WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK.
"THERE is not the least harm in it, Cousin Ruth. It is only that you
don't understand our Western customs," Jack announced sweetly.
She was standing in front of the living-room fire with her hands clasped
behind her. Her head was up in the air, showing the firm line of her
chin and the mutinous expression of her eyes, which were half closed.
It was after tea at Rainbow Lodge and, except for Jack and Cousin Ruth,
the scene would have been a peaceful and beautiful one.
Jean was playing softly on a new piano which had lately been installed
at the Lodge, for among other things the new governess was giving the
ranch girls music lessons. Jean, who had studied before and had a good
deal of talent, was rarely away from the piano when she was in the
house. Frieda leaned against her cousin, watching her play, while Olive
had a book in her lap, pretending to read. Cousin Ruth sat by the
library table with a basket of mending beside her and a very
uncompromising expression on her face. She was pale to-night, although
she looked in better health and younger than she had when she first
arrived at Rainbow Ranch three weeks before.
"I am sorry to differ with you, Jack," Ruth returned firmly. "But it
would be very difficult to convince me that a round-up is any place for
a young girl. If it is a western custom for girls to attend them, then I
think the custom is shocking. In any case I am certainly not willing for
you to go."
Jack's eyes flashed defiantly. For three weeks there had been a kind of
armed neutrality between Jacqueline Ralston and her new cousin. Jack
considered that she had been very patient with Cousin Ruth's bossing.
Ruth believed that she had been very forbearing with Jack's pride. Jack
had given up her beloved custom of riding over the ranch every morning,
to spend three poky hours in the schoolroom with the other girls, but
she did not intend to be interfered with any further in her plans for
running their ranch.
"I am sorry, Cousin Ruth," Jack argued, still keeping her temper under
control. "In anything else I should be quite willing to give up to your
judgment, but you see I happen to know about our Wyoming round-ups and
you don't. They are not nearly so wild and bloodthirsty as you imagine.
I shall not go near the place where they are herding the cattle, though
lots of times women drive over to the round-ups and stay on the
outskirts of things just to see the cowboys and horses pass by. It's
simply great!" For a moment Jack's eyes sparkled, but then she tried to
appear more serious. "Besides, Cousin Ruth, it happens to be a matter of
business for me to attend the round-up this fall. This is the last one
until spring and, as I told you, it will be only a small one, but lots
of our cattle have been disappearing for months and I want to consult
with some of our neighboring ranchmen about it. Jean Bruce, do please
stop making that noise," Jack demanded, her bad humor flashing out at
Jean.
Jean brought her music to an end with a loud crash, and then came over
and sat down cross-legged on a rug by the fire in front of Ruth.
"Don't waste your time arguing with Jack, Cousin Ruth," Jean advised.
"When she says she ought to do a thing, she means she intends to do it.
It is perfectly absurd for Jack to insist that she has any business at
the round-up, for she knows perfectly well that Jim can attend to
everything. It is nobody in the world but old Dan Norton who is stealing
our cattle and it seems to me we had better not have any more trouble
with him, until more important affairs are settled."
"I entirely agree with you, Jean," said Cousin Ruth severely. "Jack, you
are not old enough to decide such matters for yourself."
Jack did not answer. She directed a single angry glance at Jean, but
Jean was hard to quarrel with. She made the most irritating speeches and
then looked as innocent as a lamb. Frieda had stolen up to Jack and
slipped her hand in her sister's. It frightened Frieda terribly when
people quarreled, and Jack saw that her little sister's eyes were full
of tears.
Jack walked over and sat down in a big chair, drawing little Frieda up
in her lap and there was an uncomfortable silence in the room until
feet sounded along the hall and a knock came at the living-room door.
"Why it's Jim!" Jean exclaimed in surprise, scrambling to her feet. "I
wonder what brings him up to the ranch house to-night? We have seen
hardly anything of him since Cousin Ruth arrived!"
Ruth bent her head lower over her work. It was true. She need not have
feared Mr. Colter's influence with the ranch girls, for he had not been
to the Lodge, except on business, since she undertook to chaperon them.
He was very polite to her, but he seemed afraid to speak in her
presence. Ruth wondered if she seemed as much of an old maid to him as
he had thought her at first.
"Jim, what's up? You are a swell to-night," Jean teased. "Did you think
we were giving a party?"
Jim did look different. He wore a stiff white shirt instead of a soft
flannel one and could hardly turn his head in his starched linen collar.
Frieda flew to him with a little cry of welcome.
"What's the matter, baby?" Jim demanded, noticing Frieda's flushed
cheeks. As he gazed slowly around the family group, he noticed Miss
Jacqueline Ralston's haughty expression and Miss Ruth Drew's severe one;
saw Olive's troubled face and Jean's mischievous one. "I guess I had
better be going," Jim suggested, backing toward the door.
"Oh, no, Jim," Jack insisted carelessly. "There is nothing the matter,
only Cousin Ruth does not wish me to go to the round-up with you in the
morning. Will you please tell her that cowboys aren't all villains!"
Jim frowned. "If your Cousin don't want you to go, Jack, seems like you
had better stay at home," he declared quietly.
A little flush of triumph spread over Ruth's face. This was her first
trouble with any one of the ranch girls and their friend had sided with
her. She gave him a grateful glance, then closed her lips more firmly
than ever. With any one of the four girls save Jack, she would have
tried persuasion instead of command. But it seemed to her perfectly
useless to attempt to influence Jack.
Jack shrugged her shoulders. "I don't agree with you, Jim," she declared
obstinately.
Jim brought his lips together with a snap and stared straight at the
elder Miss Ralston. "Look here, Jack," he said, "wasn't it you who
asked your cousin to come out here to live with you, so as to have some
one to tell you what was right? Now it seems to me that you only want
her to tell you what you happen to want to do. I wasn't at all certain
that you ought to ride over to the round-up with me, but I've been
treating you like a boy so long, I can't somehow remember you're a girl.
Stay at home and keep out of mischief." Jim laughed.
Ruth smiled, thinking the battle was won, but Jack got up calmly and
marched out of the room and they heard her bedroom door close.
"I am afraid Jack is kind of hard-headed, but you mustn't mind," Jim
murmured apologetically. "You see she has always had things pretty much
her own way."
"Oh, let's don't talk about Jack," Jean expostulated. "Jim, I have been
telling Cousin Ruth that it is perfectly absurd for her not to learn how
to ride horseback and that she might as well be buried alive as not to
know how to ride out here on the ranch. The very idea, we can't go to
return Mrs. Simpson's and the lovely Laura's call without hitching up
our old mess-wagon. For goodness sake, won't you teach Cousin Ruth to
ride? She won't be so scared with you."
"Sure Mike," Jim exclaimed heartily and then turned a dark mahogany from
embarrassment. He had intended to use only copy-book language in his
conversation with the new governess.
Ruth was surprised. Jim was a puzzle to her, but there was no doubt that
he was very kind and very good-looking.
"I shall be horribly stupid and nervous, Mr. Colter," Ruth protested,
"but if you are sure you won't mind the trouble?"
Jim did not leave the ranch house until ten o'clock that evening. He
managed to have five minutes alone with Ruth, after the girls said
good-night.
"Miss Drew," he whispered, "will you be good enough not to let Olive go
away from the ranch alone? I came up to the Lodge to-night not knowing
whether or not I should tell the girls, but I have received threatening
notices from the Indians lately. They say they are going to have the
girl back with them at any cost. I don't believe they have any right to
her. She is old enough to be a free agent, but the Indians are a queer,
revengeful lot. They can bide their time and strike when you least
expect it."