NEW FRIENDS
"I should so much have preferred Lina, I cannot understand mother."
Cecil Perry and Jeanette were walking along the path that led from the
lodge to the larger house.
An instant Jeanette paused.
"You are candid, Cecil."
The young fellow flushed, in spite of the fact that his fair skin was
already reddened from the past two months spent out of doors.
"Why shouldn't I be, Jeanette? You have always been candid with me
since the beginning of our acquaintance. I don't see why a boy should
not be as frank with a girl as she with him. You know I like Lina
better than I do you. You never have made a pretense of liking me
especially. You thought when we met that I was spoiled and effeminate.
I am not sure you were not right. Still, I did not enjoy the idea then
and I do not enjoy it now."
"You have changed a good deal for the better, in my opinion, Cecil,
not that I suppose it makes any difference to you," Jeanette answered
in a more humble tone than she was accustomed to employing. "About your
mother's wish to have me help entertain her guests by riding with them
and showing them the different objects of interest in the neighborhood,
don't regret that she has chosen to ask me rather than Lina. Lina would
not have liked the task. She does not care a great deal for strangers.
Besides, she is so much happier at home than I am. I need to be away
for everybody else's sake as well as my own. If your mother really
wants me to do what you say I can't tell you how grateful and glad I
will be."
Cecil made no reply.
With a level frown Jeanette drew her straight brows together. Her color
departed, her eyes became questioning and frightened.
"See here, Cecil, I said a moment ago that you were extremely candid
with me, but perhaps after all you are not. There is something I wish
to ask you. Do you know anything about me that of late has changed your
original opinion of me so that you think it would not be wise for your
mother to trust me?"
The girl drew a deep breath, which seemed one of relief. At last she
had spoken. She had been dreading this since the unfortunate day
when she had allowed her desire for success and her dislike of her
stepmother to overthrow the principles she held dear. Yet she had not
intended to question Cecil Perry, of all persons, until this instant.
He had turned away his head and begun walking more rapidly.
Jeanette found it impossible to observe his expression.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Jeanette. Certainly there
is no reason why mother should not trust you! I don't see what trust
has to do with the fact that she took a great fancy to you when she
met you the other afternoon and wants to see more of you. She did not
say this, but I have an idea that she is interested in having you near
her so as to know you better. Besides, I'll be glad to cast some of
the entertaining business on you. Two or three people have turned up
already and mother is hoping we may be able to move into your house
this week."
"Do you mean your mother has friends with her now? Must I meet them as
well? I don't know what is the matter, I never used to be embarrassed
and shall try not to be to-day."
Jeanette straightened her shoulders, threw back her head and the color
she had lost a moment before returned.
After all, she was relieved. Cecil could know nothing of her mistake
(Jeanette preferred to think of what she had done as a mistake) else
would he have answered as he had? And had his answer been different,
would she have confessed?
Seeing a group of strangers standing on the veranda of their big house,
Jeanette stifled a sensation of resentment. Already they appeared as
if they were in actual possession of her home. Personally she had no
feeling of sentiment for the Rainbow Lodge. The old house seemed to her
small and weather-beaten and unattractive after their splendid, big
home. It was natural, perhaps, that her father and stepmother should
feel an attachment for the lodge, as they had known it so long, but why
should Lina and Via pretend to care for it? The answer, of course, was
that the other girls were under their stepmother's influence.
Jeanette hoped her father would soon recover his fortunes sufficiently
to be able to return to the big house. She wished this notwithstanding
the fact that she expected to be in the East at school. No thought of
relinquishing her intention had occurred to Jeanette. She was merely
awaiting a more fortunate moment. Jeanette felt the same pleasurable
sense of attraction she had experienced at their original meeting, when
Mrs. Perry, separating herself from her friends, took hold of her hand.
A moment after she found herself being introduced to Mr. and Mrs. John
Barret and to a girl and boy near her own age.
As a matter of fact, Margery Barret was a year older than Jeanette, and
her brother a little more than two years older.
Scarcely could Jeanette restrain an exclamation of satisfaction over
their meeting. No one could understand how she had been longing to
acquire new friends outside her own environment.
Margery and Mason Barret were from New York and had been traveling with
their mother and father in the West for their summer vacation. For this
reason they had been able to arrive sooner at the Rainbow Ranch than
Mrs. Perry's other friends.
Apparently with the desire to make the newcomers feel more at home,
Mrs. Perry remarked unexpectedly:
"Jeanette, won't you tell Mr. and Mrs. Barret and Margery and Mason
of your discovery of the silver arrow and the club you have formed in
the neighborhood? Perhaps you and Cecil may allow Margery and Mason
to attend your meetings, even if it is not possible they should be
members."
Jeanette forgot herself.
Each time she told the story of the finding of the silver arrow it
became more of a mystery. There had been so many other things to absorb
them at the outset she and her sisters had given little thought to
the origin of the arrow. Was it not pleasanter and more romantic to
consider that the arrow had sped from the bow of some unknown winged
messenger? Now when Jeanette told the story she would like to have been
able to offer some explanation. People always inquired who it was that
had shot the arrow into the depth of the ravine.
At the first pause in the conversation Mr. Barret did ask.
Jeanette could only shake her head.
"No one knows whence the arrow came, and I suppose this is one of the
reasons why we are all so interested. Perhaps some day, when one of us
wins the reward of courage, the mystery may be solved."
Cecil turned to his mother.
"Here's an idea, Mater. Why not send for a target and arrows and let
the members of the Silver Arrow club attempt to learn archery? I tried
once and was a duffer at it, but it was fun. There is a big lawn here
at the side of the house and I don't believe Mr. and Mrs. Colter would
object to our target practice."
Jeanette's eyes shone.
"Of course they would not mind. It would be wonderful. Stupid for no
one of us to have proposed the idea before!"