A year and a half passed by. Katherine sitting in her room at the
Diamond H Ranch, was thinking of the many changes that had come into her
life. Doctor Powell and Limber had brought her to Mrs. Traynor, and for
long weeks afterward they had battled untiringly to save the life that
threatened to slip away. With tender, encouraging words they fought the
reaction of despair; but it was Nell who suggested sending for Donnie;
Nell, who laid her baby boy in Katherine's arms; Nell, whose constant
watchfulness and loving little caresses, finally brought answering
smiles to Katherine's pale lips.
Donnie and Jamie at once struck up a friendship akin to David and
Jonathan, and when the two lads would wake the ranch with their happy
laughter--it was tonic to Katherine's bruised and aching heart.
For a long time she had believed that Glendon had escaped to Mexico; but
at last Nell told her the truth. Donnie knew only that his father had
been killed by lightning in a storm. Over at the Hot Springs, work was
being pushed rapidly on the Sanitarium, and Limber and Powell divided
their time between the two places.
There had been a "surprise party" as Bronco called it, when a couple of
weeks previously, Traynor and Powell had called the four cowboys into
the office, and handed each one an official envelope addressed by name.
Upon opening it, they discovered that the Hot Springs, PL, Diamond H and
Circle Cross ranches had been incorporated into the "Galiuro Cattle
Corporation," Traynor as president; Powell, secretary and treasurer; and
Limber, general manager. Bronco, Roarer and Holy were astounded to
receive stock to the value of five thousand dollars; but Limber's
envelope held, not only the five thousand dollars worth of stock, like
the other boys; but also his note which he had given Traynor in return
for the half interest in the PL herd. Limber looked at it puzzled, then
he saw across the face of the note, the endorsement, "Paid in full with
compound interest in loyalty and devotion." Beneath these words were the
signatures of Allan Traynor, Nell Traynor and Cuthbert Powell.
The cowpuncher tried to speak, but was unable to utter a word. In
silence he gripped Traynor's hand.
That was an uproarious evening on the Diamond H. The boys and old Fong
surrounded the foreman in the bunkhouse after dinner. Fong, once again,
had fashioned a huge cake. When it was set down on the wooden table, the
Chinaman lifted the tissue paper that veiled it, and the boys let out a
wild whoop. A five-strand fence bounded the edge of the cake; a small
white cabin loomed in the centre, with a desperate attempt at a cow in
icing beside it. A naturalist might have scorned the cow, but there was
no mistaking the Diamond H brand in red icing that was the finishing
touch on the animal's hip.
The boys clapped Fong on the back till his pigtail squirmed like an eel,
and his grin threatened to split the lower part of his face.
Traynor standing outside watched the proceeding, then went over to tell
Nell and Katherine.
"Poor Limber had to make a speech," he chuckled. "Fong joined with the
rest, and they kept at him till he had to say something to get peace.
Say, Nell, I wish you could have seen him! He stood up, looked at them,
got red in the face, opened his mouth, shut it, then burst out, 'You're
the orneriest bunch of boys in Arizona Territory, and if you don't quit
pesterin' me, I'm goin' to fire the whole outfit the very first thing I
do!'"
"Poor Limber!" laughed Nell, but the laugh was very tender. "They do
worry him; but he knows they would give their lives for him!"
Like a panorama, these memories flitted swiftly before the eyes of
Katherine Glendon, obliterating the darker days of her life. There was
no bitterness now. Like the terrible storm of the canyon, they had passed
away forever, and over the broken places bloomed beautiful flowers; a
message of forgiveness.
The bit of lace she was sewing on a dress for Nell's baby, slipped from
her hands, and her eyes wandered through the open door to the snow-cap
of Mt. Graham across the Valley.
At first, Powell had hesitated to allow her return to the Hot Springs to
live, dreading the effect of those terrible memories upon their
happiness. When he told her of this, and that he would find a partner to
live at the place, she had convinced him that her happiness lay helping
him with his work at the Springs; so it had been decided. Now, that the
project was nearing completion, Powell received offers from many
sources, so that he might carry out the plans on the most extensive
scale. The money found in the saddle-bags the night Glendon died, had
been also added to the funds, after communication and consultation with
proper legal authority. This provided for the maintenance of additional
children.
All the plans had been discussed between Powell, Traynor, Nell and
Katherine, and the two women had made many suggestions the men
overlooked. There were even toys, games, books with wonderful fairy
tales, already unpacked at the Springs.
Two weeks had been passed there happily, arranging, sorting and working
together. Donnie and Jamie, with their ponies and Juan and Chappo as
guides, had explored trails and planned many future adventures. The two
old Mexicans were as happy as children, and at night, when they related
tales of Mexico, or Chappo told of his captivity among the Apaches, the
boys felt that life could hold no more fascinating experiences.
Katherine's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of steps. She rose
quickly and turned to the open door. A pink Rambler rose in full bloom
twined above the porch, and a puff of wind caught the blossoms and
showered the fragrant petals over her as she held out her hands to
welcome the man she loved. He looked at her with happy eyes and saw--no
longer a vague dream--a living, glorious reality, smiling with no shadow
on her beautiful face, his Lady of the Pool.
The rose leaves fell softly, about them. "See, dearest," he said, "it is
a symbol of our future. The roses are shedding their petals on your
path, so that not even the tiniest pebble shall bruise your feet!"
She smiled at him, her eyes misty with happiness, then together they
entered the room, to discuss their plans.
"I've got to have a talk with Donnie today," said Powell. "I hope he
will understand."
They heard the noise of ponies dashing into the stable, the laughter of
happy voices. Like a small cyclone, Donnie rushed into the room and
faced Powell in boyish delight.
"Is the Sanitarium almost done?" he asked breathlessly.
"Finished, at last!" Powell's arm was across the lad's shoulder. He
smiled into the glowing, upturned face, thankful that it bore no
resemblance to Glendon. Donnie was his mother in every feature. "The
first children will be here next month!"
"I bet they'll get good and well after we have them awhile," prophesied
Donnie. "You know, you promised I could be your partner."
"Yes, old man! I want you to study so that when you grow up you can work
with me. I'm going to take you over to the Springs so you can start your
studies very soon. How will that suit you?"
The boy's face clouded. He glanced from Powell to his mother.
"I can't leave Marmee alone. I'm her Knight, and the only one she's got
to look out for her, now."
"How about taking her over with us?" suggested Powell.
"Oh, will you?" Donnie's face glowed with delight. "Marmee, you will go,
won't you?"
The doctor laid his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked at him
seriously. "Donnie, would you let me be your father, so that I can take
care of your mother and you, and we all be partners as long as we live?"
The child's startled eyes wandered from the man to the woman. For a
brief space he made no reply. Then flinging his arms about his mother's
neck, he clung to her in the first pang of renunciation. The eyes that
looked at him were very tender.
With a strange little dignity, he drew himself up and held out his hand
to the doctor, saying, "I'm awful glad she likes you." The voice
trembled, the lips were uncertain, a lump hurt in his throat. Donnie was
afraid that he was going to cry. He was too big to cry now--his
shoulders squared. Quickly, he turned and left the room. The man and
woman watched the pathetic little figure, with drooping head, pass the
window.
"He will understand soon that I am not going to take you away from him,"
Powell's voice was gentle, "but I know how it hurts at first."
Drawing some letters from his pocket, he seated himself beside Katherine
on the couch. "These are from the children and the matron who will
travel with them and help care for them at the Springs," he explained.
Together they read misspelled words scrawled in crude characters. One
child wanted to know if he could have a real, live chicken; another
asked nothing but a chance to see trees and places where 'the cops don't
make you keep off;' a third begged permission to bring his cat, Nigger,
"becoz Nigger ain't got no one to luv him but me--becoz he has got a
crooked tail and one eye's gone, but I luv him and he luvs me and he'll
be lonesome after I go way."
Katherine remembered the dog that had been her sole companion so many
hours--the dog that Limber had buried in a little grave at the Circle
Cross.
"Of course, Nigger is coming?" she laughed with a catch in her voice.
"A special invitation has already gone for him, and the matron is
authorized to buy a basket for Nigger's comfort;" was the answer.
Katherine was silent for a moment, and Powell leaned toward her. His
hand lifted her face gently, "Sweetheart, what are your thoughts?"
Her eyes were dim and her voice trembled, "'And a Knight shall come that
shall have a head of gold, the look of a lion, a heart of steel,
conditions without weakness, the valour of a man, and faith and belief
in God. And he shall be the best Knight in the world.'"
Powell's arms slipped about her and he drew her close. "May I prove
worthy to be your Knight for all the days of my life, dear Lady of the
Pool!"