Virginia of V. M. Ranch
[Illustration: He removed his gayly adorned peaked hat and took from
it a letter, which he handed to Virginia.]
VIRGINIA OF V. M. RANCH
By GRACE MAY NORTH
Author of
“Virginia at Vine Haven,” “Virginia’s Adventure Club,”
“Virginia’s Ranch Neighbors,” “Virginia’s Romance.”
A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers—New York
Printed in U. S. A.
THE VIRGINIA DAVIS SERIES
A SERIES OF STORIES FOR GIRLS OF TWELVE TO SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE
By GRACE MAY NORTH
VIRGINIA OF V. M. RANCH
VIRGINIA AT VINE HAVEN
VIRGINIA’S ADVENTURE CLUB
VIRGINIA’S RANCH NEIGHBORS
VIRGINIA’S ROMANCE
Copyright, 1924
By A. L. BURT COMPANY
VIRGINIA OF V. M. RANCH
Made in “U. S. A.”
DEDICATED TO
Virginia Davis
Margaret Selover
Barbara Blair Wente
And to all other girls in their teens who like adventure and
the desert.
VIRGINIA OF V. M. RANCH
CHAPTER I
VIRGINIA OF V. M. RANCH
Down a winding mountain trail, a girl of sixteen was riding on
Comrade, her wiry red-brown pony.
It was a glorious morning. The sky above was a gleaming cloudless
blue, the desert, below, stretching to the far horizon, shimmered
white in the sunlight, while some bird in a canon near was caroling
a tipsy song of joy, but these things Virginia Davis did not see or
hear, for her eyes were gazing at the rugged trail and her thoughts
were puzzling over the contents of a letter which her brother
Malcolm had brought to her that morning when he had returned from
the town of Douglas which was twenty miles away.
Her father’s best friend had died the year before, and had left a
motherless girl all alone in the world. When Mr. Selover realized
that he had not long to live he had written Mr. Davis asking him to
become the guardian of his daughter, Margaret, who was then in a
select boarding school in the East.
In some unaccountable manner, the letter had been delayed for many
months, and during that time, Mr. Davis had also died, leaving
Virginia and Malcolm as sole owners of the vast cattle ranch which
was known as “The V. M.”
This morning Virginia had ridden to the top of the trail where she
often went when she wanted to be alone with her thoughts, for the
long delayed letter had indeed brought a new problem to these two
young people.
This unknown Margaret Selover, it seemed, was their father’s ward.
Ought they not to assume the responsibility which he would so gladly
have taken had he lived? And yet, what if the girl should prove to
be very unlike themselves? She might not care to make her home on
their wonderful desert, and, if she did not, would it be right for
them to take her from an environment in which she was happy and
content? But how could they tell, since they did not know her?
Comrade had carefully wended his way down the mountain trail and had
carried his young mistress, who was deeply absorbed in thought,
across the dry creek, under a clump of cottonwood trees and up the
steep farther bank before the girl looked about her with eyes that
saw.
Her brother was galloping toward her. “Ho, Virginia!” he hailed as
he waved his wide sombrero. “Did your Inspiration Peak help you to
solve our problem? What are we to do with our ward?”
The girl flashed a smile at the lad, whose frank, bronzed face
resembled her own, for, though he was two years her senior, twins
could not have been more alike or dearer to each other.
“If only we knew what type of a girl this Margaret is,” his sister
replied as he wheeled his horse about and rode by her side, “we
could so much more easily decide upon a plan. I did indeed receive
an inspiration, but one hard to carry out I fear. I have been
wishing that in some way we might become acquainted with our ward
without having her know who we are.”
“You are right, sister,” Malcolm said seriously. “I do not wish to
invite this unknown girl to share our home unless I am convinced
that your life will be made happier by the companionship. Our father
would not wish it otherwise. Now tell me your plan.”
Virginia looked at her brother with unexpected laughter in her
violet-blue eyes. “It is one by which we could become acquainted
with our ward without revealing to her our true identity. Harken and
you shall hear.”
Malcolm’s hearty laughter rang out when the half serious, half merry
plan had been told.
“If only we can persuade Uncle Tex to play the role of elderly
guardian,” he exclaimed. “I am sure that your little drama, when
staged, will bring about the desired results, but, knowing our
faithful old overseer as well as I do, I fear that we may have a
tragedy, or a comedy, which perhaps would be equally disastrous.”
Virginia’s amused expression had changed to one of serious concern.
“Brother,” she said, “if we do carry out my plan, will it be quite
honest to Margaret?”
“Not right in the beginning I must confess,” Malcolm replied, “but,
of course, we will at once tell her the truth, if, after meeting
her, we decided to invite her to become one of our household, but,
on the contrary, if we find that she would not wish to share our
home, she would, of course, return to the school where she has been
for so many years. We will at least have tried to do our duty as we
see it.”
“Then shall I write the letter?” the violet eyes turned
questioningly.
“Yes, that will be the prologue to the little drama. Rusty Pete is
going to Silver Creek Junction this afternoon and he will start the
message on its eastward journey.”
Again Malcolm’s amused laughter rang out. “It will be better not to
let Uncle Tex know that we have designs upon him,” he said, “for, if
he has an inkling, even, that we are going to request him to do a
bit of ‘play actin’ as he would call it, he will start at once for
the mountain cabin, the location of which we have never been able to
discover.”
Their low rambling ranch house having been reached, Virginia leaped
to the ground, tossing the reins to her brother, who, still
chuckling to himself, rode on down to the corral where an old,
white-haired man could be seen repairing a fence.