Show 49 11 MA li X ili IN U s F cry fv ar A CHAPTER V continued 8 1 I im m glad to know that tho the QI ev per lence i aan t unpleasant broke in ailais aIl Cis her ekes ees dancing do I 1 get bet out here as matt blatt hla his face tile the color of a peony stopped the engine and do I 1 keep straight on until I 1 reach the top id better show you tile way t I 1 that Is unless unless cud ad rather go alone I 1 I 1 don doa t v want ant to butt in if oil oh come on laughed nancy 1 I N aan t kepi heen on solitude it if that s ft hat jou idean and if 1 youve got time to play around for an hour notting would pleis euie more jack as vanquishing a wood pile PH e cousin columbine has as napping and aurora was nas too much inclined to ghe advice so BO I 1 ran away anway matthew laughed softly it W was as it a pleas int laugh and is vol voice ce flaa as pleasant too thought nancy when hen lie he forgot himself and spoke naturally aurora tubbs stilli cs me corn COM lIL tely dumb lie ho told tier her land and advice Is one of tier her strong points biats hat s she found to pick at about ou Sto stockings clings I 1 wild slid nancy and anderea s if mat follon following ing close be hind in tho the narrow path was blushing again sly my beoit hose got left at home lind and she implored me to borrow a pair of cousin calutin bines black cottons honestly I 1 diali t know till I 1 saw cousin cot col umblino the day dav we ne came that cot ton stockings manufactured lilly any more they re growing scarcer all the timp I 1 said Blat matthew thew gravely enen een in line ridge there s not much call for ern em and the high lace boot Is doomed nancy whirled about this was vias the strangest young man dhe bhe had ener eer come across ona moment he stammered with ith confusion and the next was dating so something methling adamus ing as it was unexpected ea ejus es met as she turned find and they bali laughingly felt better ac qua 11 I 1 w onder 1 remarked the girl as she started forward ft here cousin columbine gets hers you mean boots lance isaace nodded because the trail ft was as steeper here and she found her self a little choit of breath labbe maibe she gets era em where she gets the middles suggested mat thew slow down donn miss er don dont t be victorian said nancy hancy without turning was I 1 going too castr fast loo fast for our own got god at this altitude it takes time to get acclimated when aben boure tiana tian plant plan t ed from froia sea leel lias has bour broth er found a job not ot yet and he s pretty m worried oh just look at tile the peak I 1 and and why I 1 nener neer imagined such a vew I 1 dlan dian t know there was any thing like it in the world 1 matt beamed as pleased with mth her enthusiasm BS as it if lie he cespon bible for the view himself keep on lie he told her till yo you U reach that old pine that 9 been struck by lightning that arc tree e Is practically on the summit and there iset isn t a finer lew for miles how iliew could there be nance stood breathless at tile the foot 0 the ancient I 1 I 1 clent tree plains ard mesa and mountains lount r mountains n aIns lay stretched before tier her behind her on enery ride al a 13 1 kejs 3 a that wo ild be green as emer aids in summer deep gorges snow capped peaks I 1 it its s almost too beautiful to be true she said at last IN hy by has no one eer built a home on this spot I 1 slit mit tapped the stirred old tree trunk shared clear of birk where here had done its ita work vork A house would be too good a tar get I 1 this Is tile the highest point in sev era eral are you vou afraid of thunder showers if so you d bet ter pack 3 our trunk before the mid di die e of vayl ilay I 1 are the showers so bad sometimes they re fierce moth er insists it its s because v were ere so near tile eky those ee e e the only thing in the world I 1 believe that afhild of her father was mas killed by lightning before I 1 wis bora nance anac shivered 0 IM I 1 o wonder she a frightened I 1 its a nil miracle this tree has ped be ii aig g demolished does docs ana en body w how old it Is matt shook his hend head its a great deil older than any one in these parts surely miss columbine remembers it just like tins this ben she vis nis only a little gi girl rl it must hake teen struck by bv I 1 light ning many vines I 1 often think that is I 1 mitt matt was mas nil of a sudden felt conscious again but nance was mas lessL 1 go on she begged 11 1 I only mean he be hesitated that that this tree trea must have seen a lot of interesting things pioneers you know in their covered wagons the first settlers struggling to build homes icalan massacres or war var dances and later prospectors trudging along with burros 1 I 1 I often wonder how many of those sights this pine looked down on nancy was silent partly because no boy had eer falkel 1 blia way to her before and partly because what matthew said eald bad stirred br b imagination agi nation she was silent client so BO lons ions that the tha boung man moved uneasily 11 1 I 1 I suppose all this sounds bounds sort of foolish to a girl like you but why should it nance looked at him film so BO disconcertingly that Blatt matthw liw IoNi lowered ered his eyes for just a moment I 1 guess you thought I 1 was as being dumb but really I 1 was trying to seo see things the things aou ou say this old tro tree must hai hae e seen been and by the wa nay I 1 I 1 nance glanced up smiling at which litch matt blatt became pleasantly aware of a dimple in tier her left cheek Il liere Is something else it saw sani that you t mention it IN witnessed the betrothal of victor and aurora she sha said id find their initials cut in the bark matthew Matt liew laughed Blo mother r members those but lightning ripped that bark off bears ago I 1 into bito to hurry iou miss er well desperately ns as the kerl grinned at him nancy but its getting along toward sun sundown duNin and 11 soon be cold shall ii we e nwe mon e ou on nance said regi its so wonderful here bere I 1 can hardly tear myself away Is that the path which leads down doin by the 1 lubbs I es tate III I 1 U try that trail some day when I 1 tit energetic and w v lien hen I 1 set get homesick 11 come up here to get a way away from enery one and either bawl my head off or snap out of the attack binnell e 11 have to see that you dont get homesick returned matt blatt with unexpected gallantry A halt half hour later they drew up fit at miss mis columbines side bide door to find mark adam scanning the road impatiently and jack seated on a suitcase have you got a job gasped nance spring the luggage as she elie took maiks up stretched han ban I 1 and jumped down lightly jack nodded while the other oilier boy exclaimed wl ere era the dickens have you been matt blatt iee ee telephoned phoned ever where to find you t a bellel got it a right to tal taka an hour off IN lints hat up cpr good and plenty lukes broken brohen a log ing Matt matthew liew started his face grave 1 loure I ou re not hidding mark alark sure im not aliat new bronc kicked him dd and mother have cari can led him to the hospital la in the car 11 I 1 Is it a bad brenk break howin I 1 to know knoll dut but turn ing to nance ance with ith his customary custo mrry jalle jaile its a case where filiere art an III wind blew somebody good jack s got a i with us till lukes luke s around iraln P aln rile in teller feller e must get going NN e 11 tal e good ca c of your little brother I 1 1111 III I 1 N ait ai t a minute I 1 I 1 this was aurori auron bursting through the door with noth a covered birket 11 1 I made a laa laier er cake this morn wand its it s sure to get stile with jack away annay I 1 cut off a hunk for nancy any and the reft a in the basket with naith a couple 0 tomes of good fresh bread lou 1 ou hold that basket right rl ait side up boys bos euid she was ii as still expounding voluble instructions when the engine eng ine start ed ea mark blew a liss kiss of thanks a they darme away avay CHAPTER VI IT NAS AS ILO daas before esancy ancy saw jer ber brother again a ratier lonesome ten days on the last of which hach the colorado sunshine gave ay to what hat aarona ailed a baby blizzard and cousin columbine went to bed with a cold the wind wan wa furious and nance retired to her tower and surreptitiously do donned 11 ned t two wo pairs of silk stockings Bloc kings since no chance had arisen to buy amport hose lien len a stouter heart than heis beis would have fount found tho the day more or less lesi gloomy the halls in the old house bouse were frigid and wind nond blew through eiery crack at aurora a invitation she took pen and paper into the kite kitchen hea meaning to write letters but under the good wo homans womans steady fire of conversation it was impossible to concentrate and it at last she sought the sitting Gif ting room in scorch ut it tiding watt r to one of Nl clances nances ances genei atlon tile the contents of the walnut bookcase were not cot enticing there v r a ta handsome edition edidon of scott bu but one glance at long pages of description was vas enough there were to old fashioned no noels noela els and a ae set 1 of dick cra which looked a bit less hopeless than the others nancy could remember tier her father reading parts of I 1 dan dald ld copperfield aloud when N hen she was little but these volumes big and heavy they looked endless too in desperation she went back to the kitchen and aurora a mono bogues I 1 Is there e c public library in this place I 1 she questioned aurora popped a pie into the oven and tided what good would it 1 do so fars I 1 know they aint anyone in pine ridge but victor lubes lubbs that a got time thae to read and it takes him all day to read the paper and no wonder I 1 I 1 he I 1 e d dont 0 n I 1 let een eden the smallest advertis advertisement e M e n get by him ue he s upset juanita con sid eldern erable ble by a place to in colorado springs where ou can grit CA a perm permanent nent wae nae na e tor for two dol lars and fifty cents she ashes s asked ilie ee adam to take tier her down some day when they go to see luko luke fit at the hospital and I 1 wont hardly ex to recognize my lily own daughter when hen she gets back no we e dont don t have any use for a library I 1 ii rine pine ridge recalling the I 1 confession ninga she had seen juanita in at the drug store nance sug I 1 perhaps it if 5 ou had a real good library joung folks waste their money on such trashy reading matter I 1 I 1 blaa haibe maibe be admitted aurora but I 1 doubt it and it if aou ou mean those ion lne 9 magazines III admit I 1 find em cm real I 1 but I 1 thought you had no time to read I 1 no more I 1 do replied aurora undaunted at this sly thrust but sometimes I 1 glance at lent em to rest me here is mark adam with tile the milk shut tant door quick mark do you want ant to freeze us hows how a jack gettin gettan along hows lul lule el and Is your mother be beirle trin up un der this affliction mark deposited two ho milk bottles on the table as lie he said I 1 oaf on ques tion at a time please Is some 7 THE H r STORY FROM THE BEGINNING ruined financially by the stock market crash james nelson boston in merchant erchant breaks the news to his him household nance his daughter nineteen la is on the verge of her introduction to coclet A short time before an elderly cousin of nelson a columbine had written tl ti at nanco nance corns coma to her at pipe pine aldge aclo as a paid comp companion anlon ahe otter offer had been regarded as a joke now jack nancy a seventeen near earold ear old brother urges her to accept the proposition to relieve their father ot of a financial burden and offering to go with her so BO that she ha will not feel too lonely the girl agrees that jack shall write urite to cousin columbine and they will await her answer columbine wires welcome to both of them and despite some misgivings 9 it ix Is arranged that the tha shall abal I 1 go NN welcomed elco med by cousin colim b bine 1 no they ar are e s somewhat 0 m dismayed b by y ter I 1 er unconventional attire and mannerisms neri ms but r realize ea lize a she he has character charach e r A young friend of the old la lady dy mark adam Is introduced the desolation to nance bances a city ideas of pine ridge klaga appalls alie th e girl the newcomers meet aurora tubbs cousin colun bine a cook and housekeeper and matthew adam mark a older brother cousin columbine explains her reasons tor for desiring nance to come coille to her and t tells e I 1 Is tome roma experiences of her 73 years ci the plains storm isn t it are you occupying the kitchen litchen in order to keep heep warm nanc isanc or to by the conver co nver bation of our estimable mrs bubbs dont don t you b be uppity marl mark adam snapped aurora she 8 here to git warm marm and no wonder nonder with etli bothin not liln but a laer laber of slik silk a to protect her legs lagi ion lou anent Iiii ent answered ansy ered give me time mark interrupt ed warming his cold fingers at the stone stoe I 1 jak jack coulso t do better ell have an expert iong ion before lukes luke a readi for the job again lie ile sent his loe ione to enery acry one and so v w ok oi I 1 I 1 matt if h s j v v aan t so bash ful sibyll turning to nanc isanc liow ilion d aou QU ener eer barage to rope my shy brother into taking you up to the old pine I 1 1 rope him I 1 exclaimed nanca 1 I call tint thit tin an insult well to toll tell ufa ile truth brolie broke in aurora I 1 I almost lost my breath v when lien aou ou rode into ti tie e aard ard the other lay day it aint t matthew adams adam s hubit inkin girls to ride and 3 ou on re so BO stylish nancy I 1 dunno how hy hf got up courage to suggest aou ou gela I 1 in that old truck that a the adi advantage altage antage of a college education edu catlon cl served jtb alth a wink at nancy the emergency arose aurora and de despite pite hla his fe fear ar 0 01 ahe lie female of the species my brother was abl because of his superior learning to conquer I 1 goodness gracious gra clous I 1 burst out aurora 11 J never neer heard such rub bih nihat hat are you giggling about nancy lou ion ought t encourage courage ea a young man to talk more sensible hows how is lule luke and you didn dian t say if your mother was as bearin up I 1 al ways thought luke luka was mag her fa or maybe its ho be aln t su so husky as the rest re t of xou ou mark grinned as aa he be slipped oly olt the wet iet jacket lukes luke s doing first rate hell ile he home next weik keck and hobble round on crutches mothers all right and if she ehe likes luke best beat aurora its only because bebau hes he not BO 60 good looking as the rest of us its what they call tho er cr ugly duckling complex comple T I 1 suppose ajtora snorted 1 I dunno what anybody a complexion has to do alth ft ath tt it but theres there a some boina folks folka in pine ridge that thinks luko luke adama the band of the lot not excepting matthew and his an awful sweet boy too alleles Il leles aliss columbine pounding no nancy as the girl sprang up 1111 go eo find out what she ehe wants walla you keep mark company set close to the range mark adam and get yours yourself if lit hit through 11 tell rell top me wild slid nancy ii jack really doing the work ti i i right sure he Is lal I 1 marj was straddling a kitchen chair hla his elbows resting on ila he back ahll he be looked 1 1 supposes Sup poss poso all this sounds sort of foolish at the girl intently A mothers adopted him alre already ady anaa a he 8 julit like one of her ov own n boys and high praise from Al mother otherl I 1 she nants ants you to come out and spend a sunday when its good weather eather what in time do you do bilth sour self a day aika this 1 I listen to aurora replied nance softly 1 I wanted to read but cousin col abanes books look stuffy and auroia tells me theres no public library she says no one in pine Rp api i has time to rad what do ofle do evenings evening I 1 mcana mean according to |