CHAPTER VIII
AN INTERVIEW
Immediately following breakfast the next morning Jack and Jimmie wentout to the tennis court near the Rainbow lodge, which they had recentlybeen trying to get into condition. There they began batting balls backand forth across the net. Not old enough to play a good game of tennisfor the present, nevertheless Jimmie Kent was determined to make as gooda beginning as possible and to learn whatever his mother might be ableto teach him. He was very like Jack rather than his English relatives, astraightforward, determined little fellow, self-willed and frank, with avigorous body and an ardent love of outdoor sports.
"You've missed that ball and it was such an easy one!" he called out inan annoyed tone, and then saw his mother run across the court waving herracquet.
"Excuse me for the present, Jimmie, but here comes Frieda from the bighouse and it is so early for her to be out that I am afraid there issomething the matter."
Frieda Russell was walking a little more rapidly than usual and seemedto be slightly out of breath when her sister joined her and slipped anarm through hers.
"Nothing has happened, Frieda? Peace is all right, and Professor Russelland the others?"
The younger woman nodded and yet her face remained grave and there was asuggestion of a frown between her large clear blue eyes.
"Yes and no, Jack. Oh, I know you hate any one to speak in sonon-committal a fashion and yet one can not always be so direct and socertain about things as you are. Everybody is well at the big house,physically well I mean, and yet there is something I felt I wanted todiscuss with you this morning before any one else sees you. Iparticularly want to talk to you alone, so suppose we sit down in thehammock on the front porch and you can see and tell me if any one drawsnear."
A moment later, Frieda spread out her plaid blue gingham skirt with asmuch care as if it had been of silk and took off her big blue shadehat, holding it in her lap. She had always been extremely careful of hercostume and her physical appearance as a young girl and now devoted evenmore attention to them, with the result that she had an air ofdaintiness which was very pleasing and that her skin remained as fairand soft as a baby's.
"You are rather a comfort, you know. Jack, when one is in a difficulty,not that I always rely upon your judgment, but I do like to talk thingsover with you and get your point of view," she began. "The truth is I amworried about Jean and Ralph. Ralph returned to the ranch late yesterdayafternoon and saw Jean while we were away. I did not see either of themuntil later when they came in to dinner together and then I have neverseen Ralph or Jean look as they did. Even Henry noticed it, and you knowhe notices very little that has to do with human beings. He actuallyinquired if they were feeling ill, which was most unfortunate, sincethey both said 'no,' and then tried to behave as if there was nothingthe matter. They were neither of them successful. I know Jim saw therewas some trouble, but Jim is so wonderful, he never has interfered inany way with us since we married. We must first give him our confidence,and even then he is very careful.
"Of course I do not understand whether the trouble is between Jean andRalph or whether it is due to some outside cause. But I must say, Jackdear, that though she has confided nothing to me, I did think Jean'smanner toward her husband a strange one. And yet perhaps I am a littlesuspicious or just over anxious because--well, because," Friedahesitated a fraction of a second and then went on, "because Henry and Ihad that misunderstanding after we were married which made us both sodreadfully unhappy and except for an accident might have wrecked ourlives. It's a funny thing, isn't it, Jack, when one marries one thinksone's problems are over. I suppose that is because one is very young,and then naturally one finds out that if the old problems are over,there is an entirely new set. Even you and Frank used to have littledifferences now and then! And yet here you are still little more than agirl, and a widow, with a wholly different life to live until you marryagain. Don't shake your head. One never knows. You always insisted,Jack, that you would not marry when you were a girl, and yet you weremarried before any one of us.
"But I am wandering from my subject. You see, about Jean and Ralph, Idon't know what to do, or whether any one of us has the right to attemptto secure their confidence unless they first offer it to us. Atbreakfast this morning Ralph Merritt announced that he was leaving theranch again to-day and might be gone for some time. He was going to somefrightfully hot place in New Mexico to see about a lately discoveredgold mine, but Jean and the children would not go with him. And Jeanmade no protest of any kind. She did not even try to persuade Ralph tostay on at the Rainbow ranch for a few days until he had a chance torest and they could be together for a little while. I never saw Jeanbehave so queerly or look so strangely. She was white and cold andsevere, although she does look so unhappy, almost as if she were ill.You know she has always cared for me more than for you or Olive, and yetwhen I put my arm around her this morning and asked if she felt badly,she almost pushed me away and said that I would soon grow too tired ofher to care whether she were well or ill. Of course she will probablytalk to me later on, yet it is funny. One might not think it, yet Jeanis really more reserved than the rest of us.
"But what I am worrying over is, that by the time Jean makes up her mindto confide in any member of her family, Ralph will have gone. And if hegoes, somehow I have a strange presentiment that it may be a long whilebefore we see him again. Do you suppose you could speak to him? Ralphsaid this morning that he was coming to the lodge to have a talk withyou as he really has never seen you alone since your arrival in thiscountry. You and Ralph are pretty good friends! I don't know why it is,Jack, but boys and men talk to you more freely than they do to mostgirls or women, so will you undertake to find out what is the difficultybetween Jean and Ralph before Ralph goes away? Try to learn if thetrouble is some outside thing in which we could be useful. I know JimColter wants to offer to help Ralph, if he needs help, he admires andlikes him so much, but I don't think Jim dares, Ralph looks in such anuncomfortable mood."
Without even an exclamation to interrupt her sister's story, JacquelineKent had listened intently, her gray eyes a little clouded, hersympathetic face responding to every suggestion.
"Yet, Frieda, you feel I ought to question Ralph when Jim, who is hisdear friend, is unwilling? I am afraid not, Frieda dear. You realize Ihave seen so little of Ralph and Jean since their marriage, as I havebeen living in England and they have been in the United States exceptwhile Ralph was in service in France. Secretly I confess I am a littleafraid of Ralph, more than I am of either your husband or Olive's, Ralphis so quiet and apparently so self-sufficient. If he has made up hismind to a certain action I cannot believe that any one save Jean _could_influence him."
"Yes, but Jean won't _try_ to influence him this time, at least this ismy impression," Frieda added hastily, "and Ralph feels sorry for you atpresent, Jack dear, and admires the way you are facing things. He saidso last night at dinner, said quite plainly that he admired you morethan any one of the former Ranch girls, which was not especially politeof him, although I did not mind, even if Henry was there and might feelhe had made a mistake in marrying me instead of you, not that he couldhave married you, as you were engaged already. But I must get back homenow, or else Ralph may arrive and perhaps believe I have been gossipingabout him."
Hastily Frieda jumped up.
"Good gracious, Jack, isn't that Ralph on his way here this instant? Itis either Ralph or some one like him! Let me slip into the house andstay there until you persuade Ralph to go for a walk, then I'll runhome. I hope Jean will be too much engaged to miss me, I did not mentionto any one I was coming over to the lodge. Good-by, dear; anyhow, youcan do your best to follow my advice."
Scarcely a moment after Frieda had disappeared Jacqueline Kent wentquickly forward to greet Ralph Merritt, who was walking slowly acrossone of the fields in the direction of the Rainbow lodge. At once Jackbelieved that even had Frieda not forewarned her, she must neverthelesshave observed the trouble in Ralph's face.
; "I have come to say good-by and hello at the same time, Jack," heannounced. "Sorry not to see more of you, but I'm off for New Mexicothis afternoon, I don't know for how long a time."
Perhaps there are occasions in this life when frankness may not bedesirable. But the spiritual frankness of Jacqueline Kent, which did notconsist of saying unkind things to people under such a guise, but ofgoing directly to the heart of what she felt and believed and ofexpecting the same thing of other human beings, nearly always served.
She did not hesitate at this instant.
"Ralph, I believe you are in some kind of difficulty. I think I haveguessed partly by your expression and also because you would not leavethe ranch so abruptly and with the suggestion that you may not returnfor many months without an important reason. I wonder if the trouble isa money one, Ralph, because if it is, you must let me help you. You knowI have a fairly large estate and it is costing Jimmie and me almostnothing to live here at the lodge, and Jean,--Jean has been like mysister since the days when we spent our girlhood here as the 'RanchGirls of the Rainbow Lodge.'"
Ralph shook his head.
"You're a trump, Jack, but that is out of the question. Suppose we walkdown to the Rainbow mine. I had not intended talking to any one, butperhaps it is best I should, and somehow, Jack, it is not so hard toconfess one's mistakes to you as to most persons. I can't take yourmoney because I have already lost most of Jean's and all of my own. Jeanhates poverty and has lost faith in me besides. I don't altogether blameher, yet it has been hard for a good many of us to get started in theold fashion since the war ended, and these days the Government has somany regulations about mining gold that only where the output is largedoes the work pay. What I want to ask you, Jack, is to look after Jeanand the little girls while I am away. I'll come back when I have mademoney, not before."
The man and girl had come to the neighborhood of the old Rainbow mineand stood near the edge of one of the disused pits.
"Yes, I understand, Ralph. Moreover, you have decided that it will notbe worth while to attempt any more work in the Rainbow mine, at leastnot unless a new lode is discovered. Now I wonder, Ralph, if it has everoccurred to you how much Olive and Frieda and Jean and I owe to yourformer skill in working the Rainbow mine in the past, how much of ourfortunes are actually due to you? Does that not make a difference? Areyou not more willing to let me be of assistance to you until you areable to repay me? Won't you at least promise me to talk to Jim Colterand to ask his advice before you leave?"
Ralph shook his head.
"No, and even if I were willing, and I am not, Jean would never consent.Many times she has told me how deeply she appreciated that fact that youand Frieda shared alike with her the output of the Rainbow mine when shewas only your cousin and with no legal right to your inheritance. Havinglost Jean's money, although she gave me her consent, even urged me tothe investment, she has lost faith in me. What is more serious, I ameven beginning to have less faith in myself. Yet I don't know why I amtelling you all this, Jack, I had not intended to do more than saygood-by. What hurts worse is that Jean does not care for me any more; Iwonder now if she ever did care as I did. You know how important she hasalways counted wealth and position and I believed once I could give themto her, but lately I have failed and so Jean is disappointed. Funnything marriage, Jack!"
"Funny thing life, Ralph, one is just a part of the whole! I think youare mistaken about Jean, but I have no right to express an opinion. Onlyif you do consider it wiser to fight it out alone, don't worry over Jeanand the little girls. Jim would look after them even if I were not here.Queer that Jim, who came to us first as a cowboy and then the manager ofthe Rainbow ranch, should have been even kinder than an own father! Notthat I think of Jim as so much older than I am! However, 111 stand byJean through whatever comes, Ralph! And after a time, even if she isdisappointed and hurt for the present, she is sure to change. I wish Idared to tell her the mistake she is making, only I don't dare. In anycase, I'll do my best."
Ralph Merritt held out his hand.
"Shake hands, Jack, and let us say good-by. But before I leave you Iwant to say to you something else, something which may surprise you. Ibelieve you came back to this country for some good purpose, JacquelineKent, some purpose none of us recognizes at present and you least ofall. But if the day should come when you feel that some work calls you,don't be afraid to undertake it. Life has a queer fashion of preparingpeople for what she wishes them to accomplish, without their knowing."
Jack smiled.
"I wonder what there can be ahead for me, Ralph? Yet some day I mustfind something, as I shall never marry again. Life on the old ranch isrestful and charming, yet I suppose it won't continue to be enough. Solet us wish each other good luck here in the shadow of the old minewhere we discovered the 'Pot of Gold.' There must be other kinds of goldat the end of other rainbows."