Dorothy on a Ranch Part 14

Dorothy felt that this was simply heartless and sighed:

"I wish I could! But I can't!"

Then she drew the covers about her shoulders, stared through the open window at the moonlit ground, felt the scene a trifle dazzling, and closed her lids just to rest her eyes a minute.

When she opened them again Alfaretta's bed was empty and neatly spread.

Except her own belongings the room was in perfect order for the day, the sun shone where the moonlight had been, and the cathedral clock on the cloister wall was striking--

"Oh! Oh! It's morning! It's _late_ morning, too, that's six, seven, nine o'clock! Oh! how could I sleep so? I never did before in all my life--except--well, sometimes, but I'm ashamed, I'm awfully ashamed of myself."

As she sprang to her feet there was a tap at the door and a white-capped, white-ap.r.o.ned maid appeared, saying:

"Good morning, Senorita. The Senora sent me to serve you and help you about your bath. It is ready, yes, and the other senoritas have breakfasted and gone out, _si_. By my Lady's orders you were not to be awakened till you roused yourself."

"Oh! but I am sorry. I didn't mean to do this, for I know one of Mr.

Ford's rules is early rising. I found that out at _El Paraiso_ and--yes, yes, please do help me. But tell me, what shall I call you?"

"Anita, nina. Anita Mantez I am, from the dear City of the Angels, _si_.

This way, _carita_, do not fear displeasure. They are all beloved, the fair young things, but you are nearest, dearest, so my Lady tells. For you will never be blamed, believe me."

Dorothy made short work of her toilet and felt so refreshed by her night of sound sleep and her delightful morning bath, that the world outside seemed even lovelier than she remembered it. Also, she was hungry--so hungry! It was quite as Mr. Ford had said; that the mountain air made people almost ravenous, at first. Afterwards, one's appet.i.te sank to the normal and to be out and doing was the one great desire of life.

Anita led her to the refectory and served her with a dainty breakfast, disposed on exquisite "individual" dishes, and oddly enough, bearing the initial "D." Dolly lifted a cup and stared at it, wondering while Anita glibly explained in her patois of Spanish-English, that yes, indeed, it was the Senorita's own.

Dorothy's heart was touched and grateful. Charming as her hosts were to all their guests, in many little ways they had singled her out as in this; and she understood without explanation from them that it was because of the part she had played in bringing together the once divided family. Very humbly and gravely she accepted these attentions, thankful in her deepest heart that she had been "inspired," on that past winter day, to lead the father and son across the mesa to the little cabin where Gray Lady dwelt alone. It had been a daring thing to do--an "a.s.sisting Providence"--such as wise Aunt Betty wholly disapproved; but that time it had been a fortunate one for all concerned.

Now as the girl sipped her cocoa, turning the egg-sh.e.l.l like cup to catch the light, she wondered what she could still do to help her dear Gray Lady and to prove her own love. Then her dreaming was cut short by a hubbub of merry voices without, and, a moment later, a crowd of young folks tumbled through the big window, laughing, teasing, exhorting:

"Lazy girl! Just eating breakfast and it's nearly time for lunch, seems if!"

"Oh! The loveliest thing in the world!" cried Molly, clapping her hands.

"Thank you," said Dolly, demurely, lifting her face for the other to kiss.

"Oh! not you, Miss Vanity, but a beautiful thing on four legs!"

"We're to take our choice and the white one's _mine_, for--" declared Alfaretta.

"No white one for me! Dad says we're to do our own grooming and white ones have to be washed just like a poodle dog and--" began Leslie.

"I had one once. His name was 'Goodenough,' and he was good enough, too.

Could walk on its hind legs--" interrupted Herbert.

"Oh, Dorothy! If you aren't going to finish that b.u.t.tered toast, do give it to me! I never was so hungry in all my life. I simply can't get filled up, and--"

"Montmorency Vavasour-Stark! You ought to be ashamed! After eating four chops, three boiled eggs, five helpings of potato, to say nothing of coffee enough for the regiment, and strawberries--"

"Well, Mistress Molly Breckenridge, I don't know who set you to keep tally on my appet.i.te! and I hate to see good things wasted. Want the rest of those berries, girlie? I know you don't. You're real unselfish, you are; and you wouldn't eat all the nice-ripe-red-strawberries- raised-under-gla.s.s-ripe-red-strawberries and give your neighbor none.

And give your neighbor none, you-shan't-have-any-of-my-nice-ripe-red- strawberries-who-gives-his-neighbor--Molly, give it back! Aw, now, Molly! You wouldn't eat all the nice-ripe--Hold on! Bert Montaigne, that's a beastly shame! After I had to warble in that dulcet way for a plate of poor, left-over, second-hand strawberries, to have 'em grabbed by you and Molly--that's too much. Just one drop too much to fill my bucket, but I say, 'Little One,' I wish you'd get up late every morning, and have just such a superfine breakfast as this saved for you, and not be hungry at all yourself, but save it for a poor starved little boy who hasn't had a mouthful in an hour--"

Monty was running on in this absurd way, yet holding his own in a three cornered scramble for possession of a dish of berries he had pre-empted from Dorothy's table; till, without saying anything, Helena calmly walked up, took the disputed dish from the contestants and, shoving Dolly aside to give up half her chair, sat down and began to eat them herself.

"Two spoons with but a single dis.h.!.+ How touching!" cried Herbert, posing in pretended admiration of the pair, yet covertly watching his chance to add a third spoon to the two and get his own taste of the luxury.

Not but that all had been served likewise, at the regular meal earlier in the day, and Monty's boasted appet.i.te was but a part of the happy foolishness of their youth and high spirits.

For they were all evidently greatly excited over something, and the talk fell back upon "choice" and "points" and "colors" with a comparison of manes and tails, till Dorothy sprang up, clapped her hands over her ears, and demanded:

"One at a time! One at a time! Do tell me what you're all jabbering about and be quick! Just because I was lazy--I admit it, all right--I don't want to miss all the fun! Tell me!"

But her answer did not come from any of the lively group about her. A shadow fell across the floor and Captain Lem appeared at the window.

Leaning his elbows on the low sill he surveyed the interior with a quizzical smile, then observed:

"If everybody's et all they can and has got time for somethin' elst, please to step over to the corral behind the Barracks. Time there was somethin' doin'! Come on, Little One. I'd like to have you head the procesh, for 'twas the Boss's orders, first pick for you. Hep, hep, hep--march!"

CHAPTER IX

A MODERN HORSE FAIR

They departed as they had entered, by way of the window, Dorothy lifted through it by her admiring Captain Lem, whose heart she had wholly won by her music the night before, and by the deference she paid to his talk. She was eager to find out the cause of all this excitement and placed herself alongside him, as he led off with a military tread and tensely squared shoulders. It wasn't for him to admit that rheumatism commonly bowed those same shoulders, when he was "off duty" and secure in the shelter of his own room.

"Hep, hep, hep,--hep," said the Captain marking time, and scowling at the irregular pace of the excited youngsters behind her. At which Dorothy promptly echoed his "Hep, hep, hep," and the others took the hint, pairing off into a compact little company and following their leader like soldiers on parade.

Captain Lemuel smiled and nodded:

"Good, Little One! 'Tis you has the head of sense, and fingers for the fiddle bow. The boys are all just proud to have you up at S' Leon, and anything you want done--say the word! All I want is to see you shoot well as you can fiddle. Ride, eh? Can you ride a horse, Little One?"

"My name is Dorothy, Captain Lemuel, and I can--a little. Helena, too, is fine on horseback. She's the yellow-haired girl, you know. But why?

What makes you ask?"

They had come across the gra.s.s as far as the end of the Barracks, and still drilling his "awkward squad," the old ranchman wheeled about and ordered:

"Halt! About--face!"

Alfy giggled, but seeing the faces of all the rest, especially Dorothy's, sober and set in imitation of the Captain's, she stopped laughing and applied herself to the business in hand.

"Hep, hep, hep--March!"

They might have been veterans, instead of an awkward squad, so perfectly they now kept step and so fully they entered into the old man's whim.

For only a whim they supposed this drilling to be, though in reality he had taken note of all their figures and, with the exception of Herbert's and Dorothy's, saw that each could be improved. Especially was there need of this in Leslie's case; and having been told of the lad's delicacy by his beloved "Boss," he had conceived this scheme of drill.

"You see, Boss, I can easy enough cure that boy by 'whipping him over the others' shoulders,' so to speak. You've heard tell of that before, I 'low. He's all right. He's a real likely, well-growed lad; and that West Point 't he's hankerin' for'd be the best thing ever happened to him.

Exceptin' course 't it would nigh break his mother's heart, so he told me. Well, that's no more here nor there. A little drillin' in this Colorady air'll do 'em all good and set him up to a dandy shape. Yes, siree! You or your lady best just drop the hint to that there little fiddler-girl, 't seems to lead the rest of 'em round by the nose--though they like it, they like it an' her too! Couldn't help it, you see.

n.o.body could; eh, what?"