Her Prairie Knight Part 8

"And so he's in deadly earnest. And I'm positive he will make you a model husband."

"Only think of having to live, all one's life, with a model husband!"

shuddered Beatrice hypocritically.

"Be-atrice! And then, it's something to marry a t.i.tle."

"That's the worst of it," remarked Beatrice.

"Any other girl in America would jump at the chance. I do believe, Beatrice, you are hanging back just to be aggravating. And there's another thing, Beatrice. I don't approve of the way this Keith Cameron hangs around you."

"He doesn't!" denied Beatrice, in an altogether different tone. "Why, mama!"

"I don't approve of flirting, Beatrice, and you know it. The way you gadded around over the hills with him--a perfect stranger--was disgraceful; perfectly disgraceful. You don't know any thing about the fellow, whether he's a fit companion or not--a wild, uncouth cowboy--"

"He graduated from Yale, a year after d.i.c.k. And he was halfback, too."

"That doesn't signify," said her mother, "a particle. I know Miss Hayes was dreadfully shocked to see you come riding up with him, and Sir Redmond forced to go with Richard, or ride alone."

"d.i.c.k is good company," said Beatrice. "And it was his own fault.

I asked him to go with us, when d.i.c.k and I left the cattle, and he wouldn't. d.i.c.k will tell you the same. And after that I did not see him until just before we--I came home, Really, mama, I can't have a leading-string on Sir Redmond. If he refuses to come with me, I can hardly insist."

"Well, you must have done something. You said something, or did something, to make him very angry. He has not been himself all day. What did you say?"

"Dear me, mama, I am not responsible for all Sir Redmond's ill-humor."

"I did not ask you that, Beatrice."

Beatrice thumped her pillow again. "I don't remember anything very dreadful, mama. I--I think he has indigestion."

"Be-atrice! I do wish you would try to conquer that habit of flippancy.

It is not ladylike. And I warn you, Sir Redmond is not the man to dangle after you forever. He will lose patience, and go back to England without you--and serve you right! I am only talking for your own good, Beatrice.

I am not at all sure that you want him to leave you alone."

Beatrice was not at all sure, either. She lay still, and wished her mother would stop talking for her good. Talking for her good had meant, as far back as Beatrice could remember, saying disagreeable things in a disagreeable manner.

"And remember, Beatrice, I want this flirting stopped."

"Flirting, mama?" To hear the girl, you would think she had never heard the word before.

"That's what I said, Beatrice. I shall speak to Richard in the morning about this fellow Cameron. He must put a stop to his being here two-thirds of the time. It is unendurable."

"He and d.i.c.k are chums, mama, and have been for years. And to-morrow we are going to Lost Canyon, you know, and Mr. Cameron is to go along. And there are several other trips, mama, to which he is already invited.

d.i.c.k cannot recall those invitations."

"Well, it must end there. Richard must do something. I cannot see what he finds about the fellow to like--or you, either, Beatrice. Just because he rides like a--a wild Indian, and has a certain daredevil way--"

"I never said I liked him, mama," Beatrice protested, somewhat hastily.

"I--of course, I try to treat him well--"

"I should say you did!" exploded her mother angrily. "You would be much better employed in trying to treat Sir Redmond half as well. It is positively disgraceful, the way you behave toward him--as fine a man as I ever met in my life. I warn you, Beatrice, you must have more regard for propriety, or I shall take you back to New York at once. I certainly shall."

With that threat, which she shrewdly guessed would go far toward bringing this wayward girl to time, Mrs. Lansell got up off the bed, which creaked its relief, and groped her way to her own room.

The pillow of Beatrice received considerable thumping during the next hour--a great deal more, in fact, than it needed. Two thoughts troubled her more than she liked. What if her mother was right, and Sir Redmond lost patience with her and went home? That possibility was unpleasant, to say the least. Again, would he give her up altogether if she showed d.i.c.k she was not afraid of Keith Cameron, for all his good looks, and at the same time taught that young man a much-needed lesson? The way he had stared at her was nothing less than a challenge and Beatrice was sorely tempted.

CHAPTER 7. Beatrice's Wild Ride.

"Well, are we all ready?" d.i.c.k gathered up his reins, and took critical inventory of the load. His mother peered under the front seat to be doubly sure that there were at least four umbrellas and her waterproof raglan in the rig; Mrs. Lansell did not propose to be caught unawares in a storm another time. Miss Hayes straightened Dorman's cap, and told him to sit down, dear, and then called upon Sir Redmond to enforce the command. Sir Redmond repeated her command, minus the dear, and then rode on ahead to overtake Beatrice and Keith, who had started. d.i.c.k climbed up over the front wheel, released the brake, chirped at the horses, and they were off for Lost Canyon.

Beatrice was behaving beautifully, and her mother only hoped to heaven it would last the day out; perhaps Sir Redmond would be able to extract some sort of a promise from her in that mood, Mrs. Lansell reflected, as she watched Beatrice chatting to her two cavaliers, with the most decorous impartiality. Sir Redmond seemed in high spirits, which argued well; Mrs. Lansell gave herself up to the pleasure of the drive with a heart free from anxiety. Not only was Beatrice at her best; Dorman's mood was nothing short of angelic, and as the weather was simply perfect, the day surely promised well.

For a mile Keith had showed signs of a mind not at ease, and at last he made bold to speak.

"I thought Rex was to be your saddle-horse?" he said abruptly to Beatrice.

"He was; but when d.i.c.k brought Goldie home, last night, I fell in love with him on sight, and just teased d.i.c.k till he told me I might have him to ride."

"I thought d.i.c.k had some sense," Keith said gloomily.

"He has. He knew there would be no peace till he surrendered."

"I didn't know you were going to ride him, when I sold him to d.i.c.k. He's not safe for a woman."

"Does he buck, Mr. Cameron? d.i.c.k said he was gentle." Beatrice had seen a horse buck, one day, and had a wholesome fear of that form of equine amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Oh, no. I never knew him to."

"Then I don't mind anything else. I'm accustomed to horses," said Beatrice, and smiled welcome to Sir Redmond, who came up with them at that moment.

"You want to ride him with a light rein," Keith cautioned, clinging to the subject. "He's tenderbitted, and nervous. He won't stand for any jerking, you see."

"I never jerk, Mr. Cameron." Keith discovered that big, baffling, blue-brown eyes can, if they wish, rival liquid air for coldness. "I rode horses before I came to Montana."

Of course, when a man gets frozen with a girl's eyes, and scorched with a girl's sarcasm, the thing for him to do is to retreat until the atmosphere becomes normal. Keith fell behind just as soon as he could do so with some show of dignity, and for several miles tried to convince himself that he would rather talk to d.i.c.k and "the old maid" than not.

"Don't you know," Sir Redmond remarked sympathetically, "some of these Western fellows are inclined to be deuced officious and impertinent."

Sir Redmond got a taste of the freezing process that made him change the subject abruptly.

The way was rough and lonely; the trail wound over sharp-nosed hills and through deep, narrow coulees, with occasional, tantalizing glimpses of the river and the open land beyond, that kept Beatrice in a fever of enthusiasm. From riding blithely ahead, she took to lagging far behind with her kodak, getting snap-shots of the choicest bits of scenery.

"Another cartridge, please, Sir Redmond," she said, and wound industriously on the finished roll.

"It's a jolly good thing I brought my pockets full." Sir Redmond fished one out for her. "Was that a dozen?"

"No; that had only six films. I want a larger one this time. It is a perfect nuisance to stop and change. Be still, Goldie!"