LIVING UP TO ONE'S REPUTATION
"Well! my lady certainly takes her time about getting up," Belle
Starkweather was saying.
"She was tired after her journey, I presume," her father said.
"Across the continent in a day-coach, I suppose," laughed Hortense,
yawning.
"I _was_ astonished at that bill for taxi hire Olstrom put on your desk,
Pa," said Belle. "She must have ridden all over town before she came
here."
"A girl who couldn't take a plain hint," cried Hortense, "and stay away
altogether when we didn't answer her telegram----"
"Hush, girls. We must treat her kindly," said their father. "Ahem!"
"I don't see _why_?" demanded Hortense, bluntly.
"You don't understand everything," responded Mr. Starkweather, rather
weakly.
"I don't understand _you_, Pa, sometimes," declared Hortense.
"Well, I'll tell you one thing right now!" snapped the older girl. "I've
ordered her things taken out of that chamber. Her shabby old trunk has
gone up to the room at the top of the servants' stairway. It's good enough
for her."
"We certainly have not got to have this cowgirl around for long,"
continued Hortense. "She'd be no fit company for Flossie. Flossie's rude
enough as it is."
The youngest daughter had gone to school, so she was not present with her
saucy tongue to hold up her own end of the argument.
"Think of a girl right from a cattle ranch!" laughed Belle. "Fine! I
suppose she knows how to rope steers, and break ponies, and ride bareback
like an Indian, and all that. Fine accomplishments for a New York
drawing-room, I must say."
"Oh, yes," joined in Hortense. "And she'll say 'I reckon,' and drop her
'g's' and otherwise insult the King's English."
"Ahem! I must warn you girls to be less boisterous," advised their
father.
"Why, you sound as though you were almost afraid of this cowgirl, Pa,"
said Belle, curiously.
"No, no!" protested Mr. Starkweather, hurriedly.
"Pa's so easy," complained Hortense. "If I had my way I wouldn't let her
stay the day out."
"But where would she go?" almost whined Mr. Starkweather.
"Back where she came from."
"Perhaps the folks there don't want her," said Belle.
"Of course she's a pauper," observed Hortense.
"Give her some money and send her away, Pa," begged Belle.
"You ought to. She's not fit to associate with Flossie. You know just how
Floss picks up every little thing----"
"And she's that man's daughter, too, you know," remarked Belle.
"Ahem!" said their father, weakly.
"It's not decent to have her here."
"Of course, other people will remember what Morrell did. It will make a
scandal for us."
"I cannot help it! I cannot help it!" cried Mr. Starkweather, suddenly
breaking out and battling against his daughters as he sometimes did when
they pressed him too closely. "I cannot send her away."
"Well, she mustn't be encouraged to stay," declared Hortense.
"I should say not," rejoined Belle.
"And getting up at this hour to breakfast," Hortense sniffed.
Helen Morrell wore strong, well-made walking boots. Good shoes were
something that she could always buy in Elberon. But usually she walked
lightly and springily.
Now she came stamping through the small hall, and on the heels of the last
remark, flung back the curtain and strode into the den.
"Hullo, folks!" she cried. "Goodness! don't you get up till noon here in
town? I've been clean out to your city park while I waited for you to wash
your faces. Uncle Starkweather! how be you?"
She had grabbed the hand of the amazed gentleman and was now pumping it
with a vigor that left him breathless.
"And these air two of your gals?" quoth Helen. "I bet I can pick 'em out
by name," and she laughed loudly. "This is Belle; ain't it? Put it thar!"
and she took the resisting Belle's hand and squeezed it in her own brown
one until the older girl winced, muscular as she herself was.
"And this is 'Tense--I know!" added the girl from Sunset Ranch, reaching
for the hand of her other cousin.
"No, you don't!" cried Hortense, putting her hands behind her. "Why! you'd
crush my hand."
"Ho, ho!" laughed Helen, slapping her hand heartily upon her knee as she
sat down. "Ain't you the puny one!"
"I'm no great, rude----"
"Ahem!" exclaimed Mr. Starkweather, recovering from his amazement in time
to shut off the snappy remark of Hortense. "We--we are glad to see you,
girl----"
"I knew you'd be!" cried Helen, loudly. "I told 'em back on the ranch that
you an' the gals would jest about eat me up, you'd be so glad, when ye
seen me. Relatives oughter be neighborly."
"Neighborly!" murmured Hortense. "And from Montana!"
"Butcher got another one; ain't ye, Uncle Starkweather?" demanded the
metamorphosed Helen, looking about with a broad smile. "Where's the little
tad?"
"'Little tad'! Oh, won't Flossie be pleased?" again murmured Hortense.
"My youngest daughter is at school," replied Mr. Starkweather, nervously.
"Shucks! of course," said Helen, nodding. "I forgot they go to school half
their lives down east here. Out my way we don't get much chance at
schoolin'."
"So I perceive," remarked Hortense, aloud.
"Now I expect _you_,'Tense," said Helen, wickedly, "have been through all
the isms and the ologies there be--eh? You look like you'd been all worn
to a frazzle studyin'."
Belle giggled. Hortense bridled.
"I really wish you wouldn't call me out of my name," she said.
"Huh?"
"My name is Hortense," said that young lady, coldly.
"Shucks! So it is. But that's moughty long for a single mouthful."
Belle giggled again. Hortense looked disgusted. Uncle Starkweather was
somewhat shocked.
"We--ahem!--hope you will enjoy yourself here while you--er--remain," he
began. "Of course, your visit will be more or less brief, I suppose?"
"Jest accordin' to how ye like me and how I like you folks," returned the
girl from Sunset Ranch, heartily. "When Big Hen seen me off----"
"Who--_who_?" demanded Hortense, faintly.
"Big Hen Billings," said Helen, in an explanatory manner. "Hen was
dad's--that is he worked with dad on the ranch. When I come away I told
Big Hen not to look for me back till I arrove. Didn't know how I'd find
you-all, or how I'd like the city. City's all right; only nobody gets up
early. And I expect we-all can't tell how we like each other until we get
better acquainted."
"Very true--very true," remarked Mr. Starkweather, faintly.
"But, goodness! I'm hungry!" exclaimed Helen. "You folks ain't fed yet;
have ye?"
"We have breakfasted," said Belle, scornfully. "I will ring for the
butler. You may tell Lawdor what you want--er--_Cousin_ Helen," and she
looked at Hortense.
"Sure!" cried Helen. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Ye see, I didn't have any
watch and the sun was clouded over this morning. Sort of run over my time
limit--eh? Ah!--is this Mr. Lawdor?"
The shaky old butler stood in the doorway.
"It is _Lawdor_," said Belle, emphatically. "Is there any breakfast left,
Lawdor?"
"Yes, Miss Belle. When Gregson told me the young miss was not at the table
I kept something hot and hot for her, Miss. Shall I serve it in my room?"
"You may as well," said Belle, carelessly. "And, _Cousin_ Helen!"
"Yep?" chirped the girl from the ranch.
"Of course, while you are here, we could not have you in the room you
occupied last night. It--it might be needed. I have already told Olstrom,
the housekeeper, to take your bag and other things up to the next floor.
Ask one of the maids to show you the room you are to occupy--_while you
remain_."
"That's all right, Belle," returned the Western girl, with great
heartiness. "Any old place will do for me. Why! I've slept on the ground
more nights than you could shake a stick at," and she tramped off after
the tottering butler.
"Well!" gasped Hortense when she was out of hearing, "what do you know
about _that_?"
"Pa, do you intend to let that dowdy little thing stay here?" cried
Belle.
"Ahem!" murmured Mr. Starkweather, running a finger around between his
collar and his neck, as though to relieve the pressure there.
"Her clothes came out of the ark!" declared Hortense.
"And that hat!"
"And those boots--or is it because she clumps them so? I expect she is
more used to riding than to walking."
"And her language!" rejoined Belle.
"Ahem! What--what can we do, girls?" gasped Mr. Starkweather.
"Put her out!" cried Belle, loudly and angrily.
"She is quite too, too impossible, Pa," agreed Hortense.
"With her coarse jokes," said the older sister.
"And her rough way," echoed the other.
"And that ugly dress and hat."
"A pauper relation! Faugh! I didn't know the Starkweathers owned one."
"Seems to me, _one_ queer person in the house is enough," began Hortense.
Her father and sister looked at her sharply.
"Why, Hortense!" exclaimed Belle.
"Ahem!" observed Mr. Starkweather, warningly.
"Well! we don't want _that_ freak in the house," grumbled the younger
sister.
"There are--ahem!--some things best left unsaid," observed her father,
pompously. "But about this girl from the West----"
"Yes, Pa!" cried his daughters in duet.
"I will see what can be done. Of course, she cannot expect me to support
her for long. I will have a serious talk with her."
"When, Pa?" cried the two girls again.
"Er--ahem!--soon," declared the gentleman, and beat a hasty retreat.
"It had better be pretty soon," said Belle, bitterly, to her sister. "For
I won't stand that dowdy thing here for long, now I tell you!"
"Good for you, Belle!" rejoined Hortense, warmly. "It's strange if we
can't--with Flossie's help--soon make her sick of her visit."