Part 6 (1/2)

Meanwhile Julie and Gerald had quietly opened the door of the drawing-room, and, finding Dan alone, they told him with great gusto about their new friend. ”Mr. Packard says he's a really-truly neighbor of ours,” Gerry said. ”How can he be a neighbor if he lives fifteen miles away?”

”I don't know, Gerald, but I suppose that he does,” Dan replied. ”I would like to meet your new friend. I'll try to be up tomorrow.”

CHAPTER X.

A CATTLE-MAN FRIEND

The next day Dan seemed to be much better as the crisp morning air that swept into their drawing-room was very invigorating. By noon he declared that he was quite strong enough to go to the diner for lunch, and, while there, the excited children pointed out to him their friend Mr. Packard.

That kindly man bowed and smiled, noting as he did so that the older girl in their party drew herself up haughtily. The observer, who was an interested student of character, did not find it hard, having seen Jane, to understand the lack of enthusiasm which the children had shown when speaking of her.

Not wis.h.i.+ng to thrust his acquaintance upon the girl, who so evidently did not desire it, the man pa.s.sed their table on his way from the diner without pausing.

It is true that Julie had made a slight move as though to call to him, but this Mr. Packard had not seen, as a cold, rebuking glance from Jane's dark eyes had caused the small girl to sit back in her chair, inwardly rebellious.

Dan, noting this, said: ”I like your friend's appearance. I think I shall go with you for a while to the observation platform. I cannot breathe too much of this wonderful air.”

Jane reluctantly consented to accompany them there. ”Gee-golly, how I hope Mr. Packard is there,” Gerald whispered as he led the way.

The Westerner rose when the young people appeared and Jane quickly realized that he was not as uncouth as she had supposed all ranchers were.

Dan was made as comfortable as possible and he at once said: ”Mr.

Packard, Gerald tells me that you are our neighbor. That is indeed good news.”

”You have only one nearer neighbor,” the man replied, ”and that is the family of a trapper named Heger. They have a cabin high on your mountain.”

Then, turning toward Jane, he said: ”Their daughter, whom they call Meg, is just about your age, I judge. She is considered the most beautiful girl in the Redfords district. Indeed, for that matter, she is the most beautiful girl whom I have ever seen, and I have traveled a good deal.

How pleased Meg will be to have you all for near neighbors.”

Jane's thoughts were indignant, and her lips curled scornfully, but as Mr. Packard's attention had been drawn to Gerald, he did not know that his remarks had been received almost wrathfully.

”Ranchers must have strange ideas of beauty!” she was a.s.suring herself.

”How this crude man could say that a trapper's daughter is the most beautiful girl he has ever met when he was looking directly at _me_, is simply incomprehensible. Mr. Packard is evidently a man without taste or knowledge of social distinctions.”

Jane soon excused herself, and going to their drawing-room, she attempted to read, but her hurt vanity kept recurring to her and she most heartily wished she was back East, where her type of beauty was properly appreciated. It was not strange, perhaps, that Jane thought herself without a peer, for had she not been voted the most beautiful girl at Highacres Seminary, and many of the others had been the attractive daughters of New York's most exclusive families.

Dan returned to their drawing-room an hour later, apparently much stronger, and filled with a new enthusiasm. ”It's going to be great, these three months in the West. I'm so glad that we have made the acquaintance of this most interesting neighbor. He is a well educated man, Jane.” Then glancing at his sister anxiously, ”You didn't like him, did you? I wish you had for my sake and the children's.”

Jane shrugged her slender shoulders. ”Oh, don't mind about me. I can endure him, I suppose.”

Dan sighed and stretched out to rest until the dinner hour arrived.

Julie and Gerald joined them, jubilantly declaring that they were to reach their destination the next morning before sun-up.

”Then we must all retire early,” Dan said. This plan was carried out, but for hours Jane sobbed softly into her pillow. It was almost more than she could bear. She had started this journey just on an impulse, and she _did_ want to help Dan, who had broken down trying to work his way through college that there might be money enough to keep her at Highacres. It was their father who had been inconsiderate of them. If he had let the poor people lose the money they had invested rather than give up all he had himself, she, Jane, could have remained at the fas.h.i.+onable seminary and Dan would have been well and strong.

Indeed everything would have been far better.

But the small voice in the girl's soul which now and then succeeded in making itself heard caused Jane to acknowledge: ”Of course Dad is so conscientious, he would never have been happy if he believed that his money really belonged to the poor people who had trusted him.”