CHAPTER VI
WHEN LOVE WAS YOUNG
Justin shot up into a tall youth; he was beginning to feel that he wasalmost a man; and love had come to him, as naturally and simply as thebud changes into the flower. It flushed his face, as he came with LucyDavison up the path to the arbor seat in the cottonwoods, after astroll by the stream. Planted when the ranch was established, thetrees were now a cool and screening grove. Justin had made for her acrown of the cottonwood leaves, and had set it on her brown hair. Asthey walked along, hand in hand, he looked at her now and then, withthe light of young love in his eyes. He was sure he had never seen agirl so beautiful and it gave him a strange and delightful pleasurejust to look at her.
"Tell me more about Doctor Clayton," she said, dropping down upon thearbor seat. "You told me about that scorched photograph. What is thatwoman to him, anyway?"
"I don't know," he said, as he sat down by her.
"I think she must have been his sweetheart."
"Just because he couldn't burn her picture?"
"Because he came down here in that queer way and has stayed here eversince. Something happened to separate them."
"If that is so I ought to be sorry, I suppose, but I can't; it was agood thing for me; it kept me here, and gave me a chance to--get aneducation."
"And we do need a doctor here," she said, with unnecessary emphasis.
"If he hadn't come, I'm afraid I should have been sent away when Mr.Wingate died, and then I shouldn't ever have--met you."
"Oh, you might have!" she declared, tossing her crowned headcoquettishly.
She crumpled a cottonwood leaf in her fingers. With a boldness thatgripped his throat he slipped his hand along the back of the arborseat.
"And if--if I had never met you?"
"Then you wouldn't have known me!"
"No, I suppose not; but, as you said, I might have; it seems to methat something would have drawn me to you, wherever you were."
The hot color dyed her fair cheeks. Her brown eyes dropped and wereveiled by their dark lashes. A strand of the brown hair blown in atangle across the oval of her face, the delicate curve of the whitethroat, the yielding touch of her body as he pressed his extended armclose up against it, intoxicated his youthful senses.
"I don't want to think how it would have been if I had never knownyou," he declared earnestly. "We have been good friends a long time,Lucy."
"We're good friends now, aren't we?"
"Yes, but I want it to be something more than just friends."
He pressed his arm closer about her and bent toward her.
"I hope you won't mind my saying it; but I do love you, and havefrom--from the very first. I didn't understand so well what it meantthen, but now I know--I know that I love you, and love you, and loveyou!" The arm tightened still more. "And--and if you would only saythat you love me, too, and that--"
She lifted her face to his. A dash of tears shone in the brown eyes.
"I--I have--hurt your feelings!"
"No, Justin."
The sight of those tears, and her tremulous lips, so moved him that,with an impulsive motion, and a courage he would not have thoughtpossible, he stooped and kissed her.
"If you would only say that you do love me," he urged.
"I do love you, Justin," she said, with girlish earnestness, "and youought to know that I do."
"I have always dreamed of this," he declared, putting both arms abouther and drawing her close against his heart. "I have always dreamed ofthis; that we might love each other, and be always together. I thinkthat has been in my heart since the day I first saw you."
He held her tightly now, as if thus he would keep her near himforever.
"Have you truly loved me always?" she asked, after a long silence.
"Always; ever since I knew you!"
"But you--you did care for Mary, before I came?"
"I always liked Mary."
"And you like her now?"
"Yes, but I love you; and that is very different."
She sat quite still, but picked at the leaf of the cotton wood. Heseemed so strong and so masterful that the touch of his hands and thepressure of his arms gave her a delightful sense of weakness anddependence, a hitherto unknown feeling.
"You never cared for Mary as--as you do me?"
"I truly never loved Mary at all; I liked her, and we used to havegreat fun together. But we were only children then, you know!"
She saw one of the hands that enfolded her; the sleeve of his coat wasdrawn up slightly, disclosing the clear white of the skin and the deepline of tan at the wrist. She ventured to look at his face--the sideof it turned toward her; it was as tanned as his hand. Something morethan admiration shone in her brown eyes.
"And now you think you are a big man!"
"I am older," he said, simply.
"And was that--that the reason why you tamed my mustang that day, sothat he wouldn't be killed? Because you loved me? I've wondered aboutthat."
"That was the reason; but I was anxious, too, to save him."
She was silent again, as if pondering this.
"I've thought that might be the reason; and, you won't laugh at me ifI tell you, that's why I've ridden him so much since. Uncle Philipdidn't want me to go near him after that. But I would; and I've riddenhim ever since; though Pearl has told me a dozen times that he wouldthrow me and kill me. But I was going to ride him if I could,because--because you conquered him--for me."
He kissed her again, softly.
"You musn't take too many risks with the mustang; for--for some time,you know, you are going to marry me, I hope?"
She did not answer.
"It's a long way off, that some time, but--"
She did not look at him.
"Yes, some time, if I can," she said timidly.
"If you can?"
"If Uncle Philip will let me."
"He's only your guardian, and you'll be of age by and by."
"It seems a good while yet."
"But it will come."
"Yes, it will come."
"I'll wait until that some time," he promised in a low voice.
Time sped swiftly beneath the cottonwoods. To the boy and girl in themorning glow of love hours are minutes. They did not know they had somany things to talk over. Every subject was colored with a new lightand had a new relationship. But love itself was uppermost, on theirlips and in their hearts.
Justin bore away from that arbor seat a conflicting sense ofexaltation and unworthiness. The warm inner light that illumined himflowed out upon the world and brightened it. He walked with a sense ofbuoyancy. There was a tang in the air and a glow in the sky beforeunknown.
Meeting Ben Davison he had a new sense of comradeship with him; andthough Ben talked of the young English setter he had recentlypurchased, and sought to show off the good points of the dog, Justinwas thinking of Ben himself, who was a cousin to Lucy, and now sharedin some degree her superior merits.
Also, when Philip Davison came out of the ranch house and walkedtoward the horse corrals, the glance of his blue eyes seemed brighterand kindlier, his manner more urbane and noble, and the simple orderhe gave to Ben concerning work to be done fell in kindlier tone.Though Davison's words bit like acid sometimes, Justin was resolvednow to remember always that he was Lucy's uncle and guardian.
Walking homeward, Justin looked now and then at the ranch house. Hehad seen Lucy flutter into it like a bird; she was in that house now,he reflected, brightening it with her presence. The house, thegrounds, and more than all the cottonwood grove, became sacred.
Justin Wingate, Ranchman Page 6