CHAPTER XIV.
AN UNFORTUNATE ARRIVAL.
THERE was no one on the platform when Ruth dismounted, but a tall man,who was not looking for her. He was oddly handsome in spite of his queerWestern clothes, and Ruth wished for an instant that he might be Mr.Colter. Evidently he was not. He stared at her curiously for a fewseconds, then searched anxiously along every other exit of the train.
Cousin Ruth could discover no one else. The madcap girl, who had run herwild race with the train, was a little distance off. She was holdingthree ponies by their bridles, and as one of them was dancing withnervousness on account of the noise of the engine, the girl had herhands full.
Ruth Drew's heart sank to ten degrees below zero. Had she traveledacross the continent to a wild Western town to find no one to meet her?The ranch girls could not be so rude; and Ruth determined to ask thegood-looking man with the worried expression, what she ought to do.
"CAN I DO ANYTHING FOR YOU, MA'AM?"]
Jim was gazing sadly after the departing coaches. You see he was lookingfor a white-haired woman of about fifty, and supposed that the old ladyhadn't known enough to get off the train at the right station, and hadgone on to the next stop. How in the world would he be able to connectwith her?
Jim saw the young woman on the platform, but she wasn't as large anddidn't seem to him to be much older than Jack. He supposed she had cometo visit some of their ranch neighbors, yet she looked unhappy, asthough she wanted to cry. Jim's heart was touched.
He took off his broad Mexican hat, and Ruth thought with a sudden gaspthat she had never seen such blue eyes and such black hair before.
"Can I do anything for you, ma'am?" Jim inquired politely. "It 'pearslike your folks haven't come to meet you."
Ruth shook her head. She was too full of tears to trust herself to speakfor a moment. "I am afraid not," she answered finally. "Will you be goodenough to tell me how I can get over to the Rainbow Ranch? I have cometo live with the Ralston girls. I am their cousin--"
"Not Ruth?" Jim exclaimed, forgetting his shyness in his surprise. "Youcan't be Cousin Ruth, because the girls told me she was an old maid."Jim stopped abruptly, conscious that he had put his foot in it with hisfirst remark to their new visitor.
Cousin Ruth drew herself up a little stiffly. She did not like to becalled "an old maid," perhaps because she knew she often acted andlooked like one, but she was too tired to care much about anything atpresent. She only longed with all her heart to be driven home to RainbowLodge.
"I am Cousin Ruth just the same," she answered feebly, trying to smile.
Jim grabbed her suit case, carried her umbrella like a shot gun, andmarched her toward the girl who was holding the three horses, the samegirl who had shocked and entertained her from the car window.
Jacqueline slid off her pony and passed the three bridles to Jim. Shedid not know whether she ought to kiss her cousin or only to shake handswith her, for there was something in Ruth's expression that froze Jack'sfirst affectionate intention. Ruth was truly horrified at Jack'sbehavior. She didn't see how a girl could be so reckless ofappearances.
Jack held out a slim, cool hand. "I am awfully glad to see you, CousinRuth. It was very good of you to come out to us. I hope you are nottired," Jack remarked, as though she had learned her greeting out of anetiquette book. She was as stiff as a wooden Indian, because she felt soabominably shy.
Ruth's feelings were hurt. She did not think of her own manners, merelyof Jack's. "Yes, I am tired," she replied coldly. "Is the carriagewaiting for us in the town?"
Jack's face reddened. Jim gave a hasty glance of embarrassment towardthe two women. There was an awkward silence.
Jack found her voice first. "We didn't bring a wagon over for you,Cousin Ruth. We don't own a carriage," Jack explained. "It is so latethat we didn't think we would get to the ranch before night, if wedrove. We brought a horse for you to ride."
Ruth Drew sank limply on the ground. "A horse to ride!" she exclaimedfaintly. "I have never been on a horse in my life. How far is it to theranch?"
"Ten miles," Jack acknowledged shame-facedly. Ten miles did sound likea great distance to a stranger, although the ranch girls had alwaysthought that they lived very close to town; but the idea of afull-grown, able-bodied woman not knowing how to ride horseback hadnever entered Jacqueline Ralston's head. What on the face of the greenearth were they to do? "You had better go over into the town and see ifyou can get a carriage, Jim," Jack advised. "I never thought of CousinRuth's not liking to ride. I can lead the two horses home, if you willdrive her over."
Jack was really miserably embarrassed at her own failure as a hostess.She knew that they were making a dreadful first impression on CousinRuth, and Jean had warned her that first impressions were mostimportant. But Ruth Drew thought she caught something in Jack's tonethat sounded supercilious. There was nothing so extraordinary in Ruth'sbeing ignorant of horses, she had never been rich enough to own one; yetit was quite impossible for the Eastern girl and the Western one tounderstand each other's points of view.
Jim Colter came back utterly crestfallen; there was no carriage to behad in the town.
With the courage of despair, Ruth let herself be swung up on the homelybroncho. She was horribly frightened, although Jack assured her that shewas riding the gentlest pony on the ranch, one that belonged to littleFrieda. It made no difference, Ruth slipped and slid. She clutched thepony's mane in her hands and let Jim lead her, yet every time the ponywent out of a walk, Ruth wanted to shriek with fear. She had traveledhundreds and hundreds of miles from Vermont to Wyoming, but the distancewas as nothing to her ten-mile horseback ride to Rainbow Lodge.
Every muscle in Ruth's body ached; she had a horrid stitch in her sideand swayed uncertainly in the saddle. Each moment she expected to falloff.
The ride home seemed almost as long to Jack and Jim as it did to theirguest. They were so ashamed of themselves, and Jack's cheeks were hotwith blushes every time she looked at her new cousin.
After about an hour of slow traveling, Jack caught sight of Ruth. Herface was grey with pain and fatigue.
"Stop, Jim," Jack called sharply. "Cousin Ruth is going to faint."
Ruth had a dim recollection of being lifted off her horse and for therest of her journey she felt herself being held up by a strong arm. Nowand then a man's voice spoke to her, as if she were a little girl and hewere trying to comfort her. He was a haven of refuge and Ruth did notthink or care who or what he was, and finally he brought her safely toRainbow Lodge.
Jack thought she had never seen her home so lovely. There was a goldenglow behind the house and the wind stirred through the quivering yellowleaves of the cottonwood trees. Rainbow Creek lay on one side of themand on the other the broad sweep of the plains. Jack gazed wistfully atRuth who was riding in front of Jim; surely their new cousin would showsome interest in her new home!
Jean, Frieda and Olive ran out in the yard to meet the cavalcade. Jackwaved her hand, but Cousin Ruth did not open her eyes.
"We are about home, now, Miss Drew," Jim found courage to say.
"Heaven be praised!" Ruth sighed. She could barely speak.
Aunt Ellen was waiting on the porch in a starched white apron, and tookin the situation with quick sympathy. She saw her girls' disappointed,embarrassed faces and their cousin's worn one.
Aunt Ellen gathered Ruth in her arms. "Leave her alone, honies, she isjust tired out," she explained to the ranch girls. And without the leasteffort from Ruth, Aunt Ellen got her in bed, fed her some broth and toldher to go to sleep and not to worry.
In the big living-room with its splendid pine fire, Jack, Jean, Friedaand Olive ate their feast of welcome alone.
It was hardly worth while to have taken so much trouble to get ready fora guest who looked neither at you nor your house when she came in to it.
Jack was plainly cast down. Jean, Frieda and Olive were almost asdiscouraged.
"I think Cousin Ruth is tiresome," Jean exclaimed petulantly. "I don't
see why she couldn't have spoken to us."
Frieda's blue eyes filled with tears. "I don't believe she is going tolike us very much," she added disconsolately.
"I am dreadfully afraid of her already," Olive sighed. "Are you sure,Jack, that you explained to her about me? She not like my living withyou at the ranch."
Jack put her arm about Olive and drew her toward the fire. "Of courseCousin Ruth will care for you as much as she does for any one of us,Olive; she has to," Jack insisted. "Remember that while you haven't anyname of your own, you are Olive Ralston. Isn't it splendid that oldLaska and Josef have left us in peace? I wonder if they do intend togive you up to us without any more fuss!"
Olive shivered a little in Jack's grasp. "I hope so," she answeredfervently. "Laska and the old Indian life seem hundreds of years away.Yet I have been at the ranch only a little less than a month."
"Don't worry, Olive," Jack returned thoughtfully. "Let us just be gladto-night that we have one more evening alone;" which shows how Jack feltabout the arrival of the new chaperon.
The girls sat up quite late. Frieda went to sleep with her head inJack's lap, Jean fell to nodding, but Olive and Jack were wide awake.Olive was older than the ranch girls had thought her at first. She musthave come next to Jack, although old Laska had never told Olive herexact birthday.
The Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge Page 14
