The Ranch Girls and Their Heart's Desire

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER VI

  JEAN AND RALPH MERRITT

  The marriage between Jean Bruce, the cousin of Frieda and JacquelineRalston and one of the four original Ranch girls, and Ralph Merritt, theyoung engineer of the Rainbow mine, had only taken place after a longand frequently interrupted friendship, since between them there weremany differences of opinion, of taste and of ideals.

  Frankly as a young girl Jean always had cared greatly for wealth, forsocial position and for fashionable people, a viewpoint which had notaltered with the years, as Jean freely announced.

  True that her husband had made a reputation for himself as an expertmining engineer and at different times in a small way had shared in theprofits of the enterprises which his skill and ability had made valuableto the owners. Yet never at any time had Ralph Merritt acquired a largefortune for himself and his family. Notwithstanding his many finetraits of character he suffered from one weakness. In his effort togratify and please his wife now and then he had speculated with Jean'sprivate fortune and with his own, and although never confessing thefact, his speculations more often than not had been unsuccessful.

  In returning to the old Rainbow ranch to spend a few months, Jean andRalph had been glad to say that the opportunity to be reunited for ashort time with their old friends and former associations was not to beresisted. However, there was another motive, if they preferred not tospeak of it. At the time of Jacqueline Kent's homecoming from England tothe ranch after the death of her husband, Jean and Ralph were passingthrough a period of financial stress so that the visit to the big housewith their two little girls would be a relief as well as a pleasure.There was a chance ahead, in which Ralph Merritt thoroughly believed,sure to put him on his feet again. Like most other patriotic Americans,at the outbreak of the war in Europe he had volunteered for serviceoverseas and been captain in a mining corps in France. Returning home,if he were rich in experience, he was poor in worldly goods. There wasnothing unusual in this, but unfortunately Jean and Ralph were notwilling to begin over again by living simply and economically untilRalph could make new business connections. And the fault was actuallymore Jean's than her husband's, although she was not aware of the fact.Nevertheless, among the four Ranch girls, Jean, who loved money morethan any one of them, was the only one without it. Naturally the war andthe high taxes it entailed had decreased the value of the English estatewhich Jacqueline Ralston Kent had inherited from her husband, yet theestate was still large enough for Jack and her son to be entirelycomfortable apart from her own private fortune, due to her share of theoutput of the Rainbow mine, which had been wisely and conservativelyinvested. Moreover, Jack's own tastes were simple and she wished tobring up her son in a simple fashion.

  Captain MacDonnell possessed only a small estate of his own, but Olivehad inherited wealth from the grandmother who had appeared somysteriously in her life during the year spent by "The Ranch Girls atBoarding School." Moreover, Captain MacDonnell and Olive apparentlycared only for each other, for Captain MacDonnell's art, and the effortto forget his injury in the war in his new work and life. The truth wasthat a large part of her fortune Olive had devoted to the establishmentand upkeep of an Indian school not far from the neighborhood of theRainbow ranch. She and her husband preferred to live out of doors in atent in the western country whenever the weather made it possible,partly because of Captain MacDonnell's health and also that he mightconstantly study the western types and scenes which he was painting tothe exclusion of all other subjects.

  Frieda and her husband, Professor Henry Tilford Russell, were not rich;in fact, Professor Russell, having resigned his professorship at theUniversity of Chicago, was at present making no income. Yet his parentswere wealthy and adored Frieda and her little girl, and moreover,Professor Russell was at this time engaging in scientific experimentswhich might bring him fame and fortune or else achieve no result ofimportance. An expert chemist who had made several valuable discoveriesduring the war, Professor Russell believed that he had earned a year'sholiday at the ranch and the opportunity to indulge in one or two ofhis private hobbies. So Jim Colter had offered him one of his smallunused ranch houses in a comparatively isolated spot where the Professorcould conduct his experiments with danger only to himself.

  Frieda worried over this possibility, but in the main allowed herProfessor husband to have his way, having found out that without hiswork he was restless and miserable. There was a new Frieda in herrelation to her husband following their disagreement and reconciliationtold in "The Ranch Girls and Their Great Adventure," and the birth oftheir little girl. Now Frieda seemed to care only for her husband andchild, and had become an almost too punctilious married woman andhousekeeper in that she wished everyone else to conform to her ideas.

  Money problems therefore did not at this time trouble Frieda, whoseinterest was concentrated in her little girl's health and in herhusband's success, not for any possible wealth it might bring them, butthat he might enjoy the honors Frieda felt so sure he deserved. In themeantime she had her own income and knew that at any moment Henry'smother and father were more than anxious to supply any of their wishesor needs.

  So it was a little cruel that Jean, who cared so much for money, was theonly one of the Ranch girls to endure not alone the pinch of a presentpoverty but a painful uncertainty with regard to the future. In fact,during the weeks of the reunion of the Rainbow Ranch Girls, Jean Merritthad been under a good deal more of a strain than the others dreamed,for, except for her few general remarks to Olive and Frieda, she hadmade no mention of her anxieties.

  Ralph Merritt had accompanied his wife and little girls to the ranch andremained with them a few days. Afterwards he had gone away, announcingthat he had important business which must be looked into, but that hemight come back at any time. There was nothing exceptional in this, asRalph's interests had always required that he move about from place toplace, seeing a number of men who oftentimes wished him to look at amine before agreeing to undertake the engineering work in connectionwith it. At present among the interests that called Ralph away was thediscovery of a gold mine concerning which his advice was desired.

  Ralph Merritt was a decided favorite with Jim Colter, the former managerof the Rainbow ranch and one of its present owners. Among the husbandsof the four Ranch girls he always had liked Ralph best. But even he hadnot suspected that Ralph was in any difficulty, since the younger manhad said nothing which might cause one to suspect the fact.

  One day, about a week after the visit from Mrs. Marshall, a note arrivedasking that the former Ranch girls drive over to her home and have teawith her and a few of their neighbors.

  At first Jack insisted upon declining the invitation, saying that shehad not been out of mourning for any length of time and felt a hesitancyin meeting strangers. But Frieda protested, declaring her sister mustaccept or appear unfriendly. Mrs. Marshall had stated that her otherguests would be neighbors, some of whom Jack had known as a girl, andthe others she should learn to know as she contemplated living at theranch. So Jack had yielded as she ordinarily did to Frieda in all smallmatters, in a way trusting Frieda's judgment rather than her own,besides not wishing to appear selfish. Without the subject beingmentioned between them again, Jack understood that her sister wished herto counteract if possible a former unfortunate impression.

  But Jean Merritt's refusal of the invitation was more unexpected andmore determined, as usually Jean welcomed every social opportunity.However, she had a much better excuse to offer than Jack. She announcedthat she had received a letter from her husband saying that he might beexpected to reach the ranch some time during the afternoon chosen byMrs. Marshall, for her tea party and so there was no question but thatJean must not be argued into leaving home if she preferred to remainrather than run the risk of not being able to greet her husband upon hisarrival.

  Apparently in her usual state of mind, Jean helped the other girls todress, talking to Frieda about a number of casual subjects and walkinghalf way toward the lodge to meet Jack, who came up to
the big house alittle earlier than the hour for starting. Senator and Mrs. Marshall'ssummer home was only a few miles away in the direction of the city ofLaramie.

  After the others had gone and Jean was alone in her own room, hernervousness began to reveal itself first in a number of small ways.Restlessly she walked up and down her large and beautiful bedroom, whichhad been especially designed for her as a girl when Rainbow Castle wasbuilt after the discovery of the gold mine and before the marriage ofany one of the four Ranch girls. The room was upholstered in rose,Jean's favorite color, with cretonne hangings of rose and white and alow couch by the window filled with cushions of the same material. Therooms set apart for Frieda, Olive and Jack in the big house were kept asnearly as possible as they had been arranged in the old days and Friedawas at present occupying her own apartment. But Jack had never loved thenew place as she had the Rainbow lodge of the days before their fortune,and moreover preferred her own private establishment. Olive and CaptainMacDonnell chose to enjoy more freedom and seclusion in their tent thanhad they lived with the rest of the family.

  This afternoon Jean for a time made no pretense of sitting down. Whenthe motor had disappeared down the avenue of cottonwood trees shecontinued to walk up and down, now and then glancing out her openwindow. Ralph had written that no one was to attempt making an effort tomeet him, as he was uncertain upon what train he would arrive. He wouldeither find some one to drive him over to the house or else telephone.

  Jean had not dressed since lunch, yet her costume chanced to be a prettybrown skirt and a cream voile blouse, open at the throat and ratherunusually becoming.

  However, in the midst of her restless movement, stopping for an instant,she gazed at herself in the mirror with distinct disfavor.

  "I am afraid I am losing the small claim I once had to good looks," sheannounced to herself with a frown of disapproval. "Certainly I am theleast good looking of the four of us! I wonder if Jack is the beautythese days or Olive? Frieda is pretty, but she has not the air or thedistinction of Jack, or Olive's rare coloring. Oh, well, I suppose Iought not to mind except for Ralph's sake! Yet if Ralph only brings homethe good news I expect him to bring, I know I shall become a moreattractive person! Sometimes I am afraid I have made things harder thanI intended, yet Ralph knew my weakness before we married. He understoodthat I cared more for worldly things than I suppose one should. Oh, atthe time we were engaged perhaps I did seem to care less for them and tothink only of our life together, but one can't always live up to thebest in one. Now I do intend to be more loving and considerate."

  Rapidly Jean began changing her simple costume for an afternoon dress, arose-colored crepe de chine, by no means new, but one which her husbandespecially liked. And as Jean dressed, in spite of the fact that pallorwas usual with her, a warm, cream-colored pallor extraordinarilyattractive with her dark-brown hair and eyes, this afternoon her cheeksflushed to a deep rose. At the same time her eyes turned from the mirrorto the window, hoping she might see her husband driving toward thehouse. Her ears also were listening for the sound of a telephone whichmight announce the fact that Ralph was at the station waiting to be sentfor. She had decided not to drive over to meet him herself, as she wouldprefer to hear the news he must bring when they were alone.

  It could not be possible that the news would be bad news! Jean put thisidea away from her at once. This could not be! Ralph had been so sureof the new gold mine in which he had lately invested almost everythingthey possessed. Perhaps he should not have made the investment beforeexamining the mine himself, yet he had not been able to wait. The ownershad insisted that he must take the same chance along with them or theywould find some one else to make the investment. If the new mine waswhat they hoped and believed, large fortunes would accrue to them all;if not Ralph Merritt must share the fortunes of war.

  The afternoon passed, yet Jean continued to await in vain the appearanceof her husband or the sound of the telephone. Not once did it ringduring the long hours. Four o'clock and then five and still no Ralph."After all, it would have been wiser to have gone with the others toMrs. Marshall's tea, as it would have been far more interesting, and shewould have felt less nervous than waiting alone," Jean concluded.

  Then by and by, woman like, Jean began feeling aggrieved. If Ralph wereunable to return home as he had anticipated why had he not telegraphed?Surely he must appreciate her anxiety!

  Picking up a magazine, Jean dropped down upon the couch by the window,attempting to read. At first she found it impossible to concentrate herattention, but later became fairly interested.

  A quarter of an hour after, her door opening abruptly, Jean looked upwith a quick exclamation.

  "Ralph!"

  "What's the trouble, Jean?" Ralph Merritt demanded with an irritation inhis voice and manner most unusual with him, "I have been trying totelephone the house for the past two hours and finally gave up and havewalked over from the station--three or four miles, isn't it? It feltlike ten. Seems as if some one might have been interested enough toanswer the telephone, especially as I wrote you I'd try to get the housein case I could not find any one to drive me."

  "But, Ralph, the telephone has not rung, I have been listening andexpecting to hear it all afternoon. The connection must be broken. Yetwhat does it matter, now you are at home? What is the news?"

  "Matter is that I am dead tired," Ralph Merritt answered, flinginghimself down upon the couch Jean had just vacated. His shoes werecovered with dust, his face and hands were soiled, his clothes rumpled.In a flash Jean thought of the Ralph who had returned to the ranch inthis same condition a number of years before and of their interviewtogether on the porch of the Rainbow lodge. Ralph had promised her thennever to speculate again, never to risk his hard earned money in agamble, which is all that speculation is. Then Jean put the memoryquickly away from her, as there could be no reason to recall it uponthis occasion.

  She was standing looking down upon her husband.

  "Tell me quickly, Ralph, things are all right; they must be," sheargued, her voice hoarse, her eyes having a peculiar hard brightnessunlike their usual velvety softness.

  "Think I would not already have told you, Jean, if they were?" RalphMerritt answered. "Suppose I would have spoken first of being tired,although I am tired straight through, if things had worked out as wehoped? The new mine is not worth the money it has required to buy themachinery. It is my fault. I should have known better and taken moretime to consider and investigate. I was suffering from the same troublethat's taken hold of a good many young American fellows these days,trying to get rich in too great a hurry. I am sorry, chiefly for yoursake, Jean dear, and the little girls, but more for you because thelittle girls won't mind seriously. I'll be able to make a living allright, but for a while I'm afraid not a big one, and these are hardtimes to make money go very far. I have an offer to go into New Mexicoand look over another mine, and if it's any good I am to have the job ofengineer."

  Ralph was now sitting up, his look of fatigue and discouragement alittle less apparent as he continued to talk. He was a splendid lookingyoung fellow, a typical American with a fine, clear-cut face, a strongnose and a sensitive mouth. The eyes he turned toward Jean were wistfulat this moment.

  But Jean was white with disappointment and anger.

  "The old story with you, Ralph, always something in the future, nothingfor the present. I trust you are not expecting the little girls and meto go with you on your wild goose chase into New Mexico. I suppose whenI tell Jim Colter and Jack that we have not a cent to live upon, theywill allow us to remain at the ranch for a time anyhow. If I were onlyas clever as Jack perhaps I might be able to support the family withoutyour help. I have little faith left in you."