A JOLLY SURPRISE
“Tom!” Virginia’s manner of uttering the name seemed almost like a
cry of joy and the lad who was wearing a white apron chef-fashion,
turned toward the open door with a pleasant smile of greeting. If he
noted the surprised expression on the faces of the two girls, he did
not attribute it to its real cause. He supposed that they naturally
were surprised to behold the fine supper that was spread on the
living-room table which had been drawn close to the grate where a
cheerful log was burning.
“Oho! What a feast!” Margaret exclaimed hurriedly, to cover their
all too evident amazement at finding the outlaw calmly preparing a
meal when a posse from Texas was supposed to be searching for him.
“Where did you get the young rabbits that you have fried such a
crispy brown?”
“I took my gun as soon as you were gone,” the lad told them, “and
went a-hunting, and, as you well know, Miss Virginia, it takes only
a short time in the sage to bag as many young rabbits as one may
desire. Tomorrow, if we are still cooks of the V. M. Ranch, I will
vary the menu by bringing in quail.”
While they were eating Tom asked: “What news did you hear while you
were away, or perhaps you didn’t see anyone who had news to tell.”
He was looking at Virginia and his eyes seemed to hold an eager
inquiry. What should she say? Ought she to tell him the truth and
give him an opportunity to ride to the north where the mountains
were wild, rugged and desolate and where he could hide with greater
safety?
“Yes, we did hear news,” Virginia replied. “At the Junction we heard
that a posse from Texas is searching for someone who is supposed to
be hiding about here.”
Then impulsively she leaned toward the lad and placed a hand on his
arm as she said pleadingly, “if you were my brother I would suggest
that you ride to the north where the mountains are nearly
impenetrable and stay there in hiding until this search is over. I
do wish that you would go, Tom, this very night.”
The lad shook his head. “I can’t go—not tonight, Miss Virginia,” he
said. “You two girls are all alone on V. M. Ranch and your brother
trusts me to look after you. I will stay right where I am until your
brother returns or until—well—until I am found.”
When the repast had been cleared away the three young people sat
about the fireplace watching the burning log. They talked little.
The eastern girl felt strangely uneasy and every little while she
would glance at one of the uncurtained windows as though she
expected to see a face peering in at them.
At last the clock chimed the hour of nine and Tom arose. “Miss
Virginia, Miss Margaret,” he said as he held out a hand to each, “I
want to thank you for having been so kind and sisterly to me. Do not
be concerned about me. I promise to ride north as soon as you are
well protected. Goodnight.”
The two girls lay awake for hours waiting for, they knew not what.
It was nearly midnight before they slept. Half an hour later
Margaret sat up suddenly and listened intently. Had she heard
something, she wondered, and if so, what?
Again she heard the noise which she believed must have awakened her.
Someone was trying to enter the house, of that she was sure.
Springing up and throwing her bathrobe about her she ran into
Virginia’s room and shook her friend.
“What is it?” that girl asked, on the alert at once.
“Hark!” whispered Margaret. “Can’t you hear someone at the kitchen
door?”
The western girl listened, “I surely do,” she replied, “but my dear
Megsy, it must be someone who feels he has a right to come in, for
he is not trying to be quiet and he is using a key.”
“Do you suppose that it is your brother, Malcolm, returning?”
“Maybe,” Virginia replied as she arose and slipped on her robe.
“Whoever it is has opened the door and has entered the kitchen. I’ll
light a candle and investigate.”
“Oh, Virg! Please, please don’t go out there alone! Can’t we call
Tom or someone?”
But it was too late for the girls could hear that whoever had
entered the house was approaching Virginia’s bedroom. Margaret clung
to her friend. Even Virginia was puzzled, but the thing that gave
her confidence was the fact that the intruder was not trying to be
quiet. A moment later there came a tap on the door.
“Who is it?” the girl asked, and, with a sigh of relief, she
recognized the voice that replied, “Miss Virginia, dearie. Don’t be
skeered. It’s jest me a comin’ home after all these weeks away. It’s
yo’ old Uncle Tex, Miss Virginia, dearie.”
With a cry of delight, the door was flung open and the girl embraced
the kind old man who had trotted her on his knee when she was a baby
and had granted her every whim, if he could, since she was grown.
“Oh, Uncle Tex, where have you been ever since you ran away just
because you didn’t want to take part in the ‘play-actin’?” the girl
exclaimed.
The old man told that he had been way up north on a sheep ranch.
“But ah got wistful feelin’s to see my little gal,” he said, “and so
ah’s come back home. They’re needin’ help up thar and they didn’t
want me to leave but ah tol’ them as how ah would send a younger man
to take my place if ah could find one.” Then Uncle Tex scratched his
head in a puzzled manner, for he had suddenly thought of something.
“Miss Virginia, dearie,” he said, “thar’s a parcel of men camped in
the dry creek bottom a mile below here. They stopped me, but they
let me go quick. They’re lookin’ for an outlaw from Texas, and
course they knew as ah wasn’t him. Said they’d be up here in the
mornin’ and ask yo’ fo’ breakfast. Wall, good night, Miss Virginia,
dearie. Ah’s sure glad to be home.”
When the old man was gone, Virginia began to dress hurriedly.
“What are you going to do?” Margaret inquired. “Warn Tom!” was her
reply. “Uncle Tex is here to protect us now and Tom must start for
the north without an hour’s delay.”