OCR Text |
Show Jllllllillllllllllllill j iWIIIHWHWWimMHIIHWWWl HIHMIHW'lMiliWIBIIWtuiliWJWWWWWW f Rimrock Trail s "AMM"'" 1 By J. ALLAN DUNN 1 :r f"""""""" HlllH " " .- - F ' iliiiiiiiiiiililiiiililiiiiiiiiiiiiililliiiiiill CHAPTER XV Continued. 13 Thoughts of PUiusoU did not bother Sandy's head. The "old man" of the Three Star bearing the cowman's Inevitable In-evitable title for the head of the management, whether young or old, male or female carried out his long-cherished long-cherished plans for additional water-supply, water-supply, for alfalfa planting, for registered regis-tered bulls and high-grade cows. lie studied hard, he got In touch with the state experimental developments, he subscribed for magazines that told of cattle breeding, he sent soils for analysis, an-alysis, and young Ed, coming home from his first term, found, somewhat to his chagrin, that Sandy was far ahead of him In both the theory and practice of ranching. The days multiplied Into weeks and the weeks Into months. Sandy received re-ceived one letter from Brandon that seemed to presage another visit across the line. It was terse, characteristic charac-teristic of the man. "My Dear Bourke: "We are still losing three and four-year-olds, and the evidence points to their drifting over toward rilmaoll. We have traced tip some of the links lending from this end. To be quite frank, the authorities of your own county do not seem over-disposed to bother In the matter, and we are taking tak-ing things In our own hands. We have set a trap for Jim Pllmsoll and have hopes he will walk Into It If he Is the guilty party. "The favor I want of you Is to tip me off If Pllmsoll appears about to leave the country. We have a tip that he expects to do so before long. If you get wind of this a wire would be much appreciated by me. "Sincerely yours, "W. J. BRANDON.". cleua. Another person had come out, evidently Miss Nicholson. She had the general appearance of a white rabbit and the manners of a maternally mater-nally Mentioned but none too efficient effi-cient hen. Keith descended first, Molly darted by his extended hand and ran straight to Sandy, who had dismounted. "Pm going to hug you, and Mormon and Sam, as soon as we get home to the ranch," she cried. "Home I Pm so glad to be here. Pronto, you beauty, and my own bay, Blaze 1 Do you remember the trip over the mesa, Blaze? How did you know I wanted to ride to Three Star Instead of drive?" "Took a chance," said Sandy. "Do you?" The old woman-shyness had come over him, fighting with his knowledge of the child who had changed into a woman. And the pongee pon-gee duster deceived him, "Do I? Didn't I write you I was aching to fork a saddle? Look!" She unbuttoned the duster with swift fingers and stripped It off, standing stand-ing revealed In riding togs of smallest black and white checks, coat . flaring out from the trim waist, slim, straight legs In breeches and riding boots, a white stock about the slender, rounded round-ed neck. She gave one hand to Mor-, mon, the other to Sam, gazing at her In admiration that was radiant and goggle-eyed. Sandy, looking down at her, saw her eyes crinkle at the corners cor-ners In the old way. Keith and his son Joined them, coming from the car, Miss Nicholson hovering behind Ingratiatingly. In-gratiatingly. "Glnd to see you, Bourke," he said. "And you, Manning. You, too, Peters. Meet my son, Donald." The three partners shook hands gravely with the boy, appraising him without his guessing It. "Glad to see. you out west," said Mormon. "We'd sure admire to have you visit us fo' a spell." "I was hoping for a bid," said young Keith. "Thanks. The car Is here, or ergetlc, good-fellow-well-met promote and engineer of other people's for tunes. There was not much spoken between be-tween Molly and Sandy on the way back to the ranch. She seemed content con-tent to breathe In deep the herb-scented herb-scented air and gaze at the mountains. moun-tains. Sandy, riding a little to one side, a little back of her, so that he could see her better without appearing to atare, echoed, for the time, her happiness. This was Molly, the girl who had sworn when she told them of her father's death. He could recall the tone of the words at will. "The d d road Jest slid out from under. He didn't have a h I-chance I" Molly, who had put arms about hia neck and kissed him good-by when she went to school how long ago that seemed and said, "Sandy, I don't want to go, but I'll be game." This was his Molly I The knowledge knowl-edge Bwept over Sandy and left him tingling. Love came to him, the first, clean white flame of first love, burning burn-ing like a lamp In the heart of a man. It was for this, he knew, that he had been woman-shy, that he had cherished cher-ished his own thought of womanhood as something so rare a thought might tarnish it. First love, shorn of boy fallacies, strong, irresistible, protective, protec-tive, passionate. Game and dainty, tender, true, a glrl-womon, partner what a partner she would make, western-bred . . . I He checked himself there. She was western born, but what had the transplanting trans-planting done? Would she ever now be satisfied with western ways? She would come to him, Sandy knew that. Whatever he asked her she would not refuse. But would that be fair to her? And he did not want her to come to him out of gratitude. He wanted her nature to fuse with his. It seemed no time since he had taken her from her saddle and carried car-ried her, a tired, heartsore child, In his arms. She must have a fair chance to see If the East, with all It could offer her of amusement and Interest, In-terest, would not outbid the claims of the West. He must wait nnd watch and hold himself In band though his love and his knowledge of It thrilled through him, chnrglng him as If with an electric current that strove to close all gups between him nnd Molly, struggling ever, In mind and body, to complete the circle. They got to the ranch ahead of the flivver by a scant margin. Miranda Bailey Inducted Molly and her chaperon chap-eron governess Into the quorters she had helped prepare for them, Molly giving little cries of delight at the Improvements she saw downstairs. Miranda enme down first and Joined the partners. "Molly Is certainly sweet," she an Id. "She's grown Into a woman an' she's grown away from the old Molly. Can't say as how she's affected none an' her speech an manners Is sure fine. That gel's natcherally got a grand disposition. "The Nicholson person her first name is Clarice Is well-mennln' enough. She ain't shifless, but she ain't what you'd call practical. I reckon she does fine In teaehln' Molly some things, but she'd be plumb wasted out west. P1I nay she never washed out anything bigger than a hankychlf or cooked a thing larger'n Sandy. "I'm goln' over early on Pronto an' take the white blazed bay along that Molly rode over the Goats' pass." "Klde In? She won't be dressed for It, travelln' on the train," said Miranda. Mi-randa. "I've got a hunch she will," Sandy answered simply. "They got their own private car. If she ain't, why, Sam can ride the bay back. But me an' Pronto, the bay an Grit are goln' thataway." There were certain tones of Sandy's voice that gave absolute finality to his statements. He used them on this occasion. The argument dropped. In a way Sandy was making the matter a test of Molly. If she was as anxious as she wrote to "fork a broncho," If she understood Sandy and he her, she would feel that he would be waiting with her mount for her to return to the ranch western fashion. If not, it meant that she was out of the chrysalis chrys-alis and had become, not the busy bee that belongs to the mesqulte and the sage, but a gaudier, less responsible respon-sible flutterer among eastern flowerbeds. flower-beds. Miranda's caravan started an hour after Sandy left, she driving, Mormon and Sam In the back, each dressed In his best, minus chaperajos and spurs, but otherwise most typically the cowboy cow-boy and therefore out of place and feeling It as they sat stiffly In the leatherette-lined tonneau. Miranda was In starched linen, destitute of all ornament, a dark red ribbon at her throat the only touch of color, looking look-ing extremely efficient and, as Sam whispered to Mormon, "a bit standoffish." stand-offish." The train rolled In majestically, the private car gleaming with varnish and polished glass and brass, with a white-coated dnrky flashing white teeth on the platform as the fussy local engine took the detached luxury to the side-track designated for Its Hereford location. The flivver was parked and Miranda, Mormon nnd Snm mnde one group a little ahead of the others, recognized by the crowd ns privileged. If Wilson Keith, clad In tweeds tailored on F'lfth avenue, a little portly, square-faced, confident, a trifle condescending, typified the East, Randy was the West. A good, horse Is the incarnation of symmetry, grace nnd power. Siindy, erect In the saddle, lean and keen, matched all of Pron-to's Pron-to's fitness. Man and mount both eminently belonged to the land, shimmering shim-mering with sage, far-stretching to the mountains, a land that demanded and bred Btieh a combination. Keith stood by the railing of his plntform, the dnrky rendy with the dismounting stool. He surveyed the crowd affably, with the poise of a successful candidate assured of welcome, wel-come, waving his hand In deml-saltite to Snndy, Sam and Mormon, lifting his hat graciously to Miranda Bnlley. The mnn and the car cmnnnted prosperity. pros-perity. Tet, for all the booming of Cnsey Town, the finding of pay-ore. the snle of shares, Keith's present flnnnclnl status was not all that he trusted It might be within a short time. It was pnrt of the technique of his profession pro-fession to assume a mnsk and manner of financial success, and of lnte he had worn these until at times they Jaded him, but they were well designed, well worn, and no one doubted but thnt Wilson Keith was a mnn of rendy millions. JSH Wmwm w- lift 4' ; ,Vvf - '"4 With the founding of the Three Star ranch the lives of the partners had changed a good deal. They held responsibilities, they owned a home and they lived there. None of them, since they i were children, had ever known the clone companionship of a young girl. Mormon's matrimonial adventures had been foredoomed shipwrecks ship-wrecks on the sands of time, his wives marital pirates preying on his good nnture and earnings. Molly hud leavened their existences in a way thnt two of them hardly suspected, and the yeast of affection was still working. Each hung to (lie hope that she might return to the ranch again to Btay and each felt that hope was faint one. When, at last, there came the news, from Molly herself and from Mrs. Keith, that Keith was coming out to mnke Inspection of his Casey Town properties, that he was traveling In a private car with his son, with Molly and her governess-coinpunlon, Miss Nicholson, and that the two latter would get off at Hereford for a visit to the Three Star, Suntly went about with a whistle, Sam breathed sanguine san-guine melodies through the harmonica and Mormon beamed all , over. The illumination was apparent. 8am told him he looked "all lit up, like a Chinee Chi-nee lantern" and Mormon beamed the more. , Molly's letter was primed with delight. de-light. Mrs. Keith's contained regrets that her physicians did not think the lourney would be best for her to undertake un-dertake In the present state of her health, which meant that she feared possible discomforts en route and Imagined the ranch as a place where one was fed only on beans, sourdough sour-dough bread, bull meat and Indifferent Indiffer-ent coffee. There Wat Not Much Spoken Between Molly and Sandy on tht Way Back to tht Ranch. will be within an hour or two. Father shipped It ahead. Sims wired us It was at the Junction. He will drive It over for us to go on to Casey Town as soon as he overhauls It. Then I'll run In from the mines, as soon as Dad can spare me. "Donald has to get acquainted with a real mining property," said Keith affably. "Molly was certain you would have a horse for her, Bourke. Don't wait round for us. We have to get some supplies and we'll wait In my car till the machine comes. Er " he looked around, nnd Miss Nicholson fluttered up "this Is Molly's compnn-lon. compnn-lon. Miss Nicholson. She goes with yon to the ranch. How . . .?" Sandy Indicated the flivver nnd Introduced In-troduced Miranda Bailey, who had been directing the stowage of the grips nnd the proper subordination of the porter, who hnd not seemed appreciative ap-preciative of the flivver. Molly field out a gloved hnnd for the reins of the fretful Blaze. Young Keith advanced with the proffer of a palm for her mounting, she shook her head nt him. "Blaze wouldn't know whnt you were trying to do Don," she snld. She turned the stirrup, set In her foot, grasped mnne nnd horn nnd rnlsed hcrsolf lightly, holding her body close to the bny's withers for a second ns he whirled, then lifting to the saddle, firm-seated, with a laugh for Blaze's plunging. "I see they didn't untench you rldin' back east," snld Moniinn admiringly. Miss Nicholson clambered Into the flivver beside Miranda Bnlley. Sam, Mormon and the grips packed the tonneau, and Keith nnd his son were left ptnndlng by the private car. Keith was soon surrounded with n crowd, ninklng himself popuinr, flattering flat-tering them until they llnnlly went nwny convinced thnt they hnd nil constituted con-stituted a flrst-clnss reception committee com-mittee to meet the illustrious, the en- an egg. An' she cudn't boss a sick lizard. But she's easy to git alon with, I suppose. "That Donnld Is a good-lookln' lad," went on Miranda. "It must take him an awful waste of time to fix his clothes every time he puts 'em on. I don't know how smart he Is Inside, but he's got some of them movln'-plcture movln'-plcture heroes beat on appearance. I'm wonderln' what Molly thinks about him. As for his father, he's smart enough Inside an' out. But he talks too much like a politician to suit me. I'm mighty glad we got cash for our claims. Keith's too slick an' smooth an' smllln' to suit me." It wns a lengthy diatribe from Miranda Mi-randa Bnlley, accustomed ns they were to henr her state opinions freely. The trio at Three Star hnd mlve'r-snlly mlve'r-snlly come to respect her decision and also her Intuitions, nnd none of them hnd fell especially cordlnl toward Keith ns a mnn, though they considered him good in his profession. "The writer, Klplln'," said Sandy! "wrote a poem nbout East nn' West snyln' that newr the two c'ud meet! Ef Keith tries to flnmjlgger Molly out of anything that's comln' to her by rights, why, I reckon that's one time the West nn' East Is goln' to meet nn mehbe lnp over n bit. f?o fur, he's put money In our pockets Here's Molly ..." "I'm goln' home," snld Miranda, ns the girl entered the room. "I've 'pot yon started nn' I'll run over one,. in a while to see how Pedro Is niakln' out." (TO UK CONTIXt'ED.) On Woman Who Admitted It Mrs. W. L. C. writes: "An elderly Indy pnslng a brnss band In the street plnylng 'Darling, I Am Growing Old,' snld: 'Well, I know I am growing old, but I do cot need a band to tell tht world.' "Boston Tranicrlct Keith had dallied with oil, had speculated, spec-ulated, plunged, been persuaded to Invest In-vest heavily. He was beginning to have a vague fear of not being so certain as be would have wished as to which end of the line he hnd taken, that of the baited hook, or the end that was attached to the reel that automatically au-tomatically plays the fish. lie sold gold nnd he was buying oil. Others, partners with htm In new enterprises en-terprises In the petroleum field, were making sudden fortunes. Ills turn hail not come yet, but they assured him thnt his ventures promised even more than those that had enriched them. Faster than gold came out of Cnsey Town, Keith used It In Oklahoma Okla-homa and Texas. The engine uncoupled nnd pnnted off, leaving the car nt rest on the spurtraek. The fox-faced secretary came out, held the door open. Someone Some-one followed Molly Casey. Sandy surmised It must be Donald Keith, but lie bad sight for nothing except the slender figure whose rndlant face, between be-tween a Panama hat and a tlustcont of pongee silk, shone straight at him. It wns Mully, but a glorified Molly, woman, not girl. The freckles hnd gone, the snub nose hail becomo defined, de-fined, the eyes of Irish blue seemed to have deepened In hue hack of their smudgy lashes. The wide mouth was the same, scarlet nnd soft ns cactus blossom, smiling, opening In n glad cry. . . . "Sandy!" Her nrms went out toward him In greeting over the bras railing. Then Grit, catapulting from ground to platform, with frantic yaps of welcome, fnlrly bowled over the dnrky with his mounting block nnd bounded up Into Molly's embrace. There wns confusion on the platform for a moment with Crlt as the nu-1 CHAPTER XVI East and West. When Miranda Bailey heard the news she announced her determination determina-tion of coming over to tha Three Star to prepnre for the visitors. "I reckon my repututlon'il stand It," she said, "seeln" I'm older tluui two of you nn' the third Is still n married mun. Pedro's cookin' Is enough to give uny easterner dya-pepsy. dya-pepsy. The whole house wunts red-din' red-din' up; It ain't been swept proper fo' a year." Abashed, the partners gave her full sway. The ranch-bouse was scoured from ttip to bottom. Miranda's car brought over curtuins for the windows, win-dows, flowers for tlu window-sills, odds and ends that made the place look homely, cheerful, Inviting, Pedro was fctven lessons at the stove thnt he nt first took sulkily, but, being praised and his wages raised, took pride in. "He'll do," vouchsafed Miranda at Inst, the evening before the arrlvul. "He's no hand at cookies or doughnuts dough-nuts an' never will be, but I'll bring them over from time to lime. He can make a pie an' biscuit nn' he can broil ii)'it. I've taught him to mush Ms ptitalets Mini milk 'stead of water an' tc put butter In bis hot cakes. I'm stayln over till supper teruiomr to see everything has n good stnbt. There's root for live supposed to 'Min my ar. An' there's four of ns nn' s'x to r.mio Duck. The oilier curs In us. How we goln' to mnn- ! "ge It?" M ilii rdie In with me," said |