Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party

by Lillian Elizabeth Roy

  CHAPTER XVII

  SECRETS

  "THERE'S only one thing nicer than going camping," Blue Bonnetdeclared.

  Her grandmother looked up. "And that is--?"

  "Getting home again!" Blue Bonnet laughed happily.

  They were in sight of the ranch-house now, and could see the girls andAlec dismounting at the veranda steps. Don and Solomon leapingexcitedly about the group, suddenly caught sight of the approachingbuckboard and raced madly to meet their mistress. Even the horsesseemed glad to be home again and tired as they were with the longday's travel broke into a trot.

  Benita's brown face beamed at them from the doorway, and over hershoulder peered Juanita, with eyes only for Miguel.

  Kitty had sunk immediately into one of the deep veranda chairs.

  "I had to see how it feels to sit in a real live chair with a backonce more," she explained. "And next I want to look at myself in amirror that's more than three inches square; and have a drink out ofa glass tumbler; and put on a clean white, fluffy dress!"

  They each did all these things as eagerly as if they had been maroonedon a desert island for many months; even Grandmother Clyde wearingfresh white linen, and Alec, for the first time on the ranch appearingin a starched shirt. Whereupon the girls broke into deafeningapplause.

  "Letters, letters for everybody!" cried Blue Bonnet bursting into theliving-room with a great bundle of mail. "Three for you and one forme, Grandmother,--postmarked Turino. Heaps for you, Kitty, ditto forSarah, Amanda, Debby, Alec,--all Woodford must have joined in around-robin. Hurry and read them and then everybody swap news!"

  A long silence ensued, as profound as it was rare, while each girlpored over the precious home letters. It was Kitty who looked upfirst.

  "Susy didn't catch the fever,--and Ruth's all over it. And she's hadto have all her hair cut off, and she's dreadfully thin and doesn'tseem to get her strength back as she should, Father says. He thinksshe has fretted over having to miss the ranch party,--and nowonder!--it would simply have killed me. Susy's been a regular trumpand hasn't complained a bit, but every one knows it's been a dreadfuldisappointment, especially when she was perfectly well and could havecome if it hadn't been for Ruth."

  "It's a downright shame!" Blue Bonnet declared.

  "Father says if Ruth doesn't feel better soon she'll probably have tostay out of school this fall," Kitty continued.

  "Then I should say she hadn't suffered in vain," exclaimed BlueBonnet; Grandmother was deep in her letters.

  "But think how mean it would be to have one of the We are Sevens outof school. You know how you love to 'have things complete,'" Amandareminded her.

  "Yes, but--" she began; then feeling her grandmother's eyes upon her,failed to finish. It was odd how the girls took it for granted thatshe was going back with them. And she was not at all sure, herself.

  The girls had not noticed her hesitation, and were already exchangingother bits of home news and gossip. Alec alone was silent. BlueBonnet, stealing a look at him saw that he had finished his lettersand was staring moodily out of the window, unmindful of all the gaychatter about him.

  "Did you get bad news, Alec?" she asked him, later that evening, as heaccompanied her to the stable to see Texas and Massachusetts.

  "That depends on the way you look at it. Boyd is coming back fromEurope to take the West Point examinations--"

  Blue Bonnet smothered an exclamation: she had seen that coming.

  "--and Grandfather says that since the Army seems out of the questionfor me, he thinks I had better hurry home and take the Harvard exams.He seems set on it."

  "And you don't want to?"

  "It isn't to be thought of." Alec's mouth was very determined.

  Now why, if West Point was disposed of, could he not take the nextbest--or in her opinion the very best--thing that offered? It was onthe point of Blue Bonnet's tongue to put the question, when Alec spokeagain.

  "I've been putting off writing Grandfather,--what I told you a whileago,--thinking I might feel different after a time. But I'm moreconvinced than ever now. I had a long talk with Knight's friend 'Doc'Abbott, and he gave me a thorough going over, as he called it--"

  "And what did he say?"

  "He agrees with me, absolutely. There's no Harvard or any othercollege for Alec Trent--"

  "Oh, Alec!" Blue Bonnet was trembling. To hide it she bent and pickedup little Texas, stroking one of his silky ears. The coyotes had beenplaced in the empty rabbit-hutch, and were growing prodigiously.

  "Well, it's better to know the truth and face it, isn't it?" Alecasked, as if rather resenting her tone.

  "Yes, but--I can't see how you can speak so lightly about it. It's sodreadfully--serious."

  "Lightly?" echoed Alec. "You're mistaken, Blue Bonnet. I know it's amighty serious business for me. Why, if I could view it lightly, Icould sit down and write Grandfather about it this very minute--"

  "Well, if you don't, I'm going to!" she declared.

  "Will you? Oh, Blue Bonnet, that's just what I've been hoping you'ddo!" The relief in Alec's tone was unmistakable. "He's mighty fond ofyou, and I'm sure he'd consider that it came better from you than fromme. And it will be a lot easier for you to do it, under thecircumstances."

  Easier! Blue Bonnet bent hastily and put Texas back in the bunny-houseso that Alec might not see her face. If he had not been absorbed inhis own thoughts he must have seen what a shock his words had been toher. It was so unlike Alec to put upon a girl a task he felt too hardfor himself,--a sort of cowardice of which she would never havebelieved him capable. It took her some seconds to steady her voicebefore she could answer:

  "I'll write to-morrow."

  "You're a trump, Blue Bonnet! I seem to get deeper and deeper intoyour debt," he said earnestly.

  Blue Bonnet fastened the little door of the rabbit-hutch, leavingTexas and Massachusetts to one of their frequent naps, and then walkedback to the house in silence. Alec, observing her, believed her to becomposing her letter to the General.

  "The first of August to-day, just think how our summer is flying!"remarked Amanda next morning.

  "Just three weeks to Blue Bonnet's birthday," said Sarah, who wasengaged in making some mental calculations.

  "Sixteen! Just think how old I'm getting!" Blue Bonnet's smile showedher not at all depressed at the prospect.

  Uncle Joe cleared his throat gruffly. Why on earth did everybody keepharping on Blue Bonnet's growing up?

  "I reckon you'll be having some howling celebration?" he asked rathercrossly.

  "You wager we will!" Uncle Cliff replied, all the more cheerfullybecause he guessed the reason for Uncle Joe's irritation. "A sixteenthbirthday only comes once in a lifetime."

  Mrs. Clyde, feeling an unusual sympathy with Uncle Joe, was silent.

  "We must have some sort of a party that's--different," exclaimed BlueBonnet.

  "Everything's different in Texas," Sarah remarked, and the usual laughfollowed.

  "We can't have a dance without any boys," Blue Bonnet reflected.

  "No boys?" exclaimed Uncle Joe, with a return of his twinkle, "Well,for a ranch that keeps a baker's dozen of cowboys--"

  "All Mexicans except Sandy and Pete!" exclaimed Blue Bonnetscornfully.

  "I'll agree to furnish a boy apiece for the festive occasion," saidUncle Cliff; and Blue Bonnet, exchanging a glance with him, knew hewas nursing a well-laid scheme. "Now, listen," he continued. "I'vebeen thinking over this thing--had time to think this last week!--andI've got it all figured out. My idea is to have an all-day affair, areal old-fashioned Spanish tournament."

  Blue Bonnet clapped her hands. "Oh, Uncle Cliff, you do think of themost glorious things!"

  "In the morning," Uncle Cliff went on, "we could have a steer-ropingcontest--the Mexicans adore that--and Senorita Ashe bestow the prizes.And then--"

  "Some bronco-busting," suggested Uncle Joe. Blue Bonnet turned paleand Uncle Cliff kicked his foreman under the table.

  "None of that," he said briefl
y. "Too crude for our select company."

  "A bull-fight, then," Uncle Joe persisted, "--that's Spanish, and themost seeleck ladies adore the ring."

  "Oh, no!" cried Blue Bonnet, before she caught the gleam of mischiefin the speaker's eye.

  "We might have some races in the pasture," Alec suggested.

  "Sure!" exclaimed Uncle Cliff. "And end with a grand fete in theevening,--and give everybody a holiday."

  "Won't it be a great deal of work?" Mrs. Clyde inquired.

  "Heaps. But these greasers never have enough to do,--we'll make themwork for once," Mr. Ashe replied.

  "What shall we wear?" Of course it was Kitty who asked.

  "Oh, girls, I've the loveliest plan,--you don't mind, do you,Grandmother, if I get out my Spanish costume again?"

  Grandmother smiled at a sudden recollection. "No, dear. I think itwould fit this occasion admirably."

  "But we haven't Spanish costumes!" said Debby and Amanda in a breath.

  "Get them!" Blue Bonnet exclaimed. "Any old-fashioned, bright-coloredgown will do to begin with, and a lace scarf for mantilla--"

  "But where are we to get the gowns,--they don't grow on bushes,"demanded Kitty.

  "There is such a thing as a post, Kitty, and an express company. Andyou know your attics at home are full of lovely old things."

  "Then we'll have to send right away to get them here in time."

  The girls rose as if there were not a moment to lose, and, later inthe day, Shady rode to Jonah with a well-filled mail-bag.

  Blue Bonnet spent the entire morning over the composition of herletter to General Trent. When she sat down soberly to write Alec'sgrandfather a plain statement of facts, she found she had no facts totell,--only a host of vague fears and hints that Alec had uttered fromtime to time. It was hardly to be wondered at, therefor, that herepistle when finished was pervaded with mystery of a veiled sort thatmade the General knit his brow, fall into a brown study, and thenstalk off to the telegraph office.

  It was Uncle Cliff who received the message and the matter aroused nocomment. It said simply:

  "With your permission will come to Texas. Arrive August twentieth. Prefer Alec should not know."

  A telegram just as brief was despatched in reply; and no one was thewiser except Blue Bonnet and Grandmother Clyde. Blue Bonnet was muchelated. Telling bad news at long range was something she did notapprove of, and it promised to be a far easier solution of the problemto have the General see and learn for himself. It was not easy,however, to keep the matter from Alec, and Blue Bonnet, who had neverhad a secret of such importance before, had trouble more than once tokeep from blurting it out.

  The air for the next few days was full of mystery. Preparations forthe birthday went forth apace, and the question of gifts was theimportant topic of the hour. Isolation from shops threw the girlslargely upon their own resources; besides, it was known that Mrs.Clyde did not favor anything but the simplest of gifts. Sarah, whosedrawn-work had progressed steadily in spite of all obstacles, enjoyeda small triumph, being the only one prepared with a suitable present.

  "Now they'll leave me in peace while I finish it," she thought with asigh of relief.

  But it was not altogether peace that Sarah enjoyed, for the othergirls took it into their heads to fashion something for Blue Bonnetwith their own hands, and sought Sarah's room as the one spot securefrom the eyes of the curious.

  "What are you going to give Blue Bonnet?" Debby asked Alec one day.

  He laughed mysteriously. "I'm aiming to surprise everybody as well asBlue Bonnet. It isn't much of a present, and the surprise is the onlything about it worth while."

  Blue Bonnet was obligingly blind and deaf, in these days. Lettersflying back and forth, packages by mail or express, she ignoredreligiously.

  "It's a real midsummer Christmas," she said to her grandmother oneday, when all the other girls had shut themselves up in Sarah's room."I thought there never could be anything so exciting and thrilly asgetting ready for Christmas in Woodford, but this is running itclose!"

  "The mistress of the Blue Bonnet ranch is a very important personagethese days," said Grandmother.

  "She always has been made to feel important here. That's why it was sohard at first when I came to you and Aunt Lucinda." Blue Bonnet drew alow hassock beside her grandmother, and leaned cosily against her inthe way they both loved. "You see, having my own way ever since I wasold enough to have a way, didn't make it very easy to obey orders. Mywishes didn't seem to count much with Aunt Lucinda."

  "But they do count, dear. Your aunt is very fond of you, Blue Bonnet,and would grant any reasonable wish if she had it in her power."

  "Oh, I understand her better now. It didn't take me very long torealize that she was running that ranch--that's a figure of speech,Grandmother,--and it was my turn _to be run_."

  Mrs. Clyde stroked the brown head lovingly. "I saw the struggle, dear,and I know it was not easy. The things that are worth while don't comewithout effort."

  Blue Bonnet smiled understanding into her grandmother's eyes. "I know.And I'm so glad I wasn't what Uncle Cliff calls a 'quitter.' Stickingit out was pretty hard, but it's made me feel more--worthy, somehow,to be sixteen!"

  Mystery reached its highest point the next day when Kitty, who hadbeen absorbed in a bulky letter from home, suddenly gave a shrillscream of excitement, and summoning the other three girls, fled toSarah's room. The high-pitched chatter and ejaculations that issuedfrom that quarter made even Alec curious. Going around the house hehung on to the window-ledge and begged to be let into the secret.

  "We want to surprise everybody!" said Debby revengefully.

  Alec dropped to the ground and walked away in high amusement. Let themkeep their secret then; he was sure he knew a surprise worth two ofit. Then he betook himself to the Mexican quarters to note theprogress of his own gift for Blue Bonnet.