Her Prairie Knight

by B. M. Bower

  CHAPTER 6. Mrs. Lansell's Lecture.

  When the excitement had somewhat abated, and Miss Hayes was convincedthat her idol was really there, safe, and with his usual healthyappetite, and when a messenger had been started out to recall thesearchers, Dorman was placed upon a chair before a select and attentiveaudience, and invited to explain, which he did.

  He had decided to borrow some little wheels from the bunkhouse, so hecould ride his big, high pony home. Mr. Cameron had little wheels onhis feet, and so did Uncle Dick, and all the mens. (The audience gravelynodded assent.) Well, and the knob wasn't too high when he went in, butwhen he tried to open the door to go out, it was away up there! (Dormanmeasured with his arm.) And he fell down, and all his shiny penniesrolled and rolled. And he looked and looked where they rolled, and whenhe counted, one was gone. So he looked and looked for the one shinypenny till he was tired to death. And so he climbed up high, into afunny bed on a shelf, and rested. And when he was rested he couldn'topen the door, and he kicked and kicked, and then Be'trice came, and Mr.Cam'ron.

  "And you said you'd help me find my one penny," he reminded Keith,blinking solemnly at him from the chair. "And I want to shake hands wisyour big, high pony. I'm going to buy him wis my six pennies. Be'tricesaid I could."

  Beatrice blushed, and Keith forgot where he was, for a minute, lookingat her.

  "Come and find my one shiny penny," Dorman commanded, climbing down."And I want Be'trice to come. Be'trice can always find things."

  "Beatrice cannot go," said his grandmother, who didn't much like theway Keith hovered near Beatrice, nor the look in his eyes. "Beatrice istired."

  "I want Be'trice!" Dorman set up his everyday howl, which started thedogs barking outside. His guardian angel attempted to soothe him, but hewould have none of her; he only howled the louder, and kicked.

  "There, there, honey, I'll go. Where's your hat?"

  "Beatrice, you had better stay in the house; you have done quite enoughfor one day." The tone of the mother suggested things.

  "It is imperative," said Beatrice, "for the peace and the well-being ofthis household, that Dorman find his penny without delay." WhenBeatrice adopted that lofty tone her mother was in the habit of sayingnothing--and biding her time. Beatrice was so apt, if mere loftiness didnot carry the day, to go a step further and flatly refuse to obey. Mrs.Lansell preferred to yield, rather than be openly defied.

  So the three went off to find the shiny penny--and in exactlythirty-five minutes they found it. I will not say that they could nothave found it sooner, but, at any rate, they didn't, and they reachedthe house about two minutes behind Dick and Sir Redmond, which did notimprove Sir Redmond's temper to speak of.

  After that, Keith did not need much urging from Dick to spend the restof the afternoon at the "Pool" ranch. When he wanted to, Keith could bevery nice indeed to people; he went a long way, that afternoon, towardmaking a friend of Miss Hayes; but Mrs. Lansell, who was one of thosewomen who adhere to the theory of First Impressions, in capitals,continued to regard him as an incipient outlaw, who would, in time andunder favorable conditions, reveal his true character, and vindicate herkeen insight into human nature. There was one thing which Mrs. Lansellnever forgave Keith Cameron, and that was the ruin of her watch, whichrefused to run while she was in Montana.

  That night, when Beatrice was just snuggling down into the deliciouscoolness of her pillow, she heard someone rap softly, but none the lessimperatively, on her door. She opened one eye stealthily, to see hermother's pudgy form outlined in the feeble moonlight.

  "Beatrice, are you asleep?"

  Beatrice did not say yes, but she let her breath out carefully in aslumbrous sigh. It certainly sounded as if she were asleep.

  "Be-atrice!" The tone, though guarded, was insistent.

  The head of Beatrice moved slightly, and settled back into its littlenest, for all the world like a dreaming, innocent baby.

  If she had not been the mother of Beatrice, Mrs. Lansell would probablyhave gone back to her room, and continued to bide her time; but themother of Beatrice had learned a few things about the ways of a wilfulgirl. She went in, and closed the door carefully behind her. She did notwish to keep the whole house awake. Then she went straight to the bed,laid hand upon a white shoulder that gleamed in the moonlight, and gavea shake.

  "Beatrice, I want you to answer me when I speak."

  "M-m--did you--m-m--speak, mama?" Beatrice opened her eyes and closedthem, opened them again for a minute longer, yawned daintily, and bythese signs and tokens wandered back from dreamland obediently.

  Her mother sat down upon the edge of the bed, and the bed creaked. Also,Beatrice groaned inwardly; the time of reckoning was verily drawingnear. She promptly closed her eyes again, and gave a sleepy sigh.

  "Beatrice, did you refuse Sir Redmond again?"

  "M-m--were you speaking--mama?"

  Mrs. Lansell, endeavoring to keep her temper, repeated the question.

  Beatrice began to feel that she was an abused girl. She lifted herselfto her elbow, and thumped the pillow spitefully.

  "Again? Dear me, mama! I've never refused him once!"

  "You haven't accepted him once, either," her mother retorted; andBeatrice lay down again.

  "I do wish, Beatrice, you would look at the matter in a sensible lightI'm sure I never would ask you to marry a man you could not care for.But Sir Redmond is young, and good-looking, and has birth and breeding,and money--no one can accuse him of being a fortune-hunter, I'm sure.I was asking Richard to-day, and he says Sir Redmond holds a largeinterest in the Northern Pool, and other English investors pay him asalary, besides, to look after their interests. I wouldn't be surprisedif the holdings of both of you would be sufficient to control thebusiness."

  Beatrice, not caring anything for business anyway, said nothing.

  "Any one can see the man's crazy for you. His sister says he never caredfor a woman before in his life."

  "Of course," put in Beatrice sarcastically. "His sister followed himdown to South Africa, and all around, and is in a position to know."

  "Any one can see he isn't a lady's man."

  "No--" Beatrice smiled reminiscently; "he certainly isn't."

  "And so he's in deadly earnest. And I'm positive he will make you amodel husband."

  "Only think of having to live, all one's life, with a model husband!"shuddered Beatrice hypocritically.

  "Be-atrice! And then, it's something to marry a title."

  "That's the worst of it," remarked Beatrice.

  "Any other girl in America would jump at the chance. I do believe,Beatrice, you are hanging back just to be aggravating. And there'sanother thing, Beatrice. I don't approve of the way this Keith Cameronhangs around you."

  "He doesn't!" denied Beatrice, in an altogether different tone. "Why,mama!"

  "I don't approve of flirting, Beatrice, and you know it. The wayyou gadded around over the hills with him--a perfect stranger--wasdisgraceful; perfectly disgraceful. You don't know any thing about thefellow, whether he's a fit companion or not--a wild, uncouth cowboy--"

  "He graduated from Yale, a year after Dick. And he was halfback, too."

  "That doesn't signify," said her mother, "a particle. I know Miss Hayeswas dreadfully shocked to see you come riding up with him, and SirRedmond forced to go with Richard, or ride alone."

  "Dick is good company," said Beatrice. "And it was his own fault.I asked him to go with us, when Dick and I left the cattle, and hewouldn't. Dick will tell you the same. And after that I did not seehim until just before we--I came home, Really, mama, I can't have aleading-string on Sir Redmond. If he refuses to come with me, I canhardly insist."

  "Well, you must have done something. You said something, or didsomething, to make him very angry. He has not been himself all day. Whatdid you say?"

  "Dear me, mama, I am not responsible for all Sir Redmond's ill-humor."

  "I did not ask you that, Beatrice."

  Beatrice thumped her pillow again. "I don't
remember anything verydreadful, mama. I--I think he has indigestion."

  "Be-atrice! I do wish you would try to conquer that habit of flippancy.It is not ladylike. And I warn you, Sir Redmond is not the man to dangleafter you forever. He will lose patience, and go back to England withoutyou--and serve you right! I am only talking for your own good, Beatrice.I am not at all sure that you want him to leave you alone."

  Beatrice was not at all sure, either. She lay still, and wished hermother would stop talking for her good. Talking for her good had meant,as far back as Beatrice could remember, saying disagreeable things in adisagreeable manner.

  "And remember, Beatrice, I want this flirting stopped."

  "Flirting, mama?" To hear the girl, you would think she had never heardthe word before.

  "That's what I said, Beatrice. I shall speak to Richard in the morningabout this fellow Cameron. He must put a stop to his being heretwo-thirds of the time. It is unendurable."

  "He and Dick are chums, mama, and have been for years. And to-morrow weare going to Lost Canyon, you know, and Mr. Cameron is to go along. Andthere are several other trips, mama, to which he is already invited.Dick cannot recall those invitations."

  "Well, it must end there. Richard must do something. I cannot seewhat he finds about the fellow to like--or you, either, Beatrice. Justbecause he rides like a--a wild Indian, and has a certain daredevilway--"

  "I never said I liked him, mama," Beatrice protested, somewhat hastily."I--of course, I try to treat him well--"

  "I should say you did!" exploded her mother angrily. "You would bemuch better employed in trying to treat Sir Redmond half as well. It ispositively disgraceful, the way you behave toward him--as fine a man asI ever met in my life. I warn you, Beatrice, you must have more regardfor propriety, or I shall take you back to New York at once. I certainlyshall."

  With that threat, which she shrewdly guessed would go far towardbringing this wayward girl to time, Mrs. Lansell got up off the bed,which creaked its relief, and groped her way to her own room.

  The pillow of Beatrice received considerable thumping during the nexthour--a great deal more, in fact, than it needed. Two thoughts troubledher more than she liked. What if her mother was right, and Sir Redmondlost patience with her and went home? That possibility was unpleasant,to say the least. Again, would he give her up altogether if she showedDick she was not afraid of Keith Cameron, for all his good looks, and atthe same time taught that young man a much-needed lesson? The way he hadstared at her was nothing less than a challenge and Beatrice was sorelytempted.