

  Blue Bonnet bent and read: "Blue Bonnet's namesakes wish her manyhappy returns of the day." Looking up she caught Alec's eye. "You?"she asked.

  "Guilty!" he confessed.

  "You clever boy! You couldn't have given me anything I should love asmuch. How did you ever do it?"

  "Easy enough. Planted the seeds and took care of them,--had a badscare for fear they wouldn't bloom in time. I've had them back ofMarta's cabin and she's been sitting up nights with them!"

  They all crowded about the table for a closer view.

  "I'm so glad we can see some blue bonnets before leaving. That's beenthe one thing necessary to complete Texas!" exclaimed Kitty.

  "Sure you don't mean ivy?" asked Alec in an undertone.

  She wilted. "Sh! Please don't remind me of that,--I was almost happyagain!"

  "No symptoms yet?" he asked.

  "None--yet. I live in hopes!"

  "Let's wait till after breakfast before we give Blue Bonnet ourgifts," suggested Sarah. "She'll enjoy them more, I think."

  "Not to mention our enjoyment!" laughed Kitty.

  The suggestion was followed, and at the conclusion of the meal, BlueBonnet kept her seat and opened the rest of her packages with the eyesof all the crowd upon her. Very simple were the gifts, as the Woodfordgirls had slender purses; but the love and good will that went withthe presents made up for their lack of material value.

  From Kitty there was a dainty sewing apron of muslin, with pretty bluebows on the pockets; from Amanda, a fancy-work bag, and from Debby acomplicated needlecase. A silver thimble from Susy and Ruth completedthese very feminine accessories.

  Alec's eyes twinkled as Blue Bonnet tried the thimble on her slenderfinger-tip. "If you're not a model of industry after this, BlueBonnet, it will prove you're rather slow at taking a hint!"

  The girls joined heartily in the laugh against them, though theyprofessed entire innocence of any such intention as Alec implied.

  Sarah's gift provoked a chorus of exclamations. From the finedrawn-work, the hand-made tucks, to the tiny irreproachablebuttonholes, the waist was a triumph of the needlewoman's art.

  "It's the prettiest one I ever had!" Blue Bonnet declared. She wouldhave liked to jump up and kiss Sarah, the dear old thing! But witheight boys looking on, such a demonstration might appear done foreffect, she concluded; and so reserved that mark of affection for afuture occasion.

  When the girls had presented their offerings, Knight came up anddropped a paper parcel into her lap. On the card tied to the blueribbon that decorated it was written: "To the Good Samaritan from theOne Who Fell by the Wayside." There was a laugh in Knight's eyes as hewatched her read the inscription and then unwrap the tissue-paperthat enclosed the object.

  Blue Bonnet lifted the lid of the long narrow box, took one look, andmet Knight's eyes with an answering laugh in her own. Inside the boxwas a shimmering red silk sash. Knight had kept his promise to himselfto buy Blue Bonnet the "fanciest thing in the sash line that Chicagocould boast"--even though it had taken the last penny of his pocketmoney.

  "It's a beauty!" she declared.

  "Knight must expect another spill to-day," laughed Alec.

  Blue Bonnet looked about the circle with a bright, quick glance. "I'mnot going to try to say 'thank you' to everybody,--those two wordswould be quite worn out by the time I finished!"

  "Come along, everybody," said Uncle Cliff, "it's time for thefestivities to begin."

  As they left the dini
ng-room, Carita slipped her arm about Blue Bonnetand whispered regretfully: "I wish I had a present for you. I didn'tknow in time or I could have made something."

  Blue Bonnet gave her an impulsive squeeze. "Why, Carita, you're abirthday present yourself!"

  Blue Bonnet's promise to Ruth in regard to the steer-roping contest,proved almost literally true. This was the great feature of the day tothe Mexicans, and their delight in the sport knew no bounds. Theymade a brilliant picture as they stood or squatted about the corralgate, the women in their bright yellow, red and purple calicoes; andthe men in their tight trousers, serapes rainbow hued, gay sashes andenormous peaked hats. The scene was full of life, color and motion.

  Ruth's thin cheeks grew pink with excitement. "What's going to happenfirst?" she asked Blue Bonnet.

  "You see those steers inside the gate? Well, Pancho will drive one outand while it is running like mad, Josef--he has the first turn--willlasso, throw it, and tie its feet together with that short rope hehas. Then, one after another, the rest of the cowboys will do the samething, and the one that does it in the shortest time will get theprize and be declared champion of the Blue Bonnet ranch."

  "The world's record is thirty-seven seconds," Knight added, "but ithas to be a hustler who can do it under a minute."

  "Look--there comes one now!" screamed Kitty.

  The contest was swift, breathless and soon over. The corral gate wasopened and through it driven a steer. Outside, mounted on a swiftcow-pony rode Josef, awaiting the signal to start in pursuit. On camethe steer with long frightened leaps, after him the vaquero withlariat whirling around his head. Suddenly the rope whistled, hissedthrough the air, dropped and coiled about the steer's front feet. Aquick movement on the part of both rider and horse; the lariattightened, and the steer pitched on to its side. Josef leaped from hispony, bent over his victim, and, in far less time than it takes totell it, had tied three of the kicking hoofs together. The cowboyrose, grinning, amid the cheers of the delighted audience; andremounting his horse, coolly rolled a cigarette.

  "Sixty-three seconds," said Knight, who was time-keeper.

  One after another the cowboys took their turns, and every fraction ofa second shaved from Josef's record, sent the Mexicans wild withexcitement. It was Lupe who was finally declared champion, andreceived from Blue Bonnet's hands the silver-braided Mexican sombrerothat was the prize.

  "I wonder why Miguel didn't try," Blue Bonnet remarked, as Lupe walkedproudly away with his trophy. "He's always been able to beat Lupe."

  "I asked Pancho where Miguel was," said Alec, "and he said no one hadseen him to-day. Maybe Juanita objects to steer-roping!" They smiledwith a secret understanding.

  "How do you like the sport?" Blue Bonnet asked, turning to Ruth.

  "It's exciting,--but isn't it cruel, Blue Bonnet?"

  "I reckon the steer thinks so," Blue Bonnet confessed. "But thecowboys have to practise, you know, for at the round-up that's the waythey have to throw the calves to brand them."

  "Then I don't want to see a round-up!" Ruth declared.

  Next came races in the pasture, and in these the girls and boys werethe contestants. Blue ribbons were the awards pinned on the winners byBlue Bonnet herself, and the rivalry for them was intense. Leaningagainst the pasture fence which formed the "grandstand" General Trent,Uncle Cliff, Uncle Joe, Mrs. Clyde, Susy, Ruth and Blue Bonnet watchedand applauded; while the Mexicans, squatting about in characteristicattitudes, chattered and laughed like a lot of children.

  As Sarah swept by on Comanche to take her place at the starting-line,Ruth and Susy turned amazed and questioning eyes on Blue Bonnet. Shelaughed at their expressions of wonder.

  "Keep your eye on Sarah!" she bade them. "Comanche is one of theswiftest horses on the ranch, and he and our Sallykins are on the bestof terms."

  To Blue Bonnet's secret delight Sarah won the first race. As shepinned the blue ribbon to the winner's middy blouse, her own facebeamed the triumph that Sarah was too modest to betray.

  "Aren't you going in for any others?" Ruth asked, as Sarah returnedon foot and dropped on the blanket beside her.

  "No, I only rode in that race to keep the girls from calling me'fraid-cat.' I'm sure Father wouldn't approve of horse-racing."

  Ruth laughed. "You are the same old Sarah! I was beginning to believethat the Blue Bonnet ranch had bewitched you."

  "Don't say 'bewitched,'" Blue Bonnet interrupted, "locoed is the wordwe use in Texas."

  The birthday dinner, served early as was the custom at the ranch, wasthe most animated of feasts, of which the birthday-cake with itssixteen blazing candles was the grand climax. It was fat Lisa herselfwho waddled in and deposited her masterpiece in front of the Senorita,and then lingered to see how it looked after cutting.

  "It's divine, Lisa,--a complete success!" Blue Bonnet cried, and thecook grinned delightedly. As Lisa turned to leave the room, BlueBonnet detained her to whisper--"Why is Benita waiting on tablealone?--where's Juanita?"

  "Who knows?" returned Lisa with a shrug of her massive shoulders."That _nina_ is run off and Gertrudis means to thrash her."

  "Oh, Lisa, she mustn't!" Blue Bonnet said in genuine distress. "TellGertrudis I'll come out and see her after dinner."

  She found Gertrudis slamming about the dishes in a most recklessfashion and muttering to herself angrily. To Blue Bonnet's plea inbehalf of the absent Juanita she returned only stormy answers.

  "No, Senorita, she is spoiled for lack of thrashing. Run off on theSenorita's birthday! With a horde to wait on! And enough work forfifty lazy things like herself!"

  No, Juanita should be thrashed if ever she could lay hands on her.Blue Bonnet could not sway her from her purpose, and finally gave uparguing and left the kitchen, vowing mentally to prevent the angry oldwoman from carrying out her threat. But in the excitement of theevening's festivities, she forgot all about it.

  What an evening it was! Not one of the boys and girls lucky enough tobe there would ever forget the scene. The broad verandas on which halfthe furniture of the house had been brought to form cosy-corners andlounging places; the soft gleam of Chinese lanterns strung among thetrees; the music of Shady's violin, augmented by a flute and cellofrom Jonah, to which they danced on the croquet-ground; and everywherethe We are Sevens, stately in trains and hair dressed high, trippingand laughing and flirting their fans in the manner fondly believed tobe that of high-born Spanish dames.

  Susy and Ruth had obligingly crammed their trunks with the attictreasures of the various Woodford families, and the costumes, whilenot strictly Spanish, were quite gorgeous and "partified" enough tosatisfy these finery-loving young folk. Among them they had managed tofit out Carita too, and she, in a yellow gown with velvetygold-of-Ophir roses in the dusky coils of her hair, looked like a realmaid of Andalusia. Blue Bonnet, in her red satin gown, which had notseen the light since the night it had been worn for the benefit of theBoston relatives, was a picture.

  Alec came up to her in the middle of the evening and made a low bow."Senorita Blue Bonnetta, you look charming to-night, but it strikes meyou're carrying things with a high hand. Why, among all your humblesubjects, am I not favored with a dance or promenade? You've beenengaged three deep every time I've asked you."

  For a minute Blue Bonnet toyed with her fan without speaking. She hadpurposely avoided Alec for a reason she considered good andsufficient. There was an explanation due her from him, and that also,she was resolved, should be "good and sufficient" or she would notaccept it. And it seemed best, if there was to be any clash betweenthem, that it should not come on her birthday. She would not easilyforgive him for urging her to write that letter to the General.

  As she hesitated and a surprised look crept into Alec's eyes, therecame a great outcry from the direction of Marta's cabin,--shouts,cheers and bursts of laughter.

  "The Mexicans must be doing stunts,--let's go and see," Alecsuggested.

  Gathering up her train Blue Bonnet hurried with him to the Mexicanquarters, where the nois
y crowd had assembled. Half way there they metGertrudis, also headed for the scene of merriment.

  "It's that Juanita, they say," she cried, "come back after all thework's done!" Her swarthy face was dark with anger; in her hand was awillow switch.

  "Hurry!" cried Blue Bonnet. "Let's get there first, Alec,--she meansto thrash Juanita!"

  Running and tripping on her long dress Blue Bonnet reached the groupand at her appearance the Mexicans burst into renewed cheering.

  "The Senorita!" they cried and parted to make room for her.

  "What is it--what's all the noise about?" asked Alec.

  But, as the circle parted, revealing a tableau in the centre, he andBlue Bonnet needed no explanation. Standing hand in hand, in attitudesexpressing both embarrassment and triumph, were--Miguel and Juanita.

  "Ran off to Jonah and got married!" chuckled Pinto Pete.

  Blue Bonnet and Alec gazed at each other in stupefaction for a second,then Blue Bonnet glanced hastily about for Gertrudis. The change inthe old woman was instantaneous. She turned to Blue Bonnet with agrin.

  "That Miguel makes good wages!" she cried. The anger had faded fromher face, and instead of the switch, Juanita received her blessing.

  "What a mercenary old thing Gertrudis is!" exclaimed Blue Bonnet, as,after congratulating the happy pair, she and Alec walked back to thehouse.

  "She's a sensible woman," Alec remarked provokingly. "Most of theMexicans are lazy old loafers,--but Miguel has a streak of realAmerican industry."

  "Well," said Blue Bonnet, "I little expected my birthday party to beturned into a wedding!"

  When the last candle had been blown out and all was quiet except forthe echo of music and laughter from the Mexican quarters, where thewedding festivities were continued almost till dawn, Blue Bonnetslipped into her grandmother's room for a last word before retiring.

  "The sixteenth has been the best birthday of all," she said happily."Are you quite tired out, Grandmother?"

  And Mrs. Clyde, bending to kiss the glowing face upturned to her,replied: "No, dear. It has been a beautiful party. But I'm glad forall our sakes that Blue Bonnet Ashe has but one birthday a year!"