CHAPTER XVII
THE HEART'S DESIRE
"Mrs. Kent, there is some one down at the ranch house inquiring eitherfor you or for Jim Colter. He will not give his name. Since you do notwish Mr. Colter to be disturbed I thought it best to bring the messageto you. The man looks as if he had been ill for some time and hisclothes are pretty shabby, but otherwise he seems all right."
The man who was speaking was one of the new ranchmen on the Rainbowranch whom Jacqueline Kent had lately employed.
As Jim Colter had not recovered from his injury so rapidly as might havebeen expected, Jack had taken upon herself the entire management of theRainbow ranch and was assisting with the management of the adjoiningplace, which belonged to Jim Colter.
"Yes, thank you, I am glad you came to me; I'll ride down to the ranchhouse as soon as I can get away. I have some things that must beattended to first. You'll see that the man is properly cared for untilI can get there."
"Yes."
Smiling after he had turned his back, the ranchman rode away.
It suddenly had struck him that Mrs. Kent looked absurdly young for theresponsibilities of her present position, but that they did not seem totrouble her in the least, in fact she appeared to enjoy them. Moreover,she was extremely popular with all he employees on the place, who woulddo a good deal to win her thanks.
This morning Jack's costume was an extremely businesslike one, a darkbrown corduroy riding habit with a short skirt and trousers and a fairlylong coat. It was a cold morning in early December. She had not yet puton her hat and gloves, as she was waiting to consult with a neighboringranchman in regard to the purchase of a thousand head of cattle.
Jimmie had gone off to school an hour earlier with the four little newranch girls and Jean's two daughters. These daily excursions to schoolwere an annoyance to Jimmie and he would have preferred to have walkedor ridden his pony instead of being driven in the family motor car withso many girls. However, as the school was five or six miles from theRainbow ranch, this appeared one of the crosses he was forced to endure.
Half an hour later, following a talk with her neighbor, Jacqueline Kentwas on her way to the ranch house.
A busy day lay ahead of her. First of all she had agreed to buy thecattle for the Rainbow ranch at the price offered, subject to JimColter's approval. But as Jim rarely interfered with her recent controlof the ranch she did not expect him to object to her latest venture. Inthe afternoon, escorted by Billy Preston, whom she had promoted to beingone of her chief assistants, she intended riding over to look at thecattle. In the meantime, beside her housekeeping, which was alreadyfinished for the day, she had to look at some fencing that neededrepairing, consult with a veterinary surgeon concerning an injury to oneof the finest mares on the ranch, and hear reports from several ranchmenwho had charge of details of the work upon the place.
Nevertheless, Jack felt extremely fit and not in the least perturbed bythe number of her duties, as this was the character of outdoor life shehad always loved and been trained to since her childhood.
The question of the man who was waiting to see her at the ranch housedid not particularly absorb her attention. Frequently of late men hadwished to see her either to ask for employment on the Rainbow ranch orto discuss projects for new agricultural schemes to raise grains ingreater abundance by a more scientific development of the soil.Moreover, there were always persons who insisted that the Rainbow goldmine could be made to yield a fresh output of gold by the application ofnew methods in mining. But at least Jack had nothing to do with theRainbow mine, always referring any such enthusiasts to her scientificbrother-in-law, Professor Russell, now that Jim Colter was taking atemporary rest from the affairs of the place, the first he had evertaken for as long as Jack had known him.
Billy Preston was standing on the front porch of the ranch house inspite of the coldness of the day and as Jack rode up he came forward tohelp her dismount.
"The fellow waiting to see you is rather a queer looking beggar, so Ithought I'd hang round till you'd had a talk with him," Billy grinnedboyishly. "We don't want another of the Rainbow ranch managers knockedout in a fight at present."
"But I was knocked out in a fight, a big one, Billy Preston, by failingto be elected, and you have all been awfully good not to reproach meafter taking such a lot of trouble in my behalf."
"Oh, but we cowboys are glad you lost, though as long as we thought youwanted to win the boys on the Rainbow ranch and a good many otherranches were for you to the last man. No one of us really liked the ideaof your either being elected or being licked. But now it can't behelped, it's kind of pleasanter to think of you just trying to run theold ranch."
"Trying, Billy? But I thought I _was_ running it," Jack returned,"although I suppose you realize the men are still doing the work andtrying to humor me at the same time. Well, it is kind of you and it isfun. Now show me my man and stand outside, Billy, to see nothinghappens. But please remember you are an assistant ranch manager thesedays and hide that dreadful Kentucky mountain pistol."
Inside the ranch house living-room, a crude enough place but bright andcomfortable, there was a fire burning in the fireplace and a man sittingslumped before it in such a position that Jack upon entering the roomcould not see his face.
He heard her, however, and got up and stumbled forward with both handsoutstretched.
"Ralph Merritt, but we thought you were lost forever, thought youwere--" Jack hesitated and stopped an instant. "Why, we have sought foryou all over the United States in every possible place and in everypossible fashion! But you have been ill. Do sit down, you can't know howglad I am to see you. Don't try to talk to me, let us go first to Jean.It is cruel to keep her in ignorance another moment."
Ralph Merritt shook his head.
"No, Jack, I want to talk to _you_ first. I am glad it is you ratherthan Jim Colter. Then you can tell me what I should do next. I have beenill and in a strange way and so perhaps I need advice more than oneusually does. I will sit down, if you don't mind and you'll be seated."
It was one of Jacqueline Kent's good qualities that she did not talkwhen talking was unnecessary.
Now she dropped into the nearest chair, opened her coat and took off herhat and gloves.
"Try and tell me from the beginning if you can remember, Ralph. We haveheard nothing of you or from you since the news that you appeared tohave been slightly hurt at the mine in New Mexico and then disappeared."
Ralph Merritt nodded.
"I will try to tell as much as I can remember although it is remarkablylittle. I remember the fall at the mine and also that I did not seem tohave been much hurt, only bruised and shaken up a bit and that my headached a good deal from a blow I had received. I recall going into my owntent a little after dusk and lying down because my head ached. Then, youmay not believe me, yet the truth is, I know of nothing else that hastaken place in my life for over a year, nothing until a few months ago."
"Yes, go on," Jack answered. "The blow on your head occasioned a loss ofmemory?"
"A complete loss of memory. How I ever got my living in the meantime,whether I worked or whether I was cared for through other people'skindness I am not sure, except that I did work on a farm for a time andprobably worked on others. I know this from some one who befriended meand partly guessed what my trouble was. Through this friend I was takento a hospital and an operation performed and my memory partiallyrestored. I now remember perfectly everything that took place before myinjury, but nothing in the interval between then and now."
"But that is not important, Ralph dear; perhaps it is better not to beable to recall what must have been days of suffering. The wonderfulthing is now that you are alive and at home again, and with Jean and thelittle girls well and waiting for you."
Ralph Merritt shook his head.
"I am afraid returning in the plight I am in at present will not be apleasant surprise for Jean. Remember I told you, Jack, that I would notcome back until I had earned money enough to make Jean happier. I
toldher the same story. And I haven't the money, in fact I haven't even thechance of making it until I am stronger. So I want you to tell Jean forme that I am alive and care for her and the little girls as much as Iever did, and have not yet given up hope of accomplishing what she has aright to expect of me. Then if you'll tell me about the family I'll beoff again. I'll write Jean, but I thought it might be best that youspeak to her and explain what has occurred first."
"I will do no such thing, Ralph Merritt," Jack returned more sharplythan she was in the habit of speaking. "You'll see and talk to Jeanyourself in a quarter of an hour. Don't you think Jean has had a longenough period of agony and suspense? The desire of her heart is to knowyou are alive. She asks for nothing else, has asked for nothing else allalong. I do wish men were not so stupid. You always believe the wrongthings girls and women say. Jean did care for wealth and position, mostpeople do, but that is no reason to think that she did not always caremore for you than anything or anybody else. I'll ride up to the bighouse this instant and try to prepare Jean a little for seeing you. Butright away you are to follow me. If you are strong enough to ridehorseback Billy Preston will saddle a horse and ride up with you."
Jack was already up and half way to the door.
"Don't be long. Jean already has been waiting a long time, and I shalltell her nothing except that you are here."
"All right, Jack," Ralph Merritt answered and squared his shoulders,appearing fifty per cent more like his former self than before Jack hadspoken.
At eight o'clock that night Jacqueline Kent was walking up and down thefront porch of the Rainbow lodge alone. There was a light snow fallingoutside and she had slipped on a fur coat, but her head was uncovered.
At a little distance away she heard a familiar whistle.
"Do hurry, Jim, I can't wait any longer," she called out. "You promisedto come over immediately after dinner."
"Yes, and I'm here," Jim returned, "dinner has not been over ten minutesat the big house, and please remember I am a semi-invalid and cannotwalk with white hot speed. I can only report, 'all is well.' Jean andRalph both appear extraordinarily happy and Ralph Merritt does not lookso ill, not half so badly off as I do. I won't have the honor of beingthe family invalid taken from me. He and Jean expressed themselves asbeing disappointed at your not coming up to dinner, but I told them youwanted them to have the dinner to themselves, which they managed to havealong with Professor Russell and Frieda and six small girls clamoringfor attention beside your humble servant. You might have asked me todine with you."
"Why, I never thought of it, but then you would have if you had wishedto anyhow. Besides, you should of course have been at home to welcomeRalph. I trust you told him right away that we were going to start workon the old Rainbow mine so Ralph can stay here at home and havesomething to do at the same time. I have decided on this; there must begold enough in the old mine to pay expenses and to give Ralph a goodsalary, and otherwise it does not matter. Oh, Jim, please do come in outof the snow. I want to tell you also that I am going to buy a thousandnew head of cattle for the Rainbow ranch. It is all right, isn't it?"
"It is _not_, Jack. Rainbow ranch has all the cattle it can take care ofat present. We have stocked up as far as we ought to go unless we canbuy more land for grazing and raising grain, and I don't see anyprospect of that in this immediate neighborhood."
"But I have almost made a bargain for the cattle, Jim."
"How far has the bargain gone?"
"Oh, the agreement was not positive until I had consulted with you, butI thought I was being allowed to run the Rainbow ranch. Of course if youinterfere with what I think best, why it is not managing the ranch atall."
"But I never agreed to allow you to run the ranch into debt, Jack, andthat is _what would_ happen if you have to pay for feed for a thousandnew head of cattle this winter."
In silence the man and girl continued to walk up and down the porch ofthe Rainbow lodge.
"Want me to give up trying to manage the ranch, Jim? Now you are better,I suppose I am only a nuisance."
"I want you to keep on if the work interests you and if you are willingto listen to my advice now and then. You have some ideas for runningthings that are considerably better than mine, but I have had a gooddeal longer experience."
"All right, Jim, I am sorry," and Jack slipped her hand through hercompanion's arm. "Good gracious, what a hard-headed person I am andalways have been, Jim Colter. I wonder if that is why life seems to findit necessary to give me so many knocks?"
"Has it given you more than most people, Jack? Are you more disappointedover that wretched election than you have been willing to confess? Ifyou like, go ahead and buy your cattle then. I only don't want you tolose money, because the ranch belongs to you girls and I suppose Ialways shall feel more or less responsible. If it were mine----"
"I have no desire to lose the family money," said Jack, "and I amproperly penitent. I even no longer _desire_ one thousand new cattlepurchased for the Rainbow ranch."
"But what do you desire then, Jacqueline Kent? Suppose just for anexperiment you tell me your greatest desire. We were speaking on thesubject at dinner to-night. Jean of course felt that she had receivedhers in Ralph's return. Frieda announced that she was in a fair way tobe fully satisfied now Peace was growing strong and well and ProfessorRussell had succeeded in his latest scientific experiment, and also I amobliged to state that Frieda added the negative fact that she wasparticularly pleased that you had failed in your recent politicalenterprise."
Jack laughed. "How exactly like Frieda! It is the things she has thatshe is grateful for and the mistakes I am not permitted to make becauseof her excellent advice. But don't worry over me, Jim, at present mygreatest desire is to walk up and down the lodge porch with you and seethe sky and the prairie beneath the stars and feel the damp sweetness ofthe wind with the little eddies of snow. What is your heart's desire,Jim Colter?"
"To be always with you, Jack, I suppose," Jim Colter answered asunexpectedly to himself as to the girl beside him. His voice did nothold the light raillery of hers. "Queer ambition, isn't it, for a manold enough to be your father, who has been your father after a poorfashion! I don't know, Jack, I have not meant to tell you this, but Ialways have told you pretty much everything that was in my mind, andafter I say this I want you to forget it. I care for you differentlyfrom the old days, Jack. Of course I appreciate the differences betweenus more than any living human being can appreciate them, the distancefrom the earth to the stars is small in comparison. And I want you tocare for me always, Jack, in the old friendly, daughterly fashion."
"But I don't feel like a daughter to you, Jim, and never have, certainlynot as a little girl, so why should I begin now? I simply like youbetter than any one else in the world except Jimmie, now you have mademe think of it, and we understand each other better. I suppose I wouldhave taken this for granted if you had not spoken. What do you supposewe ought to do about it, Jim?"
"Nothing, Jack."
"But suppose I should want to do something? And suppose what I wanted todo should become my heart's desire? Would you withhold it from me, Jim?"
"Yes, if I thought it would do you harm."
"But suppose it would not do me harm, but bring me great happiness, whatthen?"
Jim Colter made no reply.
Jack smiled.
"Ah, Jim, you never can make me believe that you will refuse to travelwith me to the Land of the Heart's Desire, since it is a journey one canrarely take alone."
* * * * *
THE "RANCH GIRLS" SERIES
BY MARGARET VANDERCOOK
THE RANCH GIRLS AT RAINBOW LODGE
THE RANCH GIRLS' POT OF GOLD
THE RANCH GIRLS AT BOARDING SCHOOL
THE RANCH GIRLS IN EUROPE
THE RANCH GIRLS AT HOME AGAIN
THE RANCH GIRLS AND THEIR GREAT ADVENTURE
THE RANCH GIRLS AND THEIR HEART'S DESIRE
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