The Ranch Girls and Their Heart's Desire

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER X

  A MAIDEN SPEECH

  Nevertheless Jack looked very young, attractive and frightened. Hercolor had vanished, her wide gray eyes held an expression of appeal forpatience and understanding.

  She was dressed in the costume she ordinarily preferred in the evening,a black tulle over black silk, cut with a square neck and with elbowsleeves, and, although of exquisite material, made in a simple fashion.Usually caring little for jewelry, to-night she was wearing a pearl andamethyst star which her husband had given her years before.

  As her glance now swept the audience she beheld the faces she especiallywished _not_ to see, Jim Colter's, her sister Frieda's, and herneighbors, Senator and Mrs. Marshall's. Not far away and staring fixedlyat her was the somewhat grim countenance of her former acquaintance,Peter Stevens.

  Upon Jim Colter's fine, deeply lined face--his coal black hair was nowturning slightly gray--was a look with which Jack had been familiarsince her girlhood. The look said more plainly than words that Jim wasalways there to fight her battles and whether she succeeded or failed,she could count upon him. Frieda's face was set and white and miserable,her blue eyes open to their fullest extent, announcing as plainly as herlips could have stated:

  "Why, why did I ever permit Jack to make such a spectacle of herself?Have I not warned her that she could never make a public speech? Yetafter all, the fault is partly mine, as I should never have allowed herto undertake such a task!"

  It was Frieda's honest conviction that, as she had a great deal morecommon sense than either her sister or husband, it was not only theirduty but their privilege to yield to her judgment in practical matters.

  The expression with which Senator Marshall regarded her, Jack believedshe recognized as one of amused tolerance, not unmixed withsatisfaction. He had talked seriously to her of the mistake she wasmaking in her present ideas. He also thoroughly disapproved of womenattempting public speeches under any conditions whatsoever, and of thisJack also had been kindly informed. Mrs. Marshall's attitude did notaffect Jacqueline Kent in any fashion. Long before she had accepted thefact that Mrs. Marshall did not like her and resented any influence shemight have gained in the neighborhood. Especially Mrs. Marshall hadseemed to dislike her stepson John Marshall's boyish friendship andadmiration for his neighbor. If John had come to hear her speak to-nighthe was not seated with his parents, for Jack's subconscious mind wasregistering these small and unimportant impressions even as her lipsmoved almost inaudibly in the address she was endeavoring to make.

  However, the one face which seemed to arouse Jack more completely thanthe others was that of her former acquaintance, Peter Stevens. In thepast year Peter Stevens had become more than an acquaintance. If theywere not friends he appeared to enjoy calling at the Rainbow lodge, forone could count upon seeing him there probably once a week. Hisexpression at present was undoubtedly one of pleasure at her failure.Jack felt distinctly angry.

  "Louder," some one called from the back of the hall, and hearing thecall, she paused and an instant remained silent. Speaking again, it wasapparent that both her manner and voice had changed. The self-commandwhich had in a measure deserted her was slowly being regained.

  "I am sorry, I fear a good many members of my audience have not beenable to hear what I have been saying," she answered, speaking in afashion which seemed to take the men and women who were her listenersinto her confidence, making the greater number of them her advocatesrather than her critics. "I suppose it is scarcely worth whileconfessing that I have never made a public speech before and have noidea how much one should raise one's voice. Yet the subject I want totalk about to-night is such a simple and direct one that I really andtruly don't see why it should be discussed in any public fashion. I amonly here because some of you felt it might be wise for me to state myopinion. Nevertheless, I am sure I agree with any of you who feel myopinion may not be valuable.

  "Most of you know that I came back from England more than a year ago andbecause I loved my own country better than my adopted one, I haveresumed my American citizenship. Yet when I speak of loving my countryI think I mean first of all that I love my state, the state of Wyoming,where I was born and lived as a girl, and that the parts of Wyoming Ilove best are her great and beautiful ranches.

  "On my return, to my surprise I discovered that instead of the ranchesin Wyoming having increased in the last few years and the quantity oflivestock become greater, they now cover less acreage and the livestockis smaller in number. I was sorry; our state is so lovely, with itsbroad stretches of fertile prairies, our rivers and streams, and ourhills set like a rim of jewels about them. So first I began talking tothe men on our own ranch, the Rainbow ranch, asking them if it would notbe possible to increase the number of our cattle and sheep. Since theclose of the war we have heard of nothing but of how hungry the worldis, at least the European world. So I did not dream there could be anyobjection if I talked to other ranchmen beside our own and asked themwhat their plans for the future were to be. We all know that many of themen who are now working on the ranches in the United States intendowning their own places as soon as possible. Many of them are soldierswho, having returned from the war in Europe, now wish to lead an outdoorlife and enjoy the freedom and the independence which the ranch lifeoffers. And wherever and whenever I have talked to the former soldierswho have come to dwell in Wyoming they have seemed to agree with me.

  "The views of the people who oppose the idea of increasing the number ofour ranches and the supply of our livestock I confess I am too stupid tounderstand. They seem to feel that Wyoming's future lies in her cities,in her mineral deposits, and even in her recent large manufactories.

  "They believe we will receive less for our cattle and horses if we raisea greater number. Yet say this is true, and I do not accept its truth,how will the ranchmen be injured if the cost of the increase in hisexpenses is covered by the greater number of his stock? And this we havefound to be the case in the past years' experiment with the livestock onthe Rainbow ranch."

  Jack paused again, but this time not because she was either frightenedor embarrassed. She had given up the effort to make a speech afterhaving undertaken it, having discovered that she was not beingsuccessful. Since then she had been talking to her audience in the samefashion that she would have spoken to any single individual who mighthave expressed an interest in her subject.

  "I wonder," she remarked clearly and distinctly, "if there is any onepresent who is entirely unprejudiced and is willing to state the otherside of this question, to explain why the state of Wyoming should ceaseto be a great ranch state. Perhaps Senator Marshall or Mr. Peter Stevenswill speak upon the subject."

  As Jack ceased there was a momentary pause followed by a ripple oflaughter. The word "unprejudiced" had amused her audience. Peter Stevenswas known to be employed by the interests who wished to decrease thesupply of cattle in the state, while Senator Marshall's political partyadvocated the same point of view.

  However, Senator Marshall so far accepted Jacqueline Kent's challenge asto arise in his place. Bowing, he said blandly:

  "I never argue a point with a woman."

  And first his retort was greeted with a murmur of indignation and thenof renewed laughter.

  Gazing directly into his face, Jack protested:

  "But, Senator Marshall, do you not consider that the day has passed forfailing to argue points with women? We are voters and if points cannotbe argued, at least certain questions must be made plain. To-night weare in a Woman's Club built largely with the idea of offering women theopportunity to find out some of the problems they intend to understand."

  A few moments later, having received no reply from Peter Stevens, whoseemed to have chosen to ignore her request, closing her speech moreeloquently than she had begun it, in the midst of friendly applause,Jack bowed and withdrew from the platform.

  A little later amid a group of friends and acquaintances unconsciouslyshe still held the center of the stage.

  "You were not so bad
as I expected, Jack, although I was a littledisappointed in you," Frieda found time to murmur, feeling in the midstof her pessimism a great sense of relief. Not only was the speech over,but in spite of it Jack was looking extremely pretty and no lessfeminine than she had previously.

  Jim Colter simply nodded his head to reveal his satisfaction, while herbrother-in-law, Professor Henry Tilford Russell, shook hands, announcingfrankly:

  "You did yourself credit, Jack, not to _attempt_ to make a speech. It isbetter to talk simply upon a subject until you know more about it, andafterwards for the matter of that."

  But outside Jacqueline Kent's own family, many of her friends wereenthusiastic.

  "I do not see why we should not ask you to run for an office in the giftof the state of Wyoming some day, Mrs. Kent," the President of theWoman's Club declared in a tone sufficiently loud to be heard by a largegroup of persons. "No one denies that an American woman, Lady NancyAstor, is making an excellent member of the British Parliament. Whyshould we be so much more conservative than England? Moreover, LadyAstor is an American woman."

  In return Jack laughed, failing to attach any seriousness to thesuggestion.

  "Yes, but unfortunately I have none of Lady Astor's gifts," sheresponded. "Nevertheless there may be some one in Wyoming who has, andperhaps it would be interesting if Wyoming, one of the first states togive the vote to women, should be represented by a woman in Washington.You would dislike the idea very much, wouldn't you, Senator Marshall?"

  Senator Marshall, who had come up to shake hands with Jack, noddedvehemently.

  "I should indeed dislike it; I still am sufficiently old-fashionedenough to believe that woman's place is the home."

  A voice behind his shoulder interrupted.

  "Nonsense, father, you are simply afraid of Mrs. Kent as your possiblerival, for if ever she is elected to Congress the next step will be todefeat you for the United States Senate."

  The voice was John Marshall's, the senator's son and Jack's devotedfriend.

  "Thanks, but don't make the Senator disapprove of me any more than hedoes at present. I must live in peace with my neighbors."

  A little to Jack's surprise Peter Stevens made no effort to shake handswith her or to speak to her, although she remained half an hour in theWoman's Club after her poor effort at speech-making was concluded. PeterStevens was there also talking to other friends.

  She was standing alone out on the sidewalk waiting for Jim Colter todrive up with the car, Frieda and her husband having moved a few feetaway to speak to some one, when Peter Stevens' voice said unexpectedly:

  "Good-night, Jack. I suppose it would make no difference to you torealize how intensely I disliked your speaking in public this evening."He and Jack within he past year had returned to their youthful custom ofcalling each other by their first names.

  However, Jack's answer surprised him.

  "Oh, I don't know; perhaps you are right. I might consider you an oldfogey, Peter, to object to girls and women speaking what they believe tobe true, but it is probably true that at least no one should speak inpublic who has no more talent than I possess. You were kind not to makeme appear worse by displaying your learning and eloquence afterwards.No, I am not being sarcastic; every one says you are learned andeloquent. Yet in spite of your reputation, I have the courage to thinkyou are mistaken about a number of matters. But here is Jim with thecar, so good-night. Why, yes, of course I'll be glad to see you at thelodge; differences of opinion need not destroy friendship."