Read Ebook: The Little Lady of the Horse by Raymond Evelyn Merrill Frank T Illustrator

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Ebook has 1111 lines and 50914 words, and 23 pages

tter of her eyes, is they?"

"No, no; thank God!"

"Well, then; leave her here. We'll take care of her. Square. Why--what--in huckleberries--'ll San' Felis' be 'ithout our little missy? Ain't she lived here ever sence she was borned? Ain't we be'n good to her? We're rough, we be. We ain't no lords, ner nothin' but jest cow-boys er sech. But we're men. An' Americans. An' I 'low there ain't one of us but would fight till he died fer the Little Un, afore harm should tetch her. No! It mustn't be. An' that's square."

Even Mr. Calthorp, who had had abundant proof, heretofore, of the "boys'" devotion to Steenie, was surprised at the depth of feeling betrayed by Bob's words; for he could not fully know all that the child had been to these men, separated, as most of them were, from home and its associations. Since the hour when they had been permitted to carry or amuse her, a tiny baby in long clothes, they had adopted her in their hearts, each in his own way finding in the frank, merry, friendly little creature an embodiment of his own better nature. They had even, with the superstition of their class, accepted her as their "mascot," sincerely believing that every enterprise to which she lent her presence or approval was sure to prosper.

To what other human being would Kentucky Bob have imparted the secret of his wonderful power over the equine race? Indeed, to none other; and to her only because he loved her so, and was so proud of her cleverness. And now his big, honest heart ached with a new and bitter pain, as he faced the danger of her loss.

"Why, Robert! Why! Eh, what? Tut, tut. Good child. Understand. But--father. First claim. See?"

Angry Bob cast one scorching, contemptuous glance upon the nervous little lord; and if looks could annihilate, the British peerage would then and there have been short one member. Stooping, he swung Steenie to his shoulder, and strode away toward the great group of out-buildings which made the home-piece of Santa Felisa rancho seem like a village in itself. In the thickest crowd of the employees who had been summoned to meet their newly-arrived employer he came to a sudden halt.

"Hello, Bob! What's up?"

"I--The--I wish to sizzle! Sho, I can't talk. Tell 'em, Little Un."

"Yes, Bob," answered Steenie, gently, patting the great head around which she clung for support. "But s'pose you put me down. I'm heavy. I'm such a big girl, now."

"No, you ain't. Hold you forever, if you'll stay."

"Stay? stay where?" asked somebody.

"Tell 'em," again commanded the Kentuckian; and waving her hand, she hushed them by this gesture to hear her words.

Yet, somehow, the words wouldn't come. For the second time that day the self-control of the child failed to respond to her needs. Her eyes roamed from face to face of those gathered about her, and there was not one on which she did not read an answering love for the great love she bore to it. Rough faces, most of them. Sun blackened,--sin blackened too, perhaps; but gentle, every one, toward her. Odd comrades for a little girl, and she a descendant of "one of the first families in Old Knollsboro;" still the only comrades she had ever known, and therefore she craved no other.

Twice she tried to speak, and felt a queer lump in her throat that choked her; and at last she dropped her face upon Bob's rough mane, her sunny curls mingling with it to hide the tears which hurt her pride to show.

An ominous growl ran round the assembly, and the sound was the tonic she needed. "Hmm! who's a makin' ther Little Un cry?"

"Nobody, boys! dear, dear boys! Not anybody at all! I'm not crying now; see?" Proudly her head was tossed back, and a determined smile came to the still quivering lips, even while the tears glistened on the long lashes. "You see, it's this way. I didn't know it till this very day that ever was, or I'd have told you. 'Cause I've always been square, haven't I?"

"You bet! Square's a brick!"

"But all the time my father's been getting blinder an' blinder, an' I didn't even s'pect anything 'bout it. I thought he wore goggley things 'cause he liked 'em; but he didn't: it was 'cause he had to. And now, if he don't go away quick, he can't get his poor eyes fixed up at all. So he is. He's going 'way, 'way off,--three thousand miles, my father says, to a big city called New York, where a lot of doctors live who don't do anything but mend eyes. My grandmother lives in a little town close to New York, and we're going to her house to stay; and--and--that's all. I have to do it, you see. I'm sorry, 'cause I love you all; but he's my father, and I have to love him the biggest, the best. And I hope you don't mind."

"No, no, no! Three cheers for the 'boss'!"

Given with a will; and by the time the noise had subsided, Steenie's smile had become as bright as ever, and that without any effort of her will.

"Good enough! Thank you, dears! And now we'll have an extra circus, won't we? I'd like to 'blige Mr. Plunkett; and besides, you know, I--I sha'n't have you, nor the horses, nor any more fun--in that old New York!"

"Hold on, Little Un! Where's your grit?" asked Kentucky Bob, passing Steenie from his shoulder to a convenient wagon-box.

His sudden change of tone astonished her.

"Hain't I allays fetched ye up to do the square thing? If your dooty calls you to N' York,--to N' York you'll have to go; but, fer the honor o' San' Felis', an' the credit o' your boys, do it colors flyin'--head up--shoulders back--right face--march!"

"I will, Bob! I will! I will!" cried Steenie, impulsively. "You sha'n't ever have to be ashamed of your Little Un, and so I tell you!"

In the midst of the rousing cheers which followed, Lord Plunkett appeared. He could restrain his curiosity no longer.

There was some suspicion among the other dwellers at Santa Felisa that Kentucky Bob had once been employed about a real circus, else how had he acquired that intimate knowledge of the "rules and regulations of the ring" which he so constantly quoted for their benefit or reproval?

Into this "ring" of theirs, the boxes, hurdles, and other such things which the riders had been accustomed to use were soon gathered, and the labor of arranging these gave a wholly pleasant diversion to their feelings. A card of invitation, beautifully engrossed by a vaquero who had passed from the halls of Harvard to the great solitudes of the Sierras, was issued to Lord Plunkett, and a seat of honor erected for him on the southern side of the campus, while a spreading canvas wall on the north was to serve as a screen for the preparatory operations of the various actors.

Needless to say, maybe, that having once been won over to the project of an "extra show," an enthusiastic determination was roused among the Santa Felisans to make this farewell entertainment of their beloved "mascot" eclipse everything which had ever gone before.

Nor did the interest end at this ranch; for mounted messengers were dispatched to invite the people of the neighboring estates to be present at the exhibition, and the invitations were as generally as promptly accepted.

But, of course, all this preparation took time to accomplish, so the hour had been appointed for one o'clock of the following day; and during the interval Steenie's thoughts were so full of the matter, her tongue so busy discussing it, that she neither felt the time long nor permitted others to do so.

Indeed, so affected was everybody by the pleasant excitement of "getting ready," that evening came before Lord Plunkett and his manager were finally seated with their books before them and a secretary at hand, to examine into the business which had brought them together. Even then his lordship would gladly have waived the matter, had he been allowed. "For ten years. No, twelve. Ship-shape. Paid well. Prompt. What more, eh? I'm satisfied. Why not you?"

"But, my lord, I cannot be. Any new manager will have enough to learn, even without all that I can do for him. It is a great responsibility; and, my lord, I would respectfully suggest that in the future you visit this part of your property oftener than once in a dozen years."

Mr. Calthorp rose and advanced carefully in the direction of the door, extending his hand toward the new-comer, whom he immediately presented to Lord Plunkett; and, while these gentlemen were exchanging civilities, he turned sharply upon old Vives, whom he could hear rustling about near him. "Where have you been so long, Sutro? We have not seen you since dinner. His lordship has inquired for you several times."

"Come, come, Sutro, don't be foolish! It would be wiser of you to conciliate both him and the new 'boss.' They can easily turn you adrift, and you are an old man. From the tone of your voice, I judge that you are angry. That is senseless, and I am sorry. I wish to feel that one as fond of my little daughter as you are will be quite happy and comfortable when we are gone."

"I bow myself in obligation to thee, Se?or Calthorp," responded the old Castilian, servilely. But his mood was neither servile nor happy; and, as the retiring manager turned once more toward his successor, he sought the cozy corner of the office which Steenie called her own, and where she sat by her pretty shaded lamp, sorting her picture-books.

"How? What do you mean? And surely I can trust you to do 'most anything hateful when you look such a way! What have you done now, Sutro Vives? Tell me that!"

"You know I don't wish it; but I must, that is all. But, wait, how do you happen to know anything at all about it? You ran away directly after dinner, and now you've just come in!"

It was the se?or's turn to look crestfallen. What his little lady declared against him was quite true; but this had never prevented his adopting an air of great mystery and secrecy whenever the slightest occasion offered. Poor old Sutro Vives was not the only one in this world bigger in his own estimation than in that of anybody else.

"Sutro, you look, you truly do look, naughty! What badness have you been doing now, se?or? Answer me that."

Unperceived by them, Lord Plunkett had forsaken the other table and the business talk, which he found tiresome, for that of the pair in the cozy corner, which appeared to be interesting; and he had thrown himself upon a lounge which the back of Steenie's big chair hid from view, to play the part of eavesdropper; only in this case it seemed not ignoble, for the two animated disputants spoke quite loudly enough to be heard by anybody in the room who had chosen to listen. He had, therefore, enjoyed the whole dialogue, and he now leaned forward to watch Steenie's bright face and to catch her reply.

"But I answer you and Jim and everybody--yes! Where my father goes I will go, and all this silly talk won't stop me! Next Saturday morning, Sutro Vives, the noisy black engine will stop at San' Felisa station, and Papa Calthorp and I will get into one of those big cars, and will go whizz, away, away!--where you nor Bob nor Jim nor nobody can do wicked, hateful things to the Little Un, never again!"

Wrought up by the pathos of her own picture, Steenie's self-control gave way at this juncture, and bounding toward her father, who seemed at that moment to be a cruel enemy, and yet her only friend, she astonished him by a torrent of tears and embraces which effectually stopped all further conversation.

"Sutro!" called Mr. Calthorp, sternly.

"Here, go with Miss Steenie and find Suzan?. Daughter, let me see no more of this childishness. Such rebellion is unworthy of you and most distressing to me. Good-night."

Poor Steenie! her tears ceased instantly, and her grief turned to anger. At that moment she felt that she had not a friend in the world, and her proud little heart resented the apparent want of sympathy she met with everywhere. With a very decided stamp of her little boot-heels, she marched out of the room,--"eyes front, right face," as Bob would have commanded, though not in a spirit to be commended.

Ten minutes later a very wet and heated little face was buried in the white pillows, and Steenie Calthorp had settled herself in bed, convinced that she was the most ill-treated child in the world, and resolved to enjoy her misery to the utmost. Only unfortunately for her doleful plans, she was by nature very sunny and hopeful, and she was also perfectly healthy. In about two winks she happened to think of the next day's "circus," and before she knew it she was asleep, with a smile upon her lips.

Suzan? entered softly and stood by the bed for a moment, shading her lamp with her hand and lovingly regarding the little maid. "Bless her dear heart! she's shed more tears this day than in all her little life before. But she's happy now,--happier 'n anybody else at San' Felisa. My, my! what'll ever we do without the Little Un? But master, he's worried about her crying; though, sure, if he'd bothered less about books and business, and more about his own pretty flesh and blood, maybe his eyes'd a been better the now, poor man!"

Then she went away as gently as she had come; and when next Steenie awoke, the brilliant California sunshine streaming in at her window was not brighter than that within her own heart.

"Such a day, such a day! Will it ever come noon!"

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