Meg of Mystery Mountain

by Grace May North

  CHAPTER XXX. JEAN SAWYER'S SECRET

  Jane, going to the deserted ranch house, threw herself down on her bedand sobbed heart-brokenly. She did not hear the tap on the door, nor wasshe conscious that Merry had entered until she heard her voice: "Jane,dear, have I done anything to hurt you, to make you unhappy?" Thetenderness in the tone of her best friend was unmistakable. All at onceJane felt ashamed of herself. Holding out a fevered hand, she said:"Indeed not, dear girl. It isn't your fault at all. Any boy would likeyou better than me. You are so sweet and unselfish and lovable." Merry'seyes widened, for she was indeed perplexed, "Jane, I don't understand,"she said. "What boy likes me better than he does you?" Then, slowly alight dawned. Taking both hot hands in her own, she cried, her blue eyesglowing, "Oh, Jane, dearest Jane, _did_ you think that Jean Sawyer caredfor me? Did you think for one moment that I, knowing how much you likedhim, would even want him to care for me? Indeed not, Janey! But now thatI think about it, I realize that you might misunderstand. Dear, it's along story. Let's go out on the veranda in the moonlight. There is no onearound. They all went up the foothill trail and will be gone for anhour."

  Jane permitted herself to be led to a vine-sheltered corner of theveranda, where they sat close together in a hammock swing. Merry piledthe soft cushions behind her friend, whose flushed face assured her thatthe head was really aching. Jane sighed as she sank back among them, butit was a sigh of relief. How wrong it had been to doubt for one momentthe loyalty of this, her very best friend. But Merry was beginning thestory. "Dear," she said, placing a cool hand on the hot one near her,"when you first introduced me to Jean Sawyer, did you notice that mybrother Bob drew me away to whisper something to me before I couldacknowledge the introduction?"

  Jane nodded, both curious and interested. "Why did Bob do that? Iwondered at the time." Merry continued: "I was just about to exclaim,'Why, Jean Sawyer Willoughby, so this is where you disappeared to whenyou left home last February!' but I did not, for Bob gave me no time.What he whispered was, 'Don't let on you know Jean. He wants his identitykept in the dark. He is using his mother's maiden name. Get the cue?'

  "Of course I got it, but as soon as I could I asked Jean to go for acanter with me that I might tell him how heart-broken his family wasbecause he had disappeared as he did." Jane was no longer reclining amongthe cushions. She sat up, listening intently.

  "You and Bob know Jean's family?"

  "Yes, indeed, both his father and older brother Ken. We met them everysummer on the coast of Maine, where our parents had cottages next to eachother."

  "Jean told me of that cottage where he went that summer, alone with hismother," Jane said. "I mean the summer she died."

  "Poor boy! He never was happy in his home life after that," Merryreplied. "Ken, his brother, is a commissioned officer on one of the warboats. He had little shore leave and that left Jean and his father quitealone in their big house in New York. They never had been congenial intheir interests, but the final break came when the father entered intosome oil deal which Jean considered dishonorable. He told his fatherexactly how he felt about it. He said that he refused to inherit moneythat was taken from the poor who had invested their savings in thewildcat scheme, believing the firm to be honest. Of course his father wasangry, and Jean, refusing to take one penny of what he called 'tainted'money, left home to make his own way in the world.

  "The father did not seem to care at first, for he had always loved Kenmore than he did Jean, but when Ken came home on a leave he took Jean'spart, and also denounced his father's dishonorable business methods."

  Jane was sitting very erect and her breath came hard. At last sheinterrupted. "Merry," she said in a voice she could hardly recognize asher own, "Jean's father, Mr. Willoughby, was my father's partner." Thenshe burst into unexpected tears. "Jean was nobler than I! Oh, Merry, Inever can be his friend again. I am not worthy of him. I want you to behis best friend. You are so good. I am sure that in his heart of heartshe must love you." Merry leaned over and kissed her friend tenderly. "Ihope Jean does love me," she said simply. "He is to be my brother, for Iam engaged to Ken Willoughby. His three years in the navy are nearlyover. Ken is coming home for good on September first."

  Jane's heart was filled with conflicting emotions. She was indeed happywhen she heard the wonderful secret which Merry assured her she wouldhave told her at once but Ken had wanted her to wait until he had givenher the ring which he had bought for her in Paris. "But I just had totell you, dear girl, when I realized that my friendship with Jean mightlead you to believe that we cared for each other." Then, slipping an armaffectionately about her companion, Merry continued: "And now there isjust one thing for which I am going to wish until it comes true, and thatis that you and Jean may care for each other in the way Ken and I care.Then, Jane, I will be your sister. Think what that would mean, for wewould share all of the joy that the future holds."

  But Jane, tears brimming her eyes, said sadly: "That can never be! IfJean knew the truth; if he knew that I wanted father to cheat those poorpeople who had trusted him, he would scorn me, even as I now scornmyself. I never knew father's partners except by name. We lived so veryfar apart and Dad always wanted to just rest when he reached our villagehome, and so, even when I was with him, which was seldom, we had nosocial life." Then, turning with a startled expression, Jane inquired,"Oh, do you suppose that Jean knows? Do you suppose he recognized ourname as being the same as his father's partner?"

  Merry replied thoughtfully: "There are a good many Abbotts in the world,dear, and just at first Jean did not suspect that your father was the onewho had withdrawn from the firm, and who, by so doing, had incurred thehatred and wrath of Mr. Willoughby, but, when I happened to mention whyyour father had lost everything, as Dan had told him, Jean's facebrightened. 'I am glad,' he said, 'that the father of Jane had thecourage to do the honorable thing.' I noticed at the time that he said'the father of Jane' and not of Dan. That means, dear, that you are oftenin his thoughts."

  But Jane had again burst into tears, and rising, she hurried to her ownroom and begged Merry, who had followed her with tender solicitude, toleave her alone. "I never, never can be Jean's friend again, but don'ttell him how dishonorable I have been, Merry. Promise me that you willnot tell him."

  "Of course I will not tell, but, oh, Jane, you are over-imaginativetonight. I am sure that you never wished your father to rob the poor thatyou might have luxury. But there, please don't answer me, dear. You areall worn out and your poor head is throbbing cruelly. Let me help youundress. Tomorrow morning when you awake you will see everything in adifferent light."

  But Merry was wrong. Because of Jane, the young people did not start atsunrise as they had planned, but delayed until after Mr. and Mrs. Starrhad been driven away to the Redfords station. Mr. Packard accompaniedthem. Bob was pleased indeed that he and his sister were to remain in theRockies for another fortnight, and Merry was glad to be with Jane, who,more than ever, seemed to need her friendship.

  When the young people were gathered at the corral, preparing to start,Jean glanced across at Jane and noting how pale and weary she looked, hestrode over to her, saying: "Aren't you afraid the ride will be too hardfor you? Suppose we let the others start now, if Meg feels that she mustget home. You and I could follow them more leisurely, starting later,when you are rested."

  There was a sad expression in the dark eyes that were lifted to his, butthe girl's reply was: "Thank you, Jean, I would rather go now, with theothers." Merry felt Jane's clasp tighten about her hand, and well knewthat she was suffering cruelly, and that it was a mental, not a physicaltorture.

  Jean assisted both of the girls to mount and then the string of horsesstarted toward the mountain trail, for Bob was eager to visit the olddeserted Crazy Creek mine. Jean Sawyer glanced often at the pale,beautiful face of the girl who seemed purposely to avoid him.