THE LAW OF AVERAGES
As Olivia paused not far away for a moment, she made a charming
picture. She was wearing a white dress, and overhead the light filtered
on her through the gray-green foliage of the tall cottonwood trees.
Embarrassed and excited by the fact that so many pairs of eyes were
fastened upon her, a soft wave of color flooded her cheeks.
Observing her sister, Jeanette experienced a mingled emotion of
affection and envy. Small wonder that Olivia was a favorite with
everybody, with her father, with her new stepmother and her own
favorite sister! Gentleness was always attractive. Her own sarcastic
speech to Cecil Perry a few moments before had not injured him, but
reflected upon her.
At this instant she was astonished to see Cecil spring up from his seat
on the ground and make a sudden plunge forward. The following moment he
had thrown his arms about the young girl in the pathway, dragging her
a few feet from the spot where she had been standing. To the spectators
a heavy branch of the cottonwood tree appeared to strike the ground at
the same instant.
Cecil staggered and went down on his knees, while Olivia remained
untouched. The limb of the tree had fallen athwart his shoulder.
He was up immediately.
"I am not hurt. I only toppled over from sheer awkwardness," he
explained to John Marshall and Eric Lawton, who rushed forward to his
assistance.
"How did you know what was about to happen, Perry?" John Marshall
inquired. Older than the others, he felt that he should have been first
to the rescue.
"Oh, I don't know. I happened to be looking up toward the top of the
tree at the moment Olivia paused underneath. I was not thinking," Cecil
grinned, "I don't often think, I am not equal to it; but I saw that a
big limb of the tree had broken directly away from the trunk and was
being held in place by another branch. I was about taking that in,
when a stray breeze came along above our heads and the broken branch
wobbled. Afterwards I made a plunge for Olivia."
He turned toward her.
"I hope I did not frighten you and that you are not hurt. Between us I
trust the silver arrow is safe."
Olivia smiled.
"The arrow is safe and so am I, but you did frighten me, I confess. How
was I to guess why you sprang at me in that unexpected fashion?"
The young girl came closer and added in an undertone: "You are hurt,
I am sure, but I understand you prefer the others not to know. In a
few moments suppose we go back to the house together and let me tell
father."
Cecil shook his head; nevertheless, he dropped quickly back into his
place beside Lina, slightly paler from his recent exertion.
"The silver arrow may now be seen in fact as well as told in fiction,"
he declared. "Go ahead, let us forget the brief interruption and
discuss Jeanette's idea of a club of the Silver Arrow which is to test
one's courage."
He lay down, extending himself full length on the grass while the arrow
was being passed from one guest to the other, as if he had no further
interest in the subject. Jeanette's previous remark certainly shut him
out from joining any society that she and her friends might have in
mind.
Cecil had been a good deal spoiled, but these past few weeks in the Far
West were making him aware of the fact.
Jeanette Colter was partly responsible.
Lonely and not knowing how to entertain himself in the country, he had
spent a large portion of his time at the Rainbow Ranch.
His host and guardian, Peter Stevens, was away from home several days
out of each week. He expressed the wish that Cecil should see as much
of the Colter family as possible without boring them. For Mrs. Colter
and her husband he felt a genuine admiration. He also believed the new
Ranch Girls would teach Cecil many of the things he should have learned
before.
In their different ways they were teaching him.
A boyish admiration for Mrs. Colter was in itself an inspiration. He
never had known a woman who could do so many things brilliantly well
and remain unspoiled. She was acknowledged to be one of the finest
horsewomen in the State of Wyoming, where every woman and girl rode
well. She had traveled and occupied an important social position
in England and yet was simplicity itself. She actually had run for
Congress against his own guardian, and oftentimes since his election
Mr. Stevens had insisted that Mrs. Colter would have made the better
representative of the state that had first granted the suffrage to
women.
Lina and Olivia Colter, Cecil liked extremely well. If Olivia had been
older he would have preferred her for his companion, as he was not so
interested in books and study as the oldest of the Colter girls wished
him to be.
Eda was too young and too shy with strangers to make any special
impression upon him, save that she fascinated him by her odd beauty and
grace.
Jeanette Colter he did not like, and yet in a way she entertained him
more than her sisters.
Jeanette appeared wilful and self-centered, with no strong affection
for any one save herself. She ordinarily went her own way without
consideration for any one else and without interference. If her father
ever objected to what she said or did, Cecil had no knowledge of it.
He was thinking of Jeanette as he lay outstretched on the grass, his
shoulder aching from the bruise he had just received, and spiritually
wounded by her unkind speech.
To his surprise he glanced up at this moment to find her standing above
him.
She wore a less self-confident expression than usual. Her gray-blue
eyes were troubled, her lips less firm.
"I am sorry, Cecil, I was rude and unfair to you. If you had no
physical courage you would not have been so quick to save Via from
being hurt at some danger to yourself."
Jeanette's tones were sufficiently loud to be heard by the entire
group. Blushing furiously over his fair skin until the color mounted to
the roots of his hair, Cecil got quickly to his feet, notwithstanding
the pain his sudden movement induced.
He was more annoyed with Jeanette at present than he had been from her
original speech. She was by her apology again calling the attention of
the others to him. If she had any understanding of a fellow she would
know he would hate the situation.
"Don't talk so loud, Jeanette, and for goodness sake don't speak of my
being in danger if the branch of a tree happened to fall on me. I'm not
such a weakling as all that! Olivia is a little girl and might have
been hurt."
Cecil spoke in a low voice and yet Jeanette was angry. She had brought
herself to apologize to him as an act of duty, and assuredly her
apology was not being received in a spirit that made the effort worth
while.
"Why did so many things go wrong with her these days?" Jeanette asked
herself.
She and Cecil were both relieved by observing a number of older people
leaving the house. Some of them were moving in their direction, the
others were on their way home.
Among the newcomers to the group of younger guests were their host and
hostess.
"You will stay and have a late supper with us?" Mrs. Colter invited,
seating herself in Lina's vacated chair by the tea table and regarding
the few remaining visitors. "I cannot promise you much of a feast, only
what is left in the way of sandwiches and ices. But do stay. It is
always dull after a party when all one's friends go away at the same
time."
Mrs. Colter looked unusually tired.
John Marshall, who was her neighbor and especial friend, shook his head.
"No, thank you, I must be off in a few moments. I only waited until you
were free in order to ask you a question. I hope you won't be down on
me for the suggestion, Mr. Colter."
"Fire ahead, it is the best way to find out," the older man answered.
He was regretting his wife's invitation to their guests to remain
longer. For his own part he had had enough of visitors for the day and
wished to persuade her to take a long horseback ride with him before
bedtime. If John Marshall, who was older, would soon be off, the
younger people could be left to amuse themselves.
"I wanted to tell you that we are going to undertake a field-day
celebration in our immediate neighborhood. One of our plans is to have
riding contests among the best women riders in the state. I have been
insisting that Mrs. Colter has no equal. Would you be willing to ride?
Any number of your friends will take part."
Mrs. Colter laughed, her fatigue of the moment before vanishing.
"Of course I'll ride with pleasure if my husband is willing. There
is no entertainment in life I enjoy so much." She glanced toward her
husband. "What shall I answer John Marshall, Jim? Will you consent?"
Mr. Colter hesitated. "Suppose we wait and talk the matter over. If
you do enter the contest, Jack, you must win for the honor of the old
Rainbow Ranch."
"Yes, and for the honor of my first riding teacher who is now my
husband. Oh, of course I had ridden almost as soon as I could walk,
but no one had ever told me how to ride properly until you came to the
ranch."
"I'm betting on Mrs. Colter!" Cecil Perry exclaimed, his expression
changing from chagrin to enthusiasm.
Jeanette moved nearer to the tea table.
"Mr. Marshall, is the racing contest to be open to girls as well as to
women?" she inquired.
"Yes, I think so," the young man answered, smiling at her. He liked
Jeanette's daring spirit.
"You are not thinking of entering yourself, are you?"
"Yes, if I am not too young, I should like nothing better."
"Jeanette, you cannot. You ride pretty well for a girl, I presume, but
you are not in it with Mrs. Colter," Cecil protested.
"You might kindly attend to your own affairs," was Jeanette's reply.
She had forgotten that she was speaking to a guest.
Lina Colter shook her head, not approving her stepmother's enthusiasm
over John Marshall's proposal, and even less Jeanette's.
"Cecil is right, Jeanette, whether you like what he said or not," Lina
expostulated. "I am sure father will never consent."
"Consent to what?" Mr. Colter's voice inquired, having overheard Lina's
final remark.
Jeanette came and stood beside the table close to her father,
stepmother and their guest, John Marshall.
"Lina is absurd, father! I wish to enter the riding contest. If you
are willing to have your wife attempt it you will not object to your
daughter making herself equally conspicuous. You heard Mr. Marshall say
my age or lack of age need not be a barrier."
Jeanette spoke gayly, yet there may have been a slightly jealous tone
in her voice.
An instant her father stared at her in surprise.
"Why, certainly _not_, Jeanette," he answered finally. "You are
not only too young, you are not a sufficiently skillful horsewoman.
Because you chance to ride better than the other girls you must not
have too great an opinion of your own ability. The truth is, dear, you
have no idea of the skill necessary for riding with the best horsewomen
in the State of Wyoming."
In characteristic fashion a sudden wave of color flooded the girl's
cheeks.
"You forget I have had the privilege of beholding my stepmother ride.
I believe it is your opinion that no one rides any better, if as well.
But if I choose to differ with you I do not see why I cannot have the
privilege. Besides, what harm can there be in my entering the riding
match even if I am sure not to win?"
Mr. Colter did not reply for a moment and in the interval his wife laid
her hand on his arm.
"Suppose we discuss this whole question later? I am sure if I were in
her place I should feel as she does that age, or youth, should be no
barrier."
With a smile of entire friendliness she turned toward the girl.
"Perhaps we can practice riding together, Jeanette, before the great
contest takes place. If there is anything I know I should be delighted
to teach you."
An hour later Mr. and Mrs. Colter were riding together in one of their
own fields. The twilight was deepening.
"For my sake, Jim, let Jeanette make the effort to ride if you are
willing to allow me, otherwise she will never forgive me. I do not
believe there is any special danger, or reason against it, as I can
teach her a great deal in the next few weeks."
Jim Colter smiled.
"Jack, before we were married I seemed able to manage you now and then,
but since our marriage I appear to be wax in your hands. Have your own
way once more, you and Jeanette."