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15 - Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge by Margaret Vandercook · Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge

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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot Org. The Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge by
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  Speaker 1: Margaret Vanderkook, chapter fifteen, All save Jack. It was nearly
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  Speaker 1: noon next day when the latest comer to Rainbow Lodge awoke.
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  Speaker 1: She still felt sore and stiff from her long journings,
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  Speaker 1: but she could never remember such a blissful sleep in
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  Speaker 1: her life. Out her bedroom window, Ruth thought she caught
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  Speaker 1: the sound of the girls's voice, and, dipping into a wrapper,
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  Speaker 1: threw up her window blind. The sun flooded her room
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  Speaker 1: with a curious radiance. Ruth felt she had never known
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  Speaker 1: what real sunlight was before. It certainly cleared away the
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  Speaker 1: mists from her heart and brain. Ruth gazed around her room.
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  Speaker 1: It was a joy to her in its wide, sunlit emptiness.
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  Speaker 1: The girls had hung white muslin curtains at the windows,
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  Speaker 1: The little pinewood table chair and bureau were painted white,
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  Speaker 1: and the bed was white iron. A little fire burned
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  Speaker 1: in the low grate, for Aunt Ellen had stolen in
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  Speaker 1: and laid it without awakening their guest. There was no
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  Speaker 1: color in the room except the soft brown stain on
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  Speaker 1: the walls and floor, and one bright red and black
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  Speaker 1: Indian like it. Ruth understood that the girls had made
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  Speaker 1: the place lovely for her. She began to feel that
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  Speaker 1: perhaps they did want her with them after all. Unconsciously,
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  Speaker 1: she yielded to the cheerful spirit of Rainbow Lodge, and,
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  Speaker 1: hurrying in her clothes, found aunt Ellen ready with her
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  Speaker 1: toast and coffee. Aunt Ellen explained that the ranch girls
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  Speaker 1: had disappeared somewhere about the ranch. They had waited for
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  Speaker 1: their visitor, but when it seemed that she was going
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  Speaker 1: to sleep all day, they vanished. You mustn't mind, miss,
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  Speaker 1: aunt Ellen, murmured apologetically. But they can't somehow stay indoors
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  Speaker 1: so long as the good weather holds. Cousin Ruth went
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  Speaker 1: shyly out on the ranch house veranda. She was thinking
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  Speaker 1: regretfully of what a bad impression she had made on
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  Speaker 1: her cousins the night before, because she too had planned
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  Speaker 1: a very different kind of meeting. No recollection remained of
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  Speaker 1: any one of the girls, except Jack, whom she would
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  Speaker 1: always remember as the young centaur she saw racing across
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  Speaker 1: the plains. Ruth strolled slowly down the path through the
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  Speaker 1: cottonwood trees. She was beginning to feel lonely and hoped
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  Speaker 1: one of the girls would turn up. Soon above her head,
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  Speaker 1: the yellow leaves rustled softly, and the brown landscape no
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  Speaker 1: longer looked uninteresting. It was all new and strange, she thought,
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  Speaker 1: but some day she might learn to care for it.
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  Speaker 1: If Miss Drew had not been so deep in her reflections,
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  Speaker 1: she would not have been so terrified a moment later,
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  Speaker 1: for suddenly in her way there loot a big, shaggy animal,
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  Speaker 1: and a pair of huge paws clung to her shoulders.
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  Speaker 1: Ruth screamed down, shut down, cried a merry voice. I
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  Speaker 1: am so sorry, cousin Ruth. Shep is our watch dog.
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  Speaker 1: He never realizes that visitors don't understand his friendly intentions.
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  Speaker 1: Jean slipped through an opening in the trees, carrying a
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  Speaker 1: tin bucket on her arm. I have been for some milk,
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  Speaker 1: she explained. The cows Jim keeps for our use have
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  Speaker 1: their stable near Jim's house, and Aunt Ellen wanted some
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  Speaker 1: extra milk and sent me for it. I hope you
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  Speaker 1: feel quite rested. Jean sometimes tilted her head with its
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  Speaker 1: mass of heavy brown hair, a bit to one side
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  Speaker 1: when she was deeply interested. She surveyed their new chaperon
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  Speaker 1: with such a merry, friendly sparkle in her wide open
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  Speaker 1: brown eyes that Ruth was charmed with her at once.
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  Speaker 1: She couldn't have guessed that Miss Jean Bruce was making
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  Speaker 1: a rapid inventory of Miss Ruth Drew's character inside and out. Manner,
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  Speaker 1: stiff and old maidy complexion, bad hair, pretty if she
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  Speaker 1: fixed it differently. Mouth looks like she has eaten something acid,
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  Speaker 1: except when she smiles. Then mouth and eyes quite nice. Figure, small,
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  Speaker 1: but distinctly good. Ruth was patting old chp for as usual.
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  Speaker 1: Jean was talking in a steady stream. Hope you didn't
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  Speaker 1: mind our going off and leaving you, she apologized. You see,
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  Speaker 1: we have a good many small duties about the ranch.
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  Speaker 1: Jack probably won't be back until luncheon, but I'm sure
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  Speaker 1: we will soon find Frida and allive. Ruth leaned over.
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  Speaker 1: Won't you kiss me, Jean? She asks unexpectedly. I have
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  Speaker 1: an idea you and I may be good friends. She
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  Speaker 1: guess that Jane was mischievous and full of fun, but
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  Speaker 1: not nearly so hard to influence as hadstrong Jack. Jean's
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  Speaker 1: man softened. She put down her milk pail and gave
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  Speaker 1: the much discussed cousin an affectionate hug. I hope you
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  Speaker 1: are going to be happy with us at Rainbow Lodge,
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  Speaker 1: she exclaimed. You know, we are used to doing pretty
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  Speaker 1: much what we like, but remember, if things go wrong,
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  Speaker 1: you are going to tell us how to behave. And
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  Speaker 1: she ended her advice with such a funny expression that
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  Speaker 1: Cousin Ruth laughed and slipped her hand through Jane's arm.
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  Speaker 1: Just let me get through with playing Molly the milk maid,
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  Speaker 1: Cousin Ruth, and we will go find the other girls,
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  Speaker 1: Jeane suggested. When they got back to the ranch house
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  Speaker 1: a minute later, Jean reported that Aunt Ellen thought Olive
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  Speaker 1: and Frieda were somewhere near the creek. Olive had suggested
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  Speaker 1: that she would try to catch some fresh fish for
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  Speaker 1: cousin Ruth Flencheon. The waters of Rainbow Creek were no
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  Speaker 1: longer in danger of flowing into the Norton Ranch. Jim
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  Speaker 1: and his men had built a dam at the end
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  Speaker 1: of Rainbow Lake where the dynamite explosion had taken place.
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  Speaker 1: The Ralston Ranch had filed suit for damages against mister Norton,
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  Speaker 1: but the claim had not yet been settled. Ruth and
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  Speaker 1: Jean crossed some stepping stones to the wooded side of
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  Speaker 1: the stream and had walked only a short distance beyond
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  Speaker 1: when Ruth spied a gleam of color a little further on.
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  Speaker 1: It was Frida, who wore a red tam, a red sweater,
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  Speaker 1: and her long blond plates tied with red ribbons. She
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  Speaker 1: was sitting on the stump of an old tree, sewing
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  Speaker 1: some bits of ribbon together, as calmly as though she
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  Speaker 1: had been in a little rocking chair by the fire.
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  Speaker 1: She looked so like a little German may chen, though
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  Speaker 1: she was so far away from the butter land that
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  Speaker 1: Ruth wanted to laugh aloud. Frida called an unfamiliar voice.
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  Speaker 1: Frida glanced quickly up. She was making a pin cushion
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  Speaker 1: for their new cousin and had not had time to finish,
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  Speaker 1: but hoped to be through with it before Olive landed
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  Speaker 1: her fish. The bits of silk ribbon fluttered to the
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  Speaker 1: ground as Frida caught sight of a stranger not much
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  Speaker 1: larger than Jean. She had her arms outstretched and such
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  Speaker 1: an eager look in her near sighted eyes that Frida
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  Speaker 1: flew straight to her. I am awfully glad to see you.
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  Speaker 1: I am really, Frida announced, giving her new cousin an
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  Speaker 1: old fashioned hug. There are such a lot of things.
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  Speaker 1: I want you to show me that Jack and Jean
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  Speaker 1: and Olive don't know a single thing about. And I
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  Speaker 1: am sure I shall like you in spite of what.
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  Speaker 1: But a warning look from Jean cut short Freda's confidences.
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  Speaker 1: Where is Olive, Jean asked quickly. She is not very
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  Speaker 1: far away. Frida answered, but you must walk softly or
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  Speaker 1: you will frighten the fish cousin. Ruth tiptoed as softly
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  Speaker 1: as Frida could wish. She was curious to see this
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  Speaker 1: new ranch girl whom Jack had written her about, and
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  Speaker 1: she would have been sorry to have missed her first
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  Speaker 1: vision of Olive. Olive hung out over the water where
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  Speaker 1: the creek deepened into a small pool under the branches
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  Speaker 1: of a scrub pine tree. One slender arm clung to
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  Speaker 1: a limb of the young tree. As she looked down
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  Speaker 1: into the muddy water. In the shadow of the evergreen boughs,
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  Speaker 1: Ruth had a quick and vivid impression of her glossy
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  Speaker 1: black hair, her delicate figure with its peculiar woodland grace,
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  Speaker 1: thothed in an old green dress the color of the
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  Speaker 1: autumn grass, and caught her breath in wonder. The girl
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  Speaker 1: looked like a dryad who had stolen out of the
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  Speaker 1: heart of a tree to catch an image of herself
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  Speaker 1: in the water. Ruth had a quick and vivid impression
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  Speaker 1: of her glossy black hair, her delicate figure with its
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  Speaker 1: peculiar woodland grace, clothed in an old green dress the
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  Speaker 1: color of the autumn grass, and caught her breath in wonder.
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  Speaker 1: The girl looked like a dryad who had stolen out
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  Speaker 1: of the heart of a tree to catch an image
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  Speaker 1: of herself in the water. Olive, don't fall in the creek,
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  Speaker 1: Jean called out, gayly, come and be introduced to cousin Ruth.
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  Speaker 1: She would rather see you than have fish for her luncheon.
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  Speaker 1: Olive gave a startled cry, and Jean made a dye
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  Speaker 1: for her. But Olive did not tumble into the water.
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  Speaker 1: She gave a quick jerk to her fishing line hook
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  Speaker 1: and drew in a good sized trout. Then Olive slipped
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  Speaker 1: up the bank to the others. Ruth looked curiously at
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  Speaker 1: the dark, rich coloring of her face. She did not
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  Speaker 1: seem like an Indian, and yet she certainly bore no
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  Speaker 1: resemblance to an American girl. Cousin Ruth felt that she
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  Speaker 1: would be an interesting study, although Olive was too shy
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  Speaker 1: to say more than a dozen words of greeting. Come on,
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  Speaker 1: let's walk a little farther along the creek. Jack won't
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  Speaker 1: be home for a while yet, Jean declared. Jack thinks
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  Speaker 1: the ranch would go to Rack and Ruin unless she
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  Speaker 1: were round to botch things. Don't you think maybe it would,
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  Speaker 1: Olive questioned gently. Jean laughed, Oh, I expect so, Olive.
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  Speaker 1: But how you do take up for Jack cousin Ruth,
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  Speaker 1: You will have to protect Freda and me. All it
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  Speaker 1: thinks Jack is perfection and agrees to anything she says. Look, look, oh,
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  Speaker 1: please don't talk, Frida cried in excitement, pointing up in
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  Speaker 1: the sky above the bed of the creek. A weird
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  Speaker 1: troop of birds was flying toward them, uttering a queer
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  Speaker 1: guttural noise. They were some distance off, but their short
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  Speaker 1: wings seemed to clack like Spanish castanets, and their long
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  Speaker 1: legs looked like venglan bits of string. What on earth
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  Speaker 1: are those creatures? Ruth asked hopelessly. She was surely seeing
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  Speaker 1: interesting signs in what she had thought a barren and
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  Speaker 1: desert land. They are sand cranes. Olive whispered softly, Let's
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  Speaker 1: be quite still. They are flying so low. I think
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  Speaker 1: they mean to alight. They must have mistake in the
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  Speaker 1: creek for a river. Frida snickered and put her hand
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  Speaker 1: into her mouth. Sh Frida, all caution. These funny birds
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  Speaker 1: are as shy as deer. If they do alight, they
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  Speaker 1: will probably come down in the cleared field. The birds
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  Speaker 1: swept slowly down nearer the earth in a half circle,
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  Speaker 1: still uttering their curious cries. It was, as Olive said,
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  Speaker 1: they were moving toward an open field. The four girls
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  Speaker 1: crept breathlessly through the trees and bushes until they could
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  Speaker 1: find peep holes. The cranes dipped down. One of them
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  Speaker 1: touched the ground, then another descended, and the third joined them.
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  Speaker 1: The birds stood each with a long, thin leg drawn
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  Speaker 1: up out of sight, until the whole flock had landed
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  Speaker 1: in a circle on the ground. The leader must have squawked,
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  Speaker 1: bow to your partners, swing your corners, for the birds
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  Speaker 1: immediately started a stately dance. They flapped their wings, they
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  Speaker 1: twisted their long necks, they fanned their shore her tails,
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  Speaker 1: and made strange signs to one another. They hopped together
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  Speaker 1: to a given spot, and then hopped back again, never
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  Speaker 1: for a single moment, losing their solemn dignity. Ruth held
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  Speaker 1: in as long as she could, but really, this stance
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  Speaker 1: of the same hill cranes was the funniest sight she
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  Speaker 1: had ever seen in her life. She laughed silently until
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  Speaker 1: the tears ran down her cheeks, her glasses slid off
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  Speaker 1: her nose, and she forgot she had ever thought of
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  Speaker 1: being homesick. Frida chuckled softly at first, but finally Jane
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  Speaker 1: and Olik joined in, and the secret audience burst into
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  Speaker 1: a roar. The leader of the cranes cast a shocked,
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  Speaker 1: horrified glance behind him, clacked a signal to his followers,
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  Speaker 1: and the birds rose together in flight. Olive ran out
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  Speaker 1: into the field, and a long, light brown feather fluttering
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  Speaker 1: downward from the last bird in the flock, rested for
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  Speaker 1: a second in her black hair. Frida skipped her give
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  Speaker 1: the feather to me. Olive Frieda begged, it is exactly
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  Speaker 1: what I want to trim my doll's hat, but Olive
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  Speaker 1: made no answer, and when she joined Ruth and Jean,
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  Speaker 1: she looked a little pale. What's the trouble, Olive? She asked,
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  Speaker 1: you look so funny, just like you were frightened over something.
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  Speaker 1: Olive shook her head. Oh, I know, I am silly,
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  Speaker 1: she explained, And I don't really believe in it. But
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  Speaker 1: there is an old Indian legend that when a bird
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  Speaker 1: drops a feather at your feet, it is to give
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  Speaker 1: you a warning of approaching danger. There is an Indian
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  Speaker 1: story of a young chief who was on his way
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  Speaker 1: to war. Three times an eagle cast down a feather
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  Speaker 1: before him. That chief knew what this signal meant, but
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  Speaker 1: he went on into battle just the same. Of course,
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  Speaker 1: he and his men were killed. Jack was waiting at
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  Speaker 1: the ranch house when the girls returned. She tried to
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  Speaker 1: stifle the pang of jealousy she felt when Frida clung
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  Speaker 1: to her new cousin. Instead of racing to her in
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  Speaker 1: her usual fashion, Jack and Ruth shook hands politely. Each
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  Speaker 1: one of them tried to be as friendly as possible
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  Speaker 1: to the other, but to save their lives, they could
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  Speaker 1: not get rid of their first feeling of antagonism. End
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  Speaker 1: of Chapter fifteen, read by Nancy Cochrane Gergan Gilbert, Arizona,
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  Speaker 1: October nineteenth, two thousand twenty one