"Did I say positively that it was a diamond?" he asked, in sportive
tone.
"No, I believe not; but what did you do with it?"
"Sold it, little sister; sold it for five thousand dollars."
There was an exclamation of delight from all present except Juanita, to
whom the fact was no news.
"Why, my good brother, you seem to have made quite a speculation out of
your misfortune in being captured and held prisoner so long," laughed
Dr. Landreth.
"Yes," Rupert said, with an ardent look of love directed to his
bride. "I found a treasure there that I could have found nowhere
else, therefore do not regret all I have suffered. Though I would the
suffering had been mine alone," he added, with a tender glance at his
mother's worn face and a perceptible tremble in his manly tones.
"Never mind, my dear boy," she said, laying her hand affectionately
upon his arm and gazing with all a mother's love and pride into his
handsome face; "none of us need care for them now that they are all
over and we have you safe among us once more."
"In fine, vigorous health too, I should say, from your appearance,"
added the doctor.
"Yes, Charlie, your prescription has worked wonders," Rupert replied,
with a happy laugh. "I never felt better in my life."
"And you are quite a rich man," the doctor went on gayly. "Your
business here has thrived and increased under my fostering care, so
that there are a few thousands in bank to add to those you have brought
with you; and besides, the fine business ready for you to step into
again this very day if you like."
"Charlie, how can I thank you!" Rupert exclaimed with emotion, grasping
the doctor's hand with brotherly warmth.
"No thanks needed, Ru," returned the doctor, laconically. "Don, my
boy," wheeling round upon him, "I don't believe one of us has asked
what success in the search for gold you have to tell of."
"No," said the mother; "we were so glad to get sight of his face that
we never thought of the gold."
Don gave her a loving smile. "And I," he said, "have been so taken up
with the happiness of being with you all again, and the return of my
brother, 'who was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found,' that
I have not thought of it myself. I have been moderately successful, so
that I have enough to give me a fair start in business."
"I'm very glad, Don," said Rupert. "And if you shouldn't have quite
enough, you won't be too proud to take a little help from your older
brother, will you?"
"Or your brother-in-law?" supplemented the doctor.
"Or your father?" Mr. Keith added, with an affectionate look and smile.
"I am abundantly able, and have, perhaps, the best right."
Don's face beamed with happiness. "Thank you all," he said.
"No, I shouldn't be too proud to accept help from any of you, father
especially; but I hope not to need it."
"But, Rupert," said Wallace, inquiringly, "I suppose you had to use a
part of your five thousand for travelling expenses?"
"No, you needn't suppose any such thing, my good brother," replied
Rupert, with a good-humored laugh; "the gold I told you Juanita
and I picked up was more than sufficient for that and all other
expenditures--for clothing and so forth--in fact we still have a few
hundreds of it left."
"Fortunate creatures that you are!" said Zillah. "And yet I don't think
ten times what you have would pay for that long captivity among the
Indians."
"No," said Rupert, "I would not voluntarily endure it again for that,
or twice that; though now that it is over I am not sorry to have had
the experience. Are you for your share of it, love?" to Juanita,
sitting by his side.
"Ah, my husband," lifting to him eyes beaming with love and happiness,
"I can never, never regret anything that brought us together!"
"What beautifully correct English Juanita speaks," remarked Mildred,
admiringly.
"Yes, I think so," said Rupert, "and take all the credit to myself,
since I have been her only teacher; she could not speak a word of it
when we first met."
"He first stole my heart," said Juanita, with a low, musical laugh,
"and then it was not so difficult to make me understand and speak his
language."
"No," said Rupert; "if there was any theft it was on your side; you
robbed me of my heart with the first glance of your lovely eyes, so
that when I got possession of yours it was only a fair exchange, which,
according to the proverb, is no robbery."
Juanita looked at him with pretended reproach in her beautiful eyes.
"He always gets the better of me when we quarrel like this; he always
will have the last word."
"Ah, but you shouldn't let him," Zillah said, with a merry look at her
husband. "Wallace knows better than to expect it always. Don't you,
dear?"
"Oh yes, of course," laughed Wallace; "but for all that I'm not apt to
stop till I've freed my mind; and sometimes my wife is wise enough not
to answer back unless with soft words or a merry jest that conquers my
inclination to be disagreeable."
"She's a very nice, wise little woman," remarked the doctor, "yet,
I think, excelled to some extent by her elder sister," glancing at
Mildred as he spoke.
"Probably the possessive pronoun has not a little to do with that
opinion, Charlie," Mildred said, with a happy smile.
"Rupert," said Don, "did you never lose your way while crossing those
almost boundless Texas prairies?"
"Once we did," replied Rupert, "but finding a compass after some little
search we were able to go on in the right direction."
"A compass?" cried Annis; "what sort of compass could be found out
there?"
"It is a little plant which grows there, can always be found, and
under all circumstances, in all kinds of weather--sunshine, rain, or
frost--invariably turns its leaves and flowers to the north. Mr. Baird
pointed it out to me, and told me this about it before we left his
ranch."
"What a wonderful provision of nature!" exclaimed Wallace.
"How kindly God provides for all the needs of His creatures," said Mrs.
Keith.
Silence fell upon them for a moment. It was broken by an exclamation
from Juanita.
"What a happy family, my Rupert! How many brothers and sisters, and all
so kind and loving to each other."
"And these are not all, my Juanita," he said. "Ah, if only Ada and
Cyril were here!" turning to his mother as he spoke.
"Your father has already written for Cyril to come home to see his
long-lost brothers," she said, "but Ada we can hardly hope to see for a
year or two yet."
"Is she happy?" he asked.
"Very happy in her chosen work, as well as in her husband and two sweet
children."
"Dear girl," he murmured, "I trust she will have many stars in her
crown of rejoicing. You too, mother. What a good work you have done in
training her for hers."
"To God be all the glory," she said; "without His blessing all my
teachings would have availed nothing. And greatly as I miss my dear
daughter, I feel that He has highly honored me in making me the mother
of a devoted missionary of the cross.
"Ah, Rupert, you have had an opportunity to do a like work for the
Master while an involuntary dweller among a heathen people."
She looked at him inquiringly as she spoke.
"Yes," he said, "and I made some effort to improve it. I told the old,
old story to all whom I could get to listen, and sometimes I thought
their hearts were touched. I trust the seed sown may some day spring up
and bring forth fruit, though I shall know nothing of it till we meet
before the great white throne.
"There was one--an old man, who was ill a long while, dying of
consumption--of whom I have strong hope.
"I did what I could to relieve his physical suffering, and he was very
grateful. That made him the more willing to listen to my talk of the
evil of sin, the danger of eternal death, and God's appointed way of
salvation.
"At first he heard me with apparently perfect indifference, but after
some time he became deeply convicted of sin, and at length, as I had
reason to believe, sincerely converted.
"'Was it for me? for _me_? Did He die to save _me_?' he asked again
and again, the tears falling fast from his aged eyes. 'And His blood
cleanses from all sin, _all sin_?' he repeated over and over again.
Then holding up his hands, 'These hands are red--red with the blood
of my foes,' he said. 'I have been on the war-path many, many times;
I have taken very many scalps; I have slain men, women, and little
children. Can His blood wash away such stains?'
"'Yes,' I said. 'Let me read you the very words from God's own Book;'
and I did so, for I had my Bible in my hand.
"'The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. And He
is mighty to save,' I added; then read again from the Book,
"'He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by
Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.'
"Then I read again from the Book, 'It is Christ that died, yea, rather
that is risen again, who is ever at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us,' and spoke more fully than I had before of
the resurrection, and of Christ as our Advocate with the Father, the
one Mediator between God and man.
"He listened eagerly, hanging upon my words as if he felt that the life
of his soul depended upon his full understanding of them.
"And I think he did fully comprehend at last, for such light and peace
came into his face as almost transfigured it; one could not have
believed it the face of a savage. And the expression never changed
during the few hours that he lived.
"I stayed with him to the end, and it was perfectly calm and peaceful."
Rupert paused, overcome by emotion. Juanita crept closer to him and
put her hand in his, while her eyes sought his face with a look of
sympathy and love.
He pressed the little hand fondly, giving her a reassuring smile. Then
addressing his mother again, "I shall always feel," he said, "that the
salvation of that one soul more than repays all I have suffered in
consequence of my capture by the Indians."
"Yes," she said, "it is worth more than the sufferings we have all
endured in consequence of that, to us, dreadful event. For they were
but temporary, and that soul will live forever."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Chapter Nineteenth.
"Happy in this, she is not yet so old
But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn;
Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king."
SHAKESPEARE.
"What do you think of the new member of the family, Cousin Flora?"
asked Dr. Landreth.
It was the afternoon of the day succeeding the arrival of Don, and
Rupert and his wife. Dr. Landreth had a call to the country, and had
invited Flora to drive with him.
They had left the town behind, and were bowling rapidly along a smooth,
level road running through woods gorgeous in their autumn robes of
crimson and gold, russet, green, and brown.
Flora had been among the listeners to Rupert's story of his and
Juanita's captivity and subsequent wanderings, and had, as the doctor
noticed at the time, furtively watched Juanita very closely.
"I admire her, of course," was the reply.
"But why of course?" he asked.
"You all do; no one could help it. She is very dark, but extremely
handsome in spite of that."
Rupert was at that very time asking his mother that same question,
having gone to her room and found her there alone.
"I think her sweet and beautiful in appearance and manners," Mrs. Keith
answered, smiling up at her tall son as he stood at her side, and
making room for him on the couch where she sat. "There has not been
time for me to form any further judgment," she continued as he accepted
her invitation, taking her hand fondly into his, "but I assure you I am
disposed to the very most favorable opinion, both because you love her
and of all she has done for you. Perhaps but for her faithful nursing
of my wounded boy I should never have seen his dear face again."
Her voice trembled with emotion as she spoke the last words.
"Very likely not, dear mother," Rupert said, supporting her with his
arm. "But setting aside the gratitude, which is certainly her due,
from me at least, I am sure you will soon learn to love her for her
many very lovable qualities."
"I do not doubt it, my son. And it rejoices my heart to see how great
is your mutual love. I trust it may but increase with years, as has
your father's and mine."
"I hope so indeed, mother. It has always been very evident to me that
you and my father loved each other dearly. I do not remember ever to
have heard either one address an unkind word to the other."
"No," she said; "your father has been the best of husbands to me
always."