CHAPTER X
Several days later the four new Ranch Girls drove over to Mr. Stevens' ranch.
His house was a new one, a large, square, frame building, with a wide front veranda.
The outside was not attractive. Inside the furnishings were masculine, heavy and handsome in character, but not particularly appropriate.
The distinction of the house was its wonderful view.
Upon a rise of land it stood, facing the rolling prairies, with the purple rim of the western hills beyond.
If the house was not especially beautiful or comfortable, the broad veranda was both of these things.
A congressman in Washington during the greater part of the year, Peter Stevens was able to spend only a few summer months at his own place. During this time he declared that he felt every moment indoors a wasted one.
Cecil Perry was waiting to greet his guests upon this porch.
At a short distance away his mother and guardian stood talking.
Half a dozen of his friends were beside him when the four girls from the Rainbow Ranch were seen approaching. Down the steps he went to greet them.
Up to the last moment Jeanette had contemplated finding an excuse which would make it possible for her to remain at home.
In the past few days nothing had occurred outside her usual experience. No look or word from her stepmother had indicated that she had any thought of referring to the secret which lay between them. She had no further reason to presume that any one else shared this secret. She was by no means sure that Cecil Perry knew, thinking perhaps that her imagination had played her false and that she had been mistaken in his manner toward her.
Nevertheless she was suffering from an unusual listlessness and lack of interest in all the things she had cared for previously.
Lina and her father had observed and spoken of the change of manner and behavior, inquiring if she were ill.
To reply that she wasnotill, but not feeling as well as usual was the safe fashion in which she met the situation. It was also true. Jeanette really was glad of her own dullness and lack of energy. Instead of riding over the ranch and persuading her sisters to long excursions, or following her father in his daily routine of work, she preferred to lie out under the trees, reading or making an effort to study.
The only thought that afforded her any pleasure at present was the idea of going East to school at the earliest possible hour.
Life had been giving Jeanette unusual revelations concerning her own nature.
Always she had been vaguely aware that she had a tiny streak of jealousy which sometimes amused and at others annoyed her own family.
She had wished to be first in her father's affection from the time she was little more than a baby. Since Lina was closer to her mother in disposition, Jeanette had always a childish fancy to hear herself spoken of as her father's favorite.
When Via came her father had laughed over her jealousy of the gentle, fair baby. Her mother had not laughed but taken the matter seriously. By and by Jeanette had grown to care more for Via than for any one else save her father.
After her mother's death, save for her jealousy of Jimmie Kent's friendship with her father, she had lived unaware of her own fault. Then followed her father's announcement of his intended marriage to his former ward, Jacqueline Ralston, one of the four original Ranch Girls.
During the weeks before the ceremony Jeanette had not appreciated the extent of her own emotion.
The house had been filled with other relatives and guests and she had been absorbed and entertained by them.
Of her prospective stepmother she had seen less than any one else. She and her son, Jimmie, were living at the old Rainbow Lodge, the less pretentious home occupied by the four Rainbow Ranch Girls at the beginning of this series of Ranch Girl stories. The large house had been under the supervision of Mrs. Ralph Merritt, for whom Jeanette had been named.
"You are sure to care more for Jack than any of the rest of us, Jeanette. You are so much more like her as a girl than any of your sisters, you should have been her namesake, not mine!" Mrs. Merritt insisted.
Many times Jeanette had recalled this speech since her father's return home with his second wife.
It had been far from the truth. As the weeks passed Jeanette found herself liking her stepmother less and less. Now, there was no question of her own feeling. She had prejudiced her stepmother against her forever, so there could be no hope of even ordinary friendliness between them.
"Jack is the soul of honor, she will understand you perfectly, Jeanette. She has a quick temper, and was sometimes obstinate and self-willed as a girl, as you are. She will be able to appreciate your difficulties. You will find her always just, always frank and fair, unless she feels that she has been tricked or deceived. Then, I grant you, it is harder for her to forgive than other people. These weaknesses are so far from her own nature. I hope no better thing for you, Jeanette, than that you may become more like her as you grow older."
These thoughts had been haunting Jeanette as their motor car was bearing her sisters and herself to the meeting of the Club of the Silver Arrow.
More than ever she was becoming convinced that there was no solution for her save in a boarding school in the East.
"Goodness, Jeanette, what is the matter, have you fallen asleep?" Lina suddenly queried, as the car was within sight of Mr. Stevens' home. "It is unusual with you, but you have scarcely spoken a word since we left home. You said this morning you had a headache and might not be able to come with us, but now you are here do try to appear more cheerful. You and Cecil have so many differences he may think you are resenting something that he has said or done in the past."
Via's fingers at this moment were inserted inside Jeanette's palm.
"I feel embarrassed, Jeanette, at the prospect of meeting strangers. Do help me," she murmured, sure of the appeal to her sister's bolder temperament that never had failed her in the past.
Jeanette straightened up with a little frown.
"Don't be a goose, Via, there will only be the members of the club, whom you know, and a few grown persons. They will not interfere with us, so you need not mind. I don't believe you really are half so afraid of people as you pretend, else how do you manage to be more popular than the rest of us?"
"How do you do, Cecil? I am glad it is such a lovely afternoon," Jeanette said, thrusting her hand out of the car window and speaking to her host before the others.
A few moments later the four girls were being introduced to Cecil's mother.
"I thought you were to spend the summer in Europe," Jeanette murmured, after they had shaken hands.
She was feeling a sudden, odd, unaccountable fancy for the fair, pretty woman who was Cecil Perry's mother. They were alike in appearance, the same delicate skin, gold hair and blue eyes, the same half spoiled expression which Jeanette had observed and resented on the boy's face at their first meeting.
He appeared more manly and vigorous now after two months of outdoor life among new friends and interests.
Mrs. Perry smiled.
"I had intended spending the summer in Europe, but found I was missing Cecil too much. Besides, Europe is not what it used to be in the old days. The shadow of war still rests on it. When I returned to New York I wanted to send for Cecil, but Mr. Stevens wrote he was not to be torn away from Western influences so soon. He added that I might be permitted to make them a visit. Cecil has written me of you."
Wondering uncomfortably what the letter could have said, Jeanette flushed.
Equally Mrs. Colter was attracted by the erect figure, the proud head with the short, bright brown hair, the gray-blue eyes. The girl's expression suggested that she was making some kind of an appeal to her, a complete stranger.
Jeanette was wondering if Mrs. Perry would be kind to her when she went back home, so sure was Jeanette that she would soon be freed from her own difficulties by leaving for an Eastern school.
Reading the advertising in one of the current magazines, she had chosen a school on Long Island which she believed she would prefer to any other. This she intended to recommend to her father, and Cecil had told her they had a summer place on Long Island.
As Jeanette moved away she was wondering if Cecil would confide to his mother his suspicion concerning her. Some day she must find out what knowledge he possessed, or believed himself to possess.
There were twenty members of the Club of the Silver Arrow.
A quarter of an hour later the entire number was assembled on the lawn in front of the house.
This afternoon the election of officers would take place.
Afterwards Cecil planned certain sports that would test the courage and initiative of each member.
There were no shade trees on the newly made lawn, but several large, gaily striped green-and-white umbrellas had been set up beside each other with chairs and circular tables beneath.
Cecil and Eric Lawton bore around slips of paper and pencils for the choosing of the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer of the new society.
Peter Stevens wandered down from the veranda with Mrs. Perry in order personally to count the slips.
Martha Putnam, one of Jeanette's closest friends, leaned over to whisper:
"It would not surprise me, Jeanette, if you were chosen president instead of one of the boys. Do you know there was an informal discussion the other day, after you had won the racing contest, to award you the silver arrow. No one of us will succeed in doing anything so thrilling as winning a riding contest. I never dreamed you would win, Jeanette. Really, I never have been so proud of any one!"
Martha laughed.
"My family is annoyed; I have talked of nothing else since. We held another conference and concluded that it was too soon to bestow the silver arrow on any one of us, as the club had never been actually organized and we had no officers. We have always planned to ask several grown persons to assist us when we make the final decision.
"Isn't Mr. Stevens about to announce who has been elected president?"
Jeanette held her hands tightly clasped, her lips shut firmly together.
No such ill fortune could descend upon her as to be chosen president of a club which she herself had suggested should be a test of courage and honor.
Under no circumstances would she accept the office.
Why she should feel this intense objection to her own election she had no time or opportunity to analyze at present.
Mr. Stevens was counting the ballots.
"Cecil Perry, six votes. Eric Lawton, six votes. Jeanette Colter, eight." A burst of applause was led by Cecil's mother.
Jeanette rose suddenly to her feet.
"Oh, no, it is impossible; I absolutely decline to accept!" she announced in an excited tone and manner unusual with her. Ordinarily she was self-possessed and oftentimes humorous.
At present she was neither.
Her eyes had filled with tears and she was biting her lips.
"Mr. Stevens, do please explain I cannot possibly be president. One of the boys should be elected, Cecil, or Eric, not a girl."
She hesitated.
"Besides, I don't expect to be in this neighborhood long. Very soon I hope to go away."
She observed Lina and Via and Eda gazing at her in sheer astonishment.
To them Jeanette's statement was an entire surprise. Certainly there had been no word at home of her intention of leaving.
Jeanette was sorry she had spoken before them instead of first to her father. Perhaps her request would be less readily granted.
"Why, Jeanette, what in the world do you mean? You never have mentioned this at home!" Lina exclaimed, and then was sorry for having spoken.
Jeanette turned upon her a supplicating look, almost as if she were asking aid in some crisis. Why should her sister take so simple a circumstance as her election to the presidency of their new club with such seriousness? She had originated the idea of the club and the silver arrow was actually her own possession. Neither she nor Via nor Eda had dreamed of disputing her right.
Jeanette's conduct made an appeal to the one stranger present.
"Don't allow the child to be troubled. Plainly she does not desire the honor, Peter," Mrs. Perry whispered in her companion's ear.
Mr. Stevens was an old bachelor and not accustomed to young people.
He looked a little helpless and chagrined.
"The election is perfectly regular, Jeanette. I don't understand your prejudice against accepting. However, if you feel as you do, we can try another ballot with Eric and Cecil as the only nominees."
Later Eric Lawton was elected president, Lina Colter vice-president and Cecil Perry secretary and treasurer.