CHAPTER IV
A FORMER ACQUAINTANCE
"I was never so ashamed of any one in my life."
Jack flushed, but, ignoring her sister's speech, extended her hand tothe young man who was seated in the motor car beside her.
"I am afraid you don't remember me," she began, "it has been a longtime, and we never knew each other intimately in the past. But it iskind of you to have driven over to the ranch."
Then getting into the car, Jack sat down in the vacant place which hadbeen saved for her between her sister and their visitor.
"Just the same, I believe I should have known you," Peter Stevensreturned, looking at her with what Jack considered was certainly not anexpression of admiration. "Do you think, Mrs. Kent, a fellow is apt toforget a girl who could ride and hunt and shoot better than nearly anyyoung man in Wyoming? I was a bookworm in those days and have remainedone, but that did not prevent my jealousy of you."
"Please don't refer to my dreadful outdoor accomplishments," Jackmurmured, "not after I have gotten myself into such disfavor with myfamily." The little glance, half of appeal, half of humor which she atthis instant bestowed upon her companion made the muscles of his facesuddenly relax and his blue eyes less cold, so that Jack caught at leasta fleeting likeness to the boy she had once known.
As a matter of fact, Peter Stevens, who was still in the early twenties,had appeared so much older than she had dreamed possible that Jack wouldnot have recognized him without first having been told his name.
Then his face hardened again.
"Well, most of us grow up, Mrs. Kent, but perhaps you are one of thepersons who do not. I am told you prefer not to use your title in theUnited States."
To Jack's mind, as there was plainly no answer to this speech with itsscarcely courteous reference to her recent impulsive action, she turnedtoward her sister.
Frieda Ralston had developed into the type of matron one might haveexpected from her spoiled girlhood and--more important--her childishand self-satisfied temperament. She dearly loved her older sister;except for her husband and baby, she loved no one so well; but she alsoloved the opportunity to assume an attitude of offended dignity whichusually had succeeded in making the members of her family do as shewished.
Moreover her sister's recent escapade had seriously shocked and annoyedher, not for her own sake, but for her sister's. She had wished Jack tomake a charming impression among their neighbors and old friends. Noone, as she believed, could be handsomer or more delightful than hersister, Lady Kent, and Frieda declined to lay aside the title. Yet herewas Jack, after having probably disgraced herself by her latestperformance, meeting one of the most prominent of the younger men inWyoming, dressed in an old, discarded riding habit, dusty, her hairblown about her face, looking at least ten years younger than sheactually was; in fact, as if she had never left the ranch, never beenmarried or seen anything of the outside world.
As a matter of fact, Frieda now and then felt slightly resentful of thesuggestion, occasionally made by strangers, that she was the older ofthe two sisters. But this Frieda thought must be because she was gettingjust the tiniest bit stouter than she would have preferred to be.However, she did not care seriously. This afternoon, as Jack tried tocatch her sister's eye, she thought that Frieda looked prettier thanusual, in her beautifully made blue cloth tailor suit and the littleblue feather hat which made her eyes appear even bluer and the fairnessof her skin more conspicuous.
She also considered that Frieda was partly justified in her anger, butthat she must not be allowed to display her temper or to lecture herolder sister before a stranger.
The next instant, leaning over, Jack whispered a few words to OliveMacDonnell, who with her husband, Captain MacDonnell, was occupying theseat in front of her own. Professor Henry Tilford Russell, Frieda'shusband, was next to Jim Colter, who was driving the car.
What Jack whispered was:
"You'll stand by me, Olive, you and Bryan; as usual, I seem to havegotten into more troubled waters than I realized."
And Olive had nodded with the sympathy and understanding which Jack hadalways been able to count upon from the days of their earliestacquaintance when Olive had taken refuge at the Rainbow lodge andJacqueline Ralston had sheltered and protected her.
The following moment Jack stretched out her arms toward Frieda's littlegirl, who was sitting in her mother's lap.
"Let me hold the baby, please, Frieda dear, you must both be tired."
Then as Peace climbed over into her aunt's lap, Jack pressed her cheekfor an instant against the little girl's head.
She and Peace had a deep affection and understanding of each other. Butthen the child was captivating to everybody. Inheriting Frieda'sexquisite blonde coloring, Peace had a spirituality her mother neverpossessed. She was several years old, but so frail that she seemedyounger in spite of her wise, old-fashioned conversation.
"Tired?" she murmured.
Jack shook her head.
"There is nothing the matter." It often troubled her and Frieda, thelittle girl's curious knowledge of what was going on in the minds of thepeople about her without an exchange of words.
Frieda now glanced at her sister and her own little girl and herexpression altered. She loved seeing them together and had no feeling ofjealousy. Indeed she used to hope that some of Jack's vigor, theextraordinary and beautiful vitality which made her different from otherpersons might be transferred to her own little girl.
"We will leave you at the lodge, Jack, to dress for dinner, if you willcome up to the big house later;" Frieda remarked with a change of tone."Mr. Stevens has been kind enough to say he will remain all night andmotor back to Laramie in the morning."
Was it natural vanity on Jacqueline Ralston's part or an effort toreinstate herself in the good graces of her family that she bathed anddressed with unusual care, brushing every particle of dust from herlong, heavy, gold brown hair which waved from her temples to the lowcoil which she wore at the back of her neck?
Jack's evening dress was black chiffon without an ornament or jewel andwas the first change she had made from her mourning. To any one lessphysically perfect than Jacqueline Kent, the severity of the dress mighthave been trying. But her skin was clear, her color, without beingvivid, gave a sufficient flush to her cheeks, her lips were a deep red,her eyes gray and wide and with a singular sincerity. Moreover, Jack'soutdoor tastes, into whatever indiscretions they might lead her, hadkept her figure erect, beautifully modeled and well poised, and abeautiful figure is far more rare than a beautiful face.
Walking up with Jimmie as her escort to the big house, Jack confessed toherself that she felt slightly bored. Unexpectedly she had grown alittle tired, or if not tired, not in the mood to endure any more familycriticism at the present time, and would much have preferred spendingthe evening alone with her son.
She had confessed her offence to Jimmie, wishing him to hear from herwhat she had done. But Jimmie, not appreciating the social error she hadcommitted, had appeared immensely proud, even jealous of her prowess,insisting that she should begin to give him lessons in the art oflassoing early the following morning.
Personally Jack wondered just to what extent her family had beenunnecessarily critical in their attitude. Would her neighbors judge heraction so harshly that it would interfere with their friendliness towardher? It was always hard for Jack to live in an atmosphere ofunfriendliness.
So far as her former acquaintance was concerned she had no vestige ofdoubt. Peter Stevens had been absurdly shocked and offended by herexhibition of what had seemed to him unwomanliness. But personally Jackdid not care a great deal for his opinion, she had not liked himparticularly, and it had occurred to her that it might be just as wellif he were shocked occasionally. He looked prim and too much an oldbachelor for so comparatively young a man.
However, what really startled Peter Stevens was Jacqueline Kent'sappearance, when he came into the drawing room a few moments beforedinner and found her standing alone before a small fire
.
He controlled with difficulty an exclamation of surprise, having notthought her even handsome earlier in the afternoon. And he haddisapproved of her action more keenly than he believed himself to haverevealed. Now as Jack began talking to him he appreciated not only herbeauty, but the fact that she had become a charming woman of the worldand probably had seen more of life than he had seen in spite of hissuccess in his profession and his political ambitions.
"You are a Republican, aren't you?" Jack asked, and then added: "Ibelieve you have been elected a member of the State Legislature inWyoming and the people are talking about you for one of our UnitedStates Congressmen. Politics seem to me a great career, perhaps thegreatest of all careers, these days, so may I congratulate you?"
Peter Stevens smiled, pleased of course, as any one might have been.
"Perhaps it is a bit premature to talk of my running for Congress, Mrs.Kent, but if I do may I count on your support?"
Laughing, Jack shook her head.
"No, at least I can make no promises. You see, I don't know whether I ama Republican or a Democrat, or what my politics may be until I have beenin my own country sufficiently long to study conditions. Maybe my votewill go to a woman candidate, if there happens to be one in mydistrict."
"You don't intend by any chance to be my opponent?"
Smiling over the impossible aspect of his suggestion but in anunusually pleasant frame of mind, Peter Stevens pushed a large chairover toward the fire so that Jack might sit down. An instant later hedrew his own chair up beside her.
"Oh, perhaps I may be your opponent some day, who knows?" Jack returned,accepting the challenge good-naturedly. "But first it might be as wellfor me to learn whether I am an American citizen. May an American womanwho has married a foreigner after the death of her husband assume herformer nationality if she so desires?"
"You do desire it, wish to give up your title and all it means inEngland, and even in the United States for that matter? You will be muchadmired in any case, I am sure, Mrs. Kent, but after all, Lady Kent hasa more romantic sound! You feel sure you will not regret your decision?I have not yet had an opportunity to look up the question you have justasked me and I don't want to answer you without being positive as to theexact law in the matter. My impression is, however, that the choice lieswith you; that a woman may resume her former citizenship in the UnitedStates if she so wishes and returns to her own country to live."
At this instant Frieda and Professor Russell entered the drawing-room,and a little later, when the rest of the family had joined them, dinnerwas announced.
Afterwards, although sitting beside each other at dinner, as theconversation was general Peter Stevens had no opportunity for anyfurther personal conversation with Jacqueline Kent.
He was by no means convinced that he liked her. He found most girls andwomen tiresome after a short acquaintance. However, the girl he hadformerly known had at least developed into what appeared to be twoconflicting personalities.