CHAPTER III.
STELLA GOES TO THE "RENT RAG."
"Oh, joy, an' pickled pelicans!" said Bud Morgan, skipping onto theveranda one evening, when all the boys were sitting around Stella andMrs. Graham.
Bud had just returned from Soldier Butte, where he had been spending theafternoon.
"What's devouring you now?" asked Ben Tremont. "Or is it just one ofyour weekly sillies?"
"Who are yer alludin' at?" asked Bud loftily.
"As you were going to say--" suggested Kit, looking at Bud.
"Boys, thar's goin' ter be a 'rent rag' in the Butte ter-morrer night,an' we all have an urgent bid ter be present."
"A what?" asked Stella.
"A 'rent rag.'"
"Who tore it?" asked Stella innocently.
At this the boys laughed loud and long, then apologized when they sawStella's embarrassment.
"It ain't tore yet," said Bud, "but it's lierble ter be before ther rosydawn."
"What are you talking about?" said Stella impatiently. "I never saw suchprovoking boys. You say such strange things, then cackle over it asthough there was a joke in it, which nobody seems to see exceptyourself."
"A 'rent rag' is a--'rent rag,'" said Kit, trying to explain.
"That sounds as sensible as the conundrum, 'Why is a hen?'" said Stella."Must I ask the question and get caught? All right, here goes. What is a'rent rag'? Now, don't tell me, some one, that it is a rag that has beentorn, for I exploded that one myself."
"A 'rent rag,'" said Bud slowly and carefully, "is a rag for rent.A--a--er--well, it's a--"
"Tell me, Ted," said the girl, turning to the leader of the outfit, whowas leaning back in his chair smiling at the ridiculous conversation.
"Well, as near as I can make out it is a bit of slang that means this:The word 'rag' is the slang for a public dance. When a man in town whois popular enough falls behind in paying his rent, through somemisfortune or other, and owes so much he cannot hope to pay it, he handsout a flag that he wants help. In other words, it is an invitation tohis friends to organize a public ball for his benefit. It depends uponhis honesty and popularity whether or not they do so."
"That's the strangest thing I ever heard of."
"Well, if the thing goes through, a hall is rented and music is engaged,the cost of which is to be deducted from the money taken at the door.Then the man for whose benefit the ball is given and his wife prepare alot of sandwiches, fried chicken, and other eatables, and a tub or twoof lemonade, and help their profits along."
"So that is a 'rent rag,' eh? Who is the man for whom the dance is to begiven, Bud?" asked Stella.
"A feller named Martin, whose wife has been sick all summer," answeredBud. "From what they say, I reckon he's all right. Jest ter be a goodfeller I bought ten tickets, at one bean per ticket."
"Is that all they are?" asked Stella. "Only one bean? Gracious, they'llhave to dispose of an awful lot of tickets to get enough beans to sellto pay their rent with! Why don't they make it something else? I'd liketo contribute a dollar, at least. A bean a ticket, pshaw! How awfullycheap! I guess he doesn't owe much."
At this remark the boys fairly cackled.
"Now, what are you laughing at?" cried Stella, almost angry. "I seem tobe more humorous to-night than I ever thought possible. I can hardly saya word but you all start to laugh at me."
This was too much for the boys. They couldn't restrain themselves andwent off into peals of laughter. When they saw the danger signals of twobright spots in Stella's cheeks, they realized that they had gone toofar, and all hastily tried to explain. But Ted was before them, andquietly told Stella that in the expressive, if scarcely lucid, languageof the day a "bean," in the sense in which Bud had used it, meant adollar.
"Such silly slang," said Stella, restored to good humor once more. "Idon't mind slang if it's clever and reveals or conceals or twists a wordin some sensible way, but a bean for a dollar--no, it won't do. Thefellow who invented that should try again. The only fun I can see inslang is its aptness."
The boys murmured something to the effect that it wasn't a particularlywitty bit of slang, but they continued to grin at one another.
"Suppose we all go to the 'rent rag,'" said Stella suddenly. "I neversaw anything of the sort, and I'm crazy to go."
"It's likely to be pretty rough, and break up in a row before itsnatural time," said Ted.
"We'll only stay a short while," said Stella. "But I should like to domy share toward helping the poor fellow."
"It's done already. I bought ten tickets. Thet's as much ez they expectfrom ther Moon Valley Ranch, an' it goes inter ther running expenses o'ther ranch, anyhow, in ther charity account."
"I don't care, I want to go."
"I move we go," said Ben. "It will add some tone to the proceedings."
"Ben wants to air his spike-tailed coat and low-neck vest," said Kit.
"Not for me," said Ben, laughing. "I wonder what those cow-punchers andminers and gamblers would do with a chap who sauntered in there inevening dress."
"He shore would come up ter Stella's conception of a rent rag, which isa torn rag," said Kit.
"Ted, won't we go?" pleaded Stella.
"Sure, if you want to; you are our guest, and whatever you want, all youhave to do is to ask for it," answered Ted.
It was agreed that they should wear their everyday uniforms, and Stellawas for going in her distinctive cowgirl costume, but this Mrs. Grahamwould not permit, and insisted that she should wear a frock which shehad had made in Denver.
When, the next night, Stella walked into the living room, where the boyswere waiting to escort her and Mrs. Graham to the ball, there was ageneral exclamation of wonder and admiration, at which Stella hesitatedwith a blush, then came forward with smiling assurance.
Instead of the bold and dashing Stella in her bifurcated riding skirtand bolero jacket, the boys saw a beautiful young woman in a pale-bluegown of silk and chiffon, with her pretty hair piled on top of her head,instead of flowing over her shoulders.
For a moment they were awed. They had never seen her so, and perhaps hadnever thought of her as being a young lady. Most of them were content toregard her just as Stella, their girl pard, and to-night she had giventhem a surprise.
At her throat was a superb sapphire set in a brooch, which had come outof the broncho boys' sapphire mines on Yogo Creek, and in her hair wasan ornament of diamonds and rubies which the boys had made from jewelswhich had come as their share of the treasures of the Montezumas, whichthey had discovered beneath the castle of Chepultapec, near the city ofMexico.
Altogether Stella was very stunning, and in their admiration of her inthis new role of society girl the boys were between two preferences, asshe was now, and as they knew her in the saddle, throwing her lariat orhandling her revolver.
Most of them, however, came to the conclusion that she was still Stella,no matter what she wore.
"Say, Stella, that's not fair," drawled Ben, "to dress up like that andmake us wear our working togs. I've got a good mind to go and get intomy spike."
"If you do, I won't go," said Stella. "Unless the other boys wear theirsalso. You and I would look fine going in there dressed up, and the otherboys as they are now. No, I wouldn't have worn this dress if aunt hadn'tinsisted upon it, and this time I couldn't shake her determination. Ihate it, and would much rather have my working clothes on. But, nevermind, it won't be for long. How do you like me in this?" She revolvedslowly before them.
"Scrumptious!" said Ben appreciatively.
"Prettier than a basket of peaches," ejaculated Kit.
"Thar ain't nothin' in art er nature what kin show up more gaudy," saidBud. "Except, mebbe, it might be a pink rose in er garden at airlymornin' with ther dew on it."
"Say, hasn't Bud got us all faded?" said Ben. "I didn't know the oldsandpiper had so much poetry in his soul."
"So perfectionately lofely a younk lady nefer did I saw," exclaimedCarl, clasping his hands and holding them before him,
while he rolledhis eyes toward the ceiling.
"She's all thet," said Bud. "But come down ter airth. Stella ain't upamong ther rafters."
Ted had said nothing, and Stella looked at him. He was regarding herattentively.
Her look said: "What do _you_ think?"
He answered it with a look of admiration that satisfied her that hethought her perfect.
"I think I like you best in the everyday clothes," he said quietly. "Butthat gown is as if you were made for it and it was made for you."
The thought had come into Ted's mind that some day, in the far future,they would lose their girl pard, and society or duties elsewhere wouldclaim her.
Stella understood him and agreed with him.
Soon they were ready to start for the ball. The carriage was got out andCarl volunteered to drive the horses, while the other boys rode.
Just as they were about to start Stella cried: "Where is Jack Slate? Idon't see him. Isn't he coming to the ball?"
"Haven't saw him," said Bud. "I reckon he'll be moseyin' erlong after awhile. We won't wait fer him. He knowed when we wuz goin' ter start."
"He came in a little while ago from the lower pasture," said Kit, "andwent to his room. He said he had been thrown by his horse, and that thejar had given him a headache."
"Oh, don't let us wait for him," said Ben. "If he gets to feeling betterhe'll be along. You couldn't keep Jack away from a ball with aninjunction."
So they proceeded to town, the boys acting as outriders to the girl,whom they were convinced would be the belle of the ball.
When they arrived at the hall in Soldier Butte they found the peopleflocking in, as Martin, the beneficiary, was a very popular fellow, andany man in hard luck in the West always gets all the help he needs, ifhe deserves it.
Ted escorted Stella into the ballroom, while Ben followed with Mrs.Graham, the other boys taking the horses around to the corral.
As Ted and Stella entered the room there was a hum of admiration, andconversation stopped as men and women craned their necks to look at thehandsome couple.
Ted was both proud and pleased, but a little bit embarrassed at theattention they received, while Stella held her head up proudly, with alook of indifference on her face, as if she had been used to admirationall her life.
The ball certainly was a mixed affair.
In one corner were a lot of army officers and their ladies.
All down the sides of the ballroom cowboys were sitting with girls fromthe ranches. Town girls and boys had a corner to themselves. Thegamblers flocked together, and miners and others wandered here andthere, mixing with cavalrymen from the fort.
When the boys returned from the corral they found that Mrs. Graham andStella and their escorts had preempted a vacant corner.
There was a piano in the room, but no one to play it. Soon, however, afellow dressed after the cowboy fashion entered and took a seat on araised platform, producing a fiddle from a green bag.
A round of applause greeted him.
He tuned his instrument, and after a few preliminary scrapes began toplay a monotonous tune, repeating over and over again the same few bars.
At the first scrape the cowboys and their girls leaped to the floor andbegan to dance, but none of the people from the fort cared to dance tosuch music.
Suddenly the door flew open and a band of a dozen cow-punchers walkedinto the room, and were greeted by joyous shouts by the other cowboys inthe hall.
At their head was a handsome young fellow, slender and dark, with aresolute face and a pair of piercing eyes that flashed around the roomfor the purpose of seeing and locating his possible enemies.
"Who is that?" asked Stella.
"That's Billy Sudden," answered Ted.
"And who is he?"
"Foreman at 'Cow' Suggs' ranch. That's the Suggs bunch of cow-punchers.There'll be something doing here to-night."
"Why?"
"There are a lot of fellows in this part of the country who don't likeBilly, and some of them are liable to tread on his feet."
"Oh, is he quarrelsome?"
"No, Billy is the best sort of a fellow, but he won't let any one hobblehim. When he first went to the Dumb-bell Ranch, as the Circle-bar Circleis called, they took him for a kid and tried to run over him. He kickedthem, then fired them, and they don't like him."
"Did you see him look around the room?"
"Yes, he has every man who is likely to make trouble for him spotted andlocated. But we won't wait long enough to see the trouble. I never didlike trouble myself."
"Well, for a chap who gets into it as often as you do--"
"What's the trouble now, over there?" interrupted Ted, looking at thedoor.
Around the entrance to the hall was a crowd of young town fellows led bya youth named Wiley Creviss, the son of the local banker, a dissipatedand reckless young man, and a crowd of cow-punchers.
They were shoving some one here and there, making a punching bag of him,at the same time laughing uproariously.
Just then Ted saw the head of Jack Slate in the mix-up.
"Excuse me," said Ted, turning to Stella. "Ben, take care of the ladiesuntil I return."
He strode across the floor toward the door.
As he neared it he heard Billy Sudden say:
"Be careful, there. That is one of Ted Strong's fellows."
"I don't care if it is," said some one. "I'd give it to Strong just ashard if he was here."
"Here I am," said Ted, pushing through the crowd.