A SPEECH
The Marshalls and Billy Winthrop came in their car. The ride through the
cañon had been pleasant. They were talking about Overland. They had been
discussing the rearrangement of a great many things since the news of
Louise's heritage had become known.
"You had better close the muffler, Billy. You are frightening that
pony!"
"That's the Yuma colt," said Winthrop. "Overland is riding her."
"Overland?"
"Yes. He's coming to meet us."
Plunging through the crackling greasewood at the side of the road, the
Yuma colt leaped toward the car. In broad sombrero, blue silk
neckerchief, blue flannel shirt, and silver-studded leather chaps, was a
strangely familiar figure. The great silver spurs rang musically as the
pony reared. The figure gave easily to the wild plunging of the horse,
yet was as firm as iron in the saddle.
Anne drew a deep breath. It was not the grotesque, frock-coated Overland
of a recent visit, nor was it the ragged, unkempt vision Louise had
conjured up for her in relating the Old Meadow story. In fact, it was
not Overland Red at all, but Jack Summers, the range-rider of the old
red Abilene days. He was clean-shaven, vigorous, splendidly strong, and
confident. In the saddle, bedecked in his showy trappings, surrounded by
his friends, Jack Summers had found his youth again, and the past was as
a closed book, for the nonce.
"I'm the boss's envy extraordinary," said Overland, by way of greeting.
"Walt said something else, too, about bein' a potentiary, but I reckon
_that_ was a joke."
"Good-morning! Don't get down! Glad to see you again!"
But Overland was in the road, hat in hand, and Yuma's bridle-reins over
one arm.
"'Mornin', Billy! 'Mornin', Doctor! You run right up to the house. I left
the gate open."
Then Overland rode back, following them. Later he reappeared, minus
spurs and chaps, but still clad in the garb of the range-rider. He was
as proud and happy as a boy. He seemed to have dropped ten years from
his shoulders. And he was strangely unlike his old boisterous self
withal.
The noon sun crept through the moon-vine. Out on the wide veranda was
the long table. They were a happy group at luncheon there. Even the
taciturn Brand Williams had been persuaded to come. His native
picturesqueness was rather effaced by a black, characterless suit of
"store clothes."
Walter Stone, at the conclusion of the luncheon, asked Overland to make
a speech. Nothing daunted, Overland rose briskly.
"I expect you're lookin' for me to fall off the roof of the cannery into
the tomato-vat and make a large red splash. Not me. I got somethin' to
say. Now the difference in droppin' a egg on the kitchen floor and
breakin' it calm-like, in a saucer, ain't only the muss on the floor.
You save the egg. Just recent I come nigh to losin' my whole basket. You
all know who saved 'em. Not namin' any names, the same person, by jest
bein' herself, and kind to everybody, put me wise to the fact that money
and clothes ain't all that goes to make a man. And, at the same time,
speakin' kind of orthodoxical, money and clothes has a whole lot to do
with makin' a man. I just got hep to that idea recent.
"Speakin' of clothes leads me to remark that I got a new outfit up at
the bunk-house. It's a automobilein' outfit. Billy says it's the correc'
thing. He helped me pick it out. Which leads Billy into this here thing,
too. He said to break the news gentle, and not scare anybody to death
and not get 'em to thinkin' that somebody was hurt or anything like
that, so I'm breakin' it to you easy. Me and Billy is goin' away. We're
goin' in the Guzzuh--'God save the mush,' as the pote says. We are the
Overland Red Towerist and Observation Company, Unlimited. We are goin'
"'Round the world and back again;
Heel and toe in sun and rain'--
as another pote says. Only we ride. I ain't got nothin' to say about
gettin' married, or happy days, or any of that ordinary kind of stuff. I
want to drink the health of my friends. I got so many and such good ones
that I dassent to incriminate any particular one; so I say, lookin' at
your faces like roses and lilies and--and faces, I say,--
"'Here's to California, the darling of the West,
A blessin' on those livin' here--
And God help all the rest.'"
Overland sat down amid applause. He located his tobacco and papers,
rolled a cigarette with one hand, and gazed across the hills. Glancing
up, he saw Louise looking at him. He smiled. "I was settin' on a crazy
bronc' holdin' his head up so he couldn't go to buckin'--outside a
little old adobe down in Yuma, Arizona, then. Did you ever drift away
like that, just from some little old trick to make you dream?"
At a nod from Aunt Eleanor they all rose.
Louise stepped from her end of the table to where Overland stood gazing
out across the hills. She touched him lightly on the arm. He turned and
looked at her unseeingly. His eyes were filled with the dreams of his
youth, dreams that had not come true ... and yet.... He gazed down into
her face. His expression changed. His eyes grew misty with happiness. He
realized how many friends he had and how loyal and excellent they were.
And of all that he had gained his greatest treasure was his love for
Louise--for Louise Lacharme, the little Rose Girl of his dreams. That
love lay buried deep in his rugged heart. She would never know of it. No
one should ever know--not even Collie.
Louise, in an ecstasy of affection and pity that she could not
understand, suddenly flung her arms around Overland's neck and kissed
him full on the lips.
More than he had ever dared to dream had come true.
THE END
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