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Show " 3 - : 'TV- i '.- Ifts-' wheel. It made Nancy feel a lilt ashamed of herself; for she knew that It was not Jack's boyish curiosity cu-riosity to see the West which caused him to make this plan, but a genuine desire to help his father. fa-ther. "Well?" he questioned with Impatience. Im-patience. The girl drew In n quivering breath. "I'o do you think we must, Jack? I'll admit that the idea terrifies ter-rifies nie." "Oh, be your ape, Nance! We're not going into darkest Africa." "It's so awfully far away. Suppose Sup-pose we got sick had appendicitis or something." Jack laughed softly. "The only way you'll get appendicitis ap-pendicitis Is by over-eating! We never have been sick either of us so why worry? And it's not a life sentence. We'll come home soon as Dad gets his business straightened straight-ened out. Be a sport, Sis, and let me write the letter." "Without asking Dad or Mother?" lie nodded. "There'll be time enough to talk it over when we hear from Cousin Columbine. Like as not she'll veto the whole scheme ; but even if they . SYNOPSIS -icd, financially, by the stock .t crash, James Nelson, Boston ant, breaks the news to his '"'lold. Nance, his daughter, 'en, l 0" the verge of her tn-J tn-J .'t!on to society. A short time . an elderly cousin of Nel-'Columbine, Nel-'Columbine, had written sug-t! sug-t! g that Nance come to her at .Ridge, Colo., as a paid com-e,i. com-e,i. The offer had been regarded ,jke. MM fil HI if: little one-horse western town?" asked Mother. "This way," smiled Aunt Louise, reverting to the missive: "'She would get away from the narrow New England viewpoint. She would learn something about the vastness of her country.' " ''I suppose she means those 'great open spaces' we read about," laughed Jack, while his aunt, Ignoring Ignor-ing him, continued : " 'The milder climate would improve im-prove her health; and she would experience ex-perience the satisfaction of being self-supporting. Please write at once, and believe me, dear James, your afTectionate though unseen cousin, Columbine Nelson.'" Aunt Louise looked up. "Well," she decided, drawing a deep breath, "I call that the the very limit !" For this meticulous teacher of English to use an expression even remotely approaching slang, was an event in Itself. The family smiled; and Nancy retorted: "It's plain, Aunt Lou, that this is an occasion oc-casion when Webster's Unabridged is totally Inadequate ! Dad dear, how can this venerable lady be your first cousin? And did she acquire her outlandish name because columbines colum-bines are the state (lower of Colorado?" Colo-rado?" "Better look up your history, my dear," replied her father. "Cousin Columbine must be over seventy, and Colorado didn't become a state until 1S7G. I'll admit that I probably prob-ably remember the date because it's also the year that I was born," he added honestly. ''But how," asked Jack, "did an uncle of yours land way off in the old West, Dad? Seems queer for one lone member of the family to start -off for the wilderness. How'd It happen?" James Nelson glanced at his sister, sis-ter, and she said : "As I recall the story, Father's half-brother, Jethro Nelson, wdio was a good bit older than the others, possessed the wanderlust. wan-derlust. He yearned to see something some-thing besides his native New Hampshire, and as his young wife was fired with the same ambition, they started west in a covered wagon drawn by oxen, unless my memory's at fault." "Alone?" questioned the boy, leaning lean-ing forward eagerly. "Oh, no ! There were three other wagons tn the caravan, or whatever they called it. Part of those pioneers pio-neers turned back somewhere in Kansas, frightened, I believe, by the immensity of the prairie. Others pushed on to California; but It was rumors of gold in the Colorado mountains that lured Uncle Jed In that direction, and an unlooked-for circumstance which made him stop where he did. Of course it wasn't Pine Ridge then just unsettled wilderness. But the journey had proved too hard on his young wife, "Do you suppose," asked Jack, "if he'd presented the lady with a end us blossom she'd have named her baby Cactaceous?" "Goodness gracious, boy, have you no sentiment?'' reproved Aunt Judy. "And the fact that you've been studying botany cries aloud. Cactaceous! I never heard that word before." "Nor I," admitted Mother. "But do you moan to say, Jim, that a man who possessed the wanderlust was content to stay right where Fate landed him for the rest of his natural nat-ural life?" "Indeed no," spoke up Aunt Louise, "and in my opinion Uncle Jed's poor wife had a lonely time of it. He was forever leaving her to seek gold, silver and adventure. That was, I imagine, after other settlers Joined them. Years later he did strike silver In Leadville; but his wife had died of hardship before that. I believe she ' never saw the 'mansion' Cousin Columbine's Colum-bine's so proud of. Uncle Jed was the big man of the town of Tine Ridge then, though the place can't bo much more than a settlement now. Anyway, It Isn't on the map." "And she expects us to send Nancy to a place like that?" gasped Mother. "I didn't realize it was so Isolated." "But it's home to Cousin Columbine," Colum-bine," observed Aunt Judy, "and perhaps she's lonely." "I wonder If she'd be satisfied with me?" suggested Jack. "I have a touch of this wanderlust myself." "You'd make a swell dressmaker," jeered his sister; and then, being called to the telephone by one of the admirers of whom Cousin Columbine Co-lumbine would disapprove, promptly prompt-ly forgot the matter. CHAPTER II XJOW, meeting Jack's eager eyes as he perched on the foot of her antique four-poster, the memory mem-ory of that family dinner all rushed back. Regardless of the cold air and a sleeveless pink crepe nighty, Nance sat up, startled, and stared at her brother In dismay. "Why, Jack Nelson 1 You you're not Implying that I ought to go way off to Colorado just for a a paltry twenty-five dollars a month, are you?" 'Tipe down," warned Jack, "or like as not Mother'll come butting In, and I want to talk things over with you first. I can't sleep, Nance. I keep thinking about Dad. You know how he is always seeing the bright side of everything; but he admitted tonight that he was down and out. That means flat broke, doesn't It? And even If I got some sort of job It probably wouldn't much more than pay my car fares and lunches for a year or two. And there's you simply a parlor ornament and " "Thanks," broke in his sister coldly, sliding down under the puff again. "You don't need to ,xub it In just now, do you?" "I didn't intend to rub in anything any-thing ; but there's no need of sidestepping side-stepping the truth, either. I suppose sup-pose you could help Mother 'round the house some; but with Aunt Judy gone, and Lou home only Sundays, Sun-days, there won't be an awful lot to do. And I've a notion she'd rather keep busy, anyway, so's not to think about things. I suppose she's just heartbroken over you." Nancy said nothing for a moment; mo-ment; then: "Do you think it will add to her happiness if I'm two thousand miles away, all alone, living liv-ing with a queer old woman we've never seen, and dying of homesickness?" homesick-ness?" "No," said Jack, "I think she'd worry herself sick. But if you weren't alone, Nance if if I went, too" "You I" interrupted the girl, amazed. "Why, how do you know that Cousin Columbine would take you in?" "I don't expect her to ; but she might get me a job on some ranch, Sis. I've always been crazy to see the West; and with us both away earning our own living, things would be easier for Dad and Mother." "But you said yourself, Jack, that what Cousin Columbine wanted was a slave!" "Oh, forget it. I was Just talking. talk-ing. If she has a woman come In every day the work can't kill you; and if I were near enough so we'd get together every little while, it wouldn't be so bad. And we'd be helping Dad, Nance. Honestly helping. help-ing. He wouldn't even have to feed us !" The girl gave way to a reluctant smile. "Is niy appetite as fearful a thing as that? Why you talk as if we'd have to apply to the Salvation army for Christmas dinner! Had can't be so hard tip that we'll have to worry about food, Jack." "But It costs l"ss to support three than five, my dear. You can't get away from that. If you say the word I'll send an air mail letter to Cousin Columbine tomorrow. I'll explain ex-plain what's ha i "pe'iing, and ask If I can get a Jn! out there. We needn't say a word to Mother until c hear from her. I'll ask Iter to telegraph." Nancy locked at the hoy curiously, cu-riously, as if she were observing a stranger. .Tack was only seventeen and his sister had always regarded him with the tolerance nineteen he-stows he-stows upon a yonncer brother. Now. suddenly, lie seemed older than herself, her-self, for at tiie first hint of trouble he had put his shoulder to the i;HAPTER I Continued o;. 2 4 was Jack once more, but 'e thought to reprove him for nterruption. Dad sat sud-erect. sud-erect. Mother's mouth opened, ayed that way a minute. Aunt io:i bristled : "What's the woman f! ng of?" while .Nancy herself j; arlng at them in blank amaze- ; ?" she gasped, after a speech-foment. speech-foment. ie-e very Idea!" said Mother, ri lier voice. Is r Pete's sake, read on," com-aL.:d com-aL.:d Jack and as they all forward in sudden Interest tt! Nelson said : i'; :'s see, where was I? Oh, the place, ... as soon as le. Though I know you are "fixed financially, my dear ", I shall Insist on paying the . traveling expenses. I also to give her twenty-five dol- very month, and her duties ot be arduous. i I believe I have mentioned evions communications, my loighbor, Aurora Tubbs, does joking and house cleaning, i on the latter subject her and my own not Infrequently I should expect your daugh-t daugh-t dust the mansion neatly morning ; do her own wash- hls point, unable to restrain Sf a moment longer, Jack -ent to a sort of war whoop; l-s aunt declared in exaspera-S"Really, exaspera-S"Really, Jack, If you can't tlll until I finish, someone else iVave the pleasure of reading llculous proposal." go on, Louise," pleaded "What else does she expect oce for that munificent sal- ict obedience, I judge. The says: 'If she goes out of an lSr"j I shall expect her to be in :er than nine-thirty, my bed- land though I prefer that she A entertain no young men f , If such a thing occurs they cave at the same hour.' " Louise paused, amused eyes g Nancy's as Jack chuckled : ,oy friends for our Nance? ettlos the matter, Dad. Just 'our antiquated cousin that charming daughter doesn't for the position." P still," begged Nancy. "I hoard anything so so wild II whole life!" ! J so Nelson was smiling now. ire to read the daily papers 'sin Columbine, Nance," she 'And listen to this: 'If handy er needle I should want the i do n bit of dressmaking now 1 en. She would get supper irsdays (Aurora's evening off), Jj case of Illness on my part ht he necessary for her to Von me. That Is all, I think' fill's enough," declared Aunt Interrupting herself this "I judge they haven't met vant problem at Pine Ridge, lo!" it she wants is a slave," as-QjlJuck. as-QjlJuck. "I can't quite see my Ive sister being nurse, dress-,,ul dress-,,ul cook to a prehistoric old J jB e hundred-odd years old. Can !H-lil?" C1I01, hardly," agreed Dad. "Is V;!, Louise?" "p nearly. She says: 'Let me '' fhat time Nancy will arrive UK rndo Springs, and I will send ttsty person to meet hor with wnnlitle. as Pine Ridge Is on rsi'h road ami our only train ;j,'rV'enrlv in the morning. If no iiuj'.?ots her on arrival. Instruct 'so, to sit quietly In the sta- til called for.' " 8 rlish chuckle escaped Aunt 1,1a,;, can check yourself In the $' rooln' Cancel Proceed. I beg pardon for Inter- S winked at one aunt as the elm-tod: "You're as had as .'ih'on, Judith. But there's j-.ch more. She says : 'I feel '""at this experience will Im-:'"' Im-:'"' our daughter.' How's that. 0'" ,g "ad with spirit: "Why on houhl she imagine that our needs Improvement?" how would she get it in a pi' "You're Just as Curious as an Old Woman, Dad." won't consent after we've made our plans, Nance, no harm will be done." "Well," agreed Nancy with sudden resolution, "go on and write." "That's the stuff I" Jack slid his long legs off the bed and proceeded, as noiselessly as possible pos-sible to open the windows again. " 'Night, Sis. I knew you'd see sense after I showed it to you. And don't you dare let on we're up to anything. Just keep mum." It was not so hard to "keep mum" as Nancy expected. The next few days were strenuous ones for the older members of the family, and the amusing letter from Colorado was completely forgotten. Jack, who did not return to Exeter on Monday, spent two of those days driving his mother and Aunt Judy to Edgemere tn his beloved "Mary Ann," so they could look into conditions con-ditions at the old home and decide what furniture must be sent out from the city. The air was filled with subtle confusion con-fusion and unrest. And theu one late afternoon, returning from a tea to which her mother had urged the girl to go, Nancy spied a telegram on the hall table. It was addressed to Jack, but she grasped the envelope en-velope eagerly, her heart pounding as she tore it open. A dim hope that Cousin Columbine would wet-blanket wet-blanket the whole idea, swept through her, but the message, eccentric eccen-tric and to the point, read briefly: "Your letter shows you to be a true Nelson Stop Can get job on ranch three miles from here Stop Sorry to hear of your father's reverses re-verses Stop If notified will send check to cover expense of trip for both of you Stop Advise come as soon as possible Columbine Nelson." Nel-son." Nance read this twice, her hands gripping the paper tensely. She was still staring at what seemed an Irrevocable Ir-revocable sentence at hard labor, when her father entered the room so quietly that she had no chanco to conceal the tell-tale yellow message. He asked, a touch of alarm In bis voice: "What's happened?" She glanced up, forcing a smile of reassurance. "Nothing to worry about. It's a a telegram for Jack. No bad news, Daddy." "IxH's see, daughter." He stretched out a hand, but Nancy thrust the paper iuto her coat rocket. "No," she said, "you'll have to wail till Jack comes home ami tolls you. He took Aunt Judy over to the Spears' on some last errand." "lint who's it from, Nancy?" The girl laughed. "You're just as curious as an old woman, Iiad ; but I promisd not to tell, and I'm not going to. You won't have long to wait. It's almost al-most dinner time. Here's Aunt Louise." She darted off before he could question any further; but as she reached her room a voice recalled her. and Jack, who hail come In close on his aunt's heels, was up the stairs. "Hi, there! Dad says I've gut a telegram. What luck?" (TO EE CONTINUED.) Hi if k Wit ( 1 vii - "Pipe Down' Warned Jack. and instead of reaching some settlement, set-tlement, lenvor or possibly Auraria (which was nourishing because of the gold rush) for the event, her baby was born in a covered wagon nt the spot which was later to be called fine Uidge." "And that baby was Cousin Columbine?" Col-umbine?" asked Nancy. Her aunt nodded, while Pad took up the nnrrnl ive. "Here's wdiere her name comes In, daughter. Early next morning Uncle Jed discovered pome enormous enor-mous blue and white columbines growing nearby and carried the whole clump in to the new mother. The story goes that she uttered an exclamation of rapture at their beauty, and cried out: 'Columbines! I know now what we'll call our little daughter 1'" |