CHAPTER XV
AN UNFORTUNATE DISCUSSION
"BUT why won't either Jean or Frieda come with us?" Olive asked a weekafter the unfortunate accident at the Rainbow Mine. With a surprise thatshe did not pretend to hide Jack Ralston turned to look at her friend.
"I thought I had explained to you, dear," she protested, "that Jean saidshe felt it her duty to write a long letter of sympathy to the PrincessColonna. You see she only heard yesterday of the death of the old Princeand though she does not feel that the Princess will be exactlyinconsolable (he was so much older and they thought so differently aboutmany things), yet of course Jean has to say that she is dreadfully sorryand is there anything she can do and all that. It would not surprise mein the least if the Princess came west and made us a visit. I told Jeanto invite her. She was born in this part of the country and I ratherthink she will be glad to get away from Rome while she is in heavymourning. It is a pity she did not have a son, isn't it? The title willhave to go to her husband's nephew, Giovanni Colonna. You remember heand Jean were such good friends."
But although the two girls were walking along side by side toward thestables back of the Rainbow Lodge, it was plain that Olive Van Mater wasnot listening with any real interest to what her companion was saying.
"Then why won't Frieda ride with us?" she expostulated. "I am sure ithas been ages since we four girls had a long ride together and it is awonderfully beautiful morning. What has become of Frieda latelyanyhow--I almost never see her except at meal times?"
With a laugh Jack Ralston laid her arm lightly across her friend'sshoulder.
"Poor Olive, to have only my poor society! But, dear, we have not hadbut one other ride together, the one that we took to the Indian villagesoon after your arrival. Does it bore you so dreadfully to have only meas a companion? You must not come with me then, simply because I askedyou. I can get one of the boys to ride over the ranch with me; perhapsCarlos would be willing to do that much! I don't know what has happenedto Frieda, but the child is making a perfect martyr of herself. Thatpoor young Professor seems not to wish anyone to do things for himexcept Frieda or Ruth. You know he perfectly hates the sight of the restof us. And as Ruth is so busy with Jimmikins and the house she can'tnurse him a great deal. So he just lies in his room, which is Frieda'sby the way, and moans and groans until Frieda comes to amuse him. Whatdo you think I beheld our baby doing the other day? Reading him somedreadful article on Egyptian Hieroglyphics from a learned magazine. Shehadn't the faintest idea what it was all about and she looked like a bigyellow butterfly imprisoned in a dark place. I am sure I am awfullysorry the erudite young professor had to break his right leg in thedepth of Rainbow Mine and that we have him on our hands for six weeks ormore--almost as sorry as he is I expect. Still I am not going to haveFrieda sacrificing herself to him much longer. I mean to tell hertomorrow that it is quite unnecessary. He is a dreadfully spoiledperson."
"But wouldn't Frank have enjoyed this long ride with you this morning,Jack?" Olive repeated, still refusing to take any interest in what Jackwas saying, but instead clinging obstinately to her own train ofthought. "I am sure Jim would have let Frank off from the trip with himif he had known that you had to take this long ride to hunt up the lostmares and colts."
Jack nodded, but her expression was hurt and puzzled. "Of course Jimwould have let Frank come with me or would have come himself if he hadknown of the trouble. But both Jim and Frank were away before I heard ofthe loss. Besides, it does not make any difference, for I am sure I haveridden over Rainbow Ranch looking up our lost horses and cattle eversince I was fourteen or fifteen years old. But if you think the ride maybe too long for you, please don't come, Olive. I shan't be in the leasthurt if you don't feel like it. Kiss me good-by and go back to theLodge. Ruth will be overjoyed at your return and I'll be perfectly allright with Carlos."
But although Jack Ralston spoke so cheerfully and in such good tempershe was not truthful in pretending that Olive's present attitude was nothurting her feelings. The truth is that she felt that Olive had notbeen exactly the same toward her since Frank Kent's arrival. And if Jackhad needed any further proof to add to her past conviction this wassufficient. Always before, Olive had loved her better than any one else,even more than she did her friend, Miss Winthrop. And Jack was certainthat she had done nothing to make Olive angry or to wound her--sheherself was so utterly unchanged in her own affection.
What a hopeless, horrid puzzle it all was and of all persons was notJacqueline Ralston the most inadequate for straightening it out? She hadno methods but those of frankness. If only she dared ask Olive how sheactually felt.
But Olive would hardly have been able to explain to her, because inthese last few weeks the girl had not understood herself. Before FrankKent's coming to the Rainbow Lodge she had been sure of having entirelyrecovered from her past fancy for him. Had she not fought it all out inthose final weeks in England when she had realized the extent of Frank'sdevotion to Jack and the impossibility of her own position? Andnow--well, whatever turn events might take, Olive felt the fault wouldbe largely Jacqueline's. For why did Jack fail to return Frank'saffection? Why did she continue to treat him with such disregard and yetkeep him lingering on at the ranch? Really Olive wondered if her ownemotion was not now one more of sympathy for Frank and impatience withJack. Surely Frank was too fine a fellow from every point of view to betrifled with. And no one would ever have suspected Jack of being a girlof such a character.
Olive again looked closely into her friend's face and what she saw therefor the moment disarmed her. Of course she was more angry with Jack thanshe had ever dreamed it possible that she could be and yet she had notmeant to wound her over this small question of their having another ridetogether to search for lost stock. Perhaps this very morning Jack mightbe in a humor to confide in her the cause of her mysterious conduct. Shemust have some vital reason, it was so unlike her to be cruel or not toknow her own mind.
"Of course I won't go back to the Lodge," Olive finally protested. "ForI do wish the ride immensely; it was only that I thought it might be apleasure for the others too."
And to this half-hearted apology the other girl made no reply.
A few moments later, having arrived at the beautiful new stables builtwithin the past year at the Rainbow Ranch, Jack and Olive found theirtwo horses already saddled. And a little while after, finding the Indianboy, Carlos, at his own tent door, the three of them mounted and rodeaway.
Now riding with Jacqueline Ralston over their great thousand-acreWyoming ranch to seek for cattle or horses that had gone astray was aptto be fairly strenuous, and no one unaccustomed to riding should everhave thought of attempting it. Yet Olive had done the same thing dozensof times in the years when she had first came to live at Rainbow Ranch,and on starting out this morning had no idea of growing tired before herfriend did.
The first part of their trip was easy enough, for although Jack canteredalong fairly rapidly she made no detours, only keeping a careful lookoutin all possible directions. For she had no thought of finding the lostmares and their young colts anywhere within the immediate neighborhoodof that part of the ranch which was apt to be ridden over oftener thanthe more distant fields. And Carlos had been asked to make the fewnecessary excursions whenever a rise in the landscape or a group oftrees or rocks made a possible hiding place.
But a short time before midday the three riders came to a distant partof Rainbow Creek, where the character of the ranch land changed andwhere there were frequent hummocks and sand hills and great boulderssplit into natural caves and canyons. This part of the creek had noconnection with the Rainbow Mine but was sometimes used in an emergencyas a drinking place for the stock, although the stock was not supposedto wander here without guidance, as there were many ravines anddangerous places where especially the young cattle or colts were apt tobe injured.
Here the riding under Jacqueline's guidance became more difficult andfatiguing. For not only did she leave the ordinary beaten trail, but shema
de her horse pick his way along what appeared an utterly impossibletrack over rocks, in the deep loose sand, now following a partly drycreek bed and occasionally splashing through water so deep that itreached almost to her riding boots. For another hour Olive followed,not realizing her own exhaustion, but wondering why her breath should becoming in such short gasps and why her back should ache in such anunaccountable fashion.
Curiously enough it was Carlos who first discovered Olive's predicament.For the past ten minutes he had been riding as close by her side as waspossible under the conditions, not speaking a single word, but examiningher closely with his small, burning black eyes. And when Olive, withoutbeing conscious of it, turned a shade whiter, even then he did not speakto her but instead rode silently forward until he was opposite Jack.
"All women have not the strength of men!" he began sullenly. The girlstared at him in amazement, not guessing what he meant.
Then Carlos grew angry and his words came faster than usual. "If youthink more of lost animals than of her whom you call friend, it is wellthat you should go on until she falls. Have I not often heard and nowsee with my own eyes that there are squaws who care nothing for theirown sex."
Half rising in her saddle Jacqueline Ralston lifted her riding whip, andalmost before realizing what she was doing she had struck the Indian boysharply across his lean shoulders.
"You are not to speak of American women as squaws, Carlos. How oftenhave Mr. Colter and I told you that you were never to do it? And,moreover, you are to understand that I will not endure yourimpertinence. What has happened to put you in so evil a mood?" Jackasked more quietly now, sorry for her own loss of temper. For sherealized in a small measure just how keenly an Indian feels thedegradation of a blow from an enemy, unless he is able to return it withincreased vengeance. And Jack had no illusion about Carlos' attitudetoward her. He had turned a kind of ashy white under his bronze skin andhis body had quivered once and then become perfectly tense, not from theforce of the blow, which had not cut deeply, but from his own passion.
However, before either the boy or Jack could speak again, Olive hadridden up between them, grieved and frightened over her friend's actionand wondering what could have occurred between them in so short a time.
"Jack dear, what has Carlos done or said?" she demanded quickly. "Itwas not fair of you to strike him, knowing that he could make nodefense."
Instantly Jacqueline Ralston felt her face flushing with a swift rushingof hot blood to her cheeks until her temples pounded and her eyesflashed. Never before in their entire acquaintance had she rememberedbeing really angry with Olive. Yet had she not borne a good deal alreadythat day and for several weeks beforehand in Olive's indifference andcritical air toward her? Now in this trouble she had just had withCarlos, Olive was immediately taking the Indian boy's part without evenasking her for an explanation. Nevertheless a second glance at herfriend's face made her instantly control her own emotion, appreciatingat the same time what Carlos' impertinent speech to her had meant.
"You are tired, Olive. I am so sorry," she replied at once, instead ofanswering the other girl's question. "I did not realize how hard we hadbeen riding, or that you are out of practice after a year in New Yorkwhile the rest of us were here at the ranch. We'll have luncheon andrest and then maybe you'll feel better."
Jack nodded curtly to Carlos to assist Olive in dismounting while sheslid off her own horse without help. Then she put her arm about theother girl, leaving the boy to lead the three horses. In a little whileshe and Olive had found a flat rock shadowed by a cliff from the sun.Here Olive sat down while Jack opened up their luncheon boxes and madethe necessary preparations. But all the time she was reflecting uponwhat she had best do or say to the Indian boy. She was sorry that shehad struck him, although still extremely angry at his manner and speechto her. If Carlos had felt worried over Olive's exhaustion it would havebeen simple enough to have told her in a more polite fashion. The truthwas that she and Jim were both getting extremely tired of the Indianboy's presence on Rainbow Ranch. She would talk over this incident todaywith her guardian and ask him if he felt that she owed Carlos anapology. If he did she would make whatever reparation she could andafter that they would try and find another home for him. But at presentshe was still too annoyed to wish to have the boy near her.
"You can find water for our horses and tie them somewhere not far away,Carlos," Jack ordered, leaving Olive and walking a few yards across thesand to where the boy stood, still sullen and resentful in his manner."Then ride on for another half hour and see if you can find any of thelost mares or colts. When you return we will have lunch saved for you."
And so Jack Ralston temporarily dismissed the difficulty confrontingher. For in any case it was disagreeable to have Carlos staring at themwhile she and Olive ate, and she did not wish him as a companion attheir luncheon.
Carlos' society could hardly have increased the discomfort of theirmeal. For Olive was either too weary or too vexed to wish to talk, andJack in too strange a tumult of feeling.
Then suddenly, as the two girls were sitting there together in the warm,caressing sunshine, hardly more than a few feet apart and yet sunderedby leagues of misunderstanding, it seemed to Jacqueline that she couldno longer endure all that she was suffering for her friend, unless Olivemade some sign that her sacrifice was worth while. For Jack made noeffort to hide from herself, however much she concealed it from otherpeople, that each day of her life she was learning to care more and morefor Frank Kent, for his love and his complete understanding and sympathywith her temperament. She knew that she had many faults, but she alsoknew that Frank was aware of them and forgave them. However, there wasone fault that she did not have and it was not fair that she should bearthe ignominy of it. She would no longer hurt and confuse the man shecared for by her apparent inability to make up her mind.
Jack's full red lips closed more tightly than was usual to them as shelifted her head, showing the firm line of her throat and chin. Then shetook a deep breath, straightening her shoulders and glancing with herwide open, heavily fringed gray eyes directly into the eyes of herfriend.
Olive was more rested, was less pale, but was evidently still as muchestranged from her. And though the conviction had come upon hersuddenly, Jack felt convinced that this was the appointed moment whenshe must wrest the truth from the other girl. She hated herself for herown stupidity in not finding out by more subtle means and scarcely knewnow what she intended to do or say. It was as if she stood on the bankof an icy stream with the shore of truth on the other side, a shorewhich by some method she must reach. Therefore, with JacquelineRalston's disposition, there appeared but one means. Boldly she mustplunge in, no matter what the result.
"Olive dear," Jack began abruptly, not looking at her friend, but at asmall smoke-colored cloud over in the western sky, "I know you are angrywith me about Carlos and I am sorry. He was impertinent, but I don'tsuppose you would think that justifies what I did. But it is not aboutwhat happened just now that I want to talk. You have not felt like youonce did for me for several weeks--not since Frank Kent came to theLodge. Would you mind telling me why?"
To Jack's directness of thought and speech her friend by this timeshould have grown accustomed. And indeed until now Olive had alwaysloved and admired Jack for it. But today she was tired and her headached and this unexpected question had taken her completely by surprise.The girl's dark cheeks flushed richly and her ordinarily gentleexpression changed.
"Jack, you are absurd!" she answered irritably. "What right have youanyhow to consider that my feeling for you has any connection with FrankKent? What does Frank mean to me?"
Now if only Jack had been content with this answer or had possessed someof Jean Bruce's tact and resourcefulness! She had neither. So her grayeyes darkened and her face grew white and unhappy.
"Forgive me, Olive," she murmured, humbly enough for proud,high-tempered Jack, "but that is what I, oh, so much want you to tellme. For sometimes I have thought that perhaps you do like Fr
ank just alittle bit more than an ordinary friend. And if it is true, dear, don'tyou feel that we have been close enough to each other to have you makeme your confidant?"
It was very gently put, after all, and therefore Olive should not havebeen so wounded or so angry. However, and perhaps because there was somuch of truth in the other girl's suggestion, Olive was both hurt andembittered.
"You have not the shadow of a right, Jacqueline Ralston, to say a thinglike that to me," she returned with the passion and protest of a toosensitive nature. "How dare you sit there and calmly suggest to me thatI am in love with Frank Kent when you know perfectly well that he caresfor no one in this world but you. Do you suppose that I have no prideand no self-respect?"
And then, dropping her head in her hands, Olive began crying, hardlyunderstanding her own tears, so much were they a combination of pain andof petulance. For the questions she had just put to Jack were the veryones that she had so often asked herself. And if she had found no answerto them, how could any one else?
But Jack did not attempt making a reply. For a moment she was silent,feeling miserably conscious of the failure she had just made. For hadshe not merely succeeded in mortifying her friend without arriving onebit nearer the truth which she sought?
But by and by Jack laid her hand caressingly on the other girl's darkhair. "Don't cry, Olive please," she begged. "You know what a stupidperson I am and how often Jean and Frieda think I do and say the wrongthing. Here comes Carlos and when he has eaten his lunch you must lethim take you back to the Lodge. You are too tired to ride any fartherand I can manage very well by myself, or else you can send one of thestable boys this way to find me."
Without making a reply Olive continued to sob, only now a little morequietly, and in the meanwhile allowing Jack to make all the arrangementsfor her return home. It was unfortunate perhaps that she also paid solittle attention to the Indian boy, who was sitting within a few yardsof her, pretending to eat. In reality he was either keeping his eyesfixed moodily upon her, or else turning them upon Jacqueline Ralstonwith such an intensity of dislike that had she been aware of it, shemust have been vaguely disturbed.
A little later Olive and Carlos started home together. In farewell Olivesimply nodded her head to Jack, showing no other sign of forgiveness oraffection; but she had only ridden for a comparatively short distancewhen she was as bitterly sorry and as ashamed of herself as Jack hadpreviously been, and at the moment would have liked to turn back. Sherealized that she had been both unreasonable and unkind. What couldhave been the matter with her? Surely her fatigue must have hadsomething to do with it, for people were rarely sensible whenover-tired. Jack had not intended breaking down the barrier of herreserve for no reason but idle curiosity.
Then suddenly Olive's hands tightened on her bridle reins and her blackeyes softened. How unutterably blind she had been for so long! For wasnot Jack's recent question to her the keynote of the whole puzzlingsituation? Jack certainly must fear that she cared more for Frank thanshe should. Would this not perfectly explain her attitude toward himsince the beginning of his love-making? Olive quickly recalled the finalweeks of their visit in England, then Jack's repeated efforts to thrusther into Frank's society and so to evade him herself! Then since JackRalston's return to the ranch had she not resolutely refused to letFrank Kent come to see her until Olive was also at the Lodge?
Sudden and relieving tears rolled down the girl's hot cheeks, which shedid not for the moment attempt wiping away. How like her quixotic Jackto refuse to accept her own happiness at the price of her friend's! Andhow near she, Olive, had come to permitting Jack to sacrifice all threeof them to her mistaken sense of loyalty and love!
Well, tonight Olive intended straightening everything out by answeringthe inquiry to which she had refused to reply to before. For in thelight of her present revelation had she not at last felt a weightlifting itself from her own heart and a clear vision come to her mind?Let her measure her affection for Frank Kent by that which she felt forJacqueline. Why she loved Jack a hundred times better than she evercould Frank! Jack had been her first friend: all that she was she reallyowed to her. If only she did not have to wait an hour longer beforemaking three persons happier than they had been in many weeks!
Half-way around Olive turned her pony's head. But no, she was too tiredto go back to Jack and besides they could have no intimate conversationunder the present circumstances. Moreover, it had been growing muchwarmer in this last half hour, in spite of the fact that every once anda while there were unexpected gusts of wind blowing the sand into herown eyes and her mare's. The truth was that she should never haveconsented to leaving Jack. She should have insisted on her going home atthe same time with them. Ruth and Jim Colter would both be annoyed atthe idea of Jack's riding about the ranch alone, and any one of the menwhom she might send back to look for her would probably be several hoursin searching and perhaps never discover her at all.
For the first time in half an hour Olive Van Mater glanced across at theboy, Carlos. He had not spoken a dozen words to her in the course oftheir trip, so how could she dream that all this while he had beenturning over and over in his mind the bitterness of Jack's insult? Thennot only was his animosity a personal one, but on coming back from theneedless errand upon which he had been driven away, had he not found hisone time Princess in tears and such sorrow that she had not yet ceasedfrom grieving? Her trouble could have but one source. Perhaps MissRalston had even dared wound her in the same way that she had him! Andthen Carlos had clenched his teeth, continuing more rigid and doggedlyquiet than before. For of course he should soon be revenged for both ofthem! The only thing was to wait until his opportunity came.
"Carlos," Olive said unexpectedly. "I am almost back at the Lodge nowand will have no difficulty in going the rest of the way alone. But Iwish you would go and find Miss Ralston. Tell her please to come home atonce, that I want to speak to her about something most important. And Ithink you had better hurry, for I am a little bit afraid that a storm iscoming up."
Possibly Olive had expected a demur. If so she was mistaken, for withoutreplying the boy wheeled his horse and started back in the directionfrom which they had just come.
The Ranch Girls at Home Again Page 16