CHAPTER VIII

LOIS

Life had not been very thrilling for Lois since she had been called away from school so suddenly. At first it was a pleasure to be free from routine and to be with her father, whom she loved deeply and sincerely, if somewhat selfishly.

When they reached El Paso, they found that Jimmy, whom Lois half-feared seeing again, had been transferred to Kansas.

Through a friend of her father Lois was invited to a dance at Fort Bliss, and, exquisitely lovely in a silver tissue dancing frock, she was immediately surrounded by officers. That was thoroughly satisfactory, as were the “dates” with which her calendar was filled for a week ahead.

But alas, two days later her father’s physician decided that the altitude of Colorado would be a better climate for him, and they left for Colorado Springs at once.

Christmas week found them back in El Paso. Colorado had proved too cold; and just when Lois was beginning to make acquaintances and have a good time in the smart hotel at the Springs! But Mr. Wainwright felt much better farther south.

“I would like to hunt up that ranch where Jimmy stayed so long,” he said to Lois the morning after their return. “If it is comfortable, wouldn’t you like to stay a while on a ranch? I think it would be an interesting experience.”

Lois instantly became irritable. “The Daniels’ ranch! Goodness gracious, no, Daddy! There’s not a thing to do there. We’d be bored to death. Oh, don’t talk about it, please, Daddy.”

Mr. Wainwright smiled tenderly, and a little wanly. “All right, darling. I don’t want my little girl to be bored any more than we can help.”

Yet that same afternoon he returned to the hotel with the suggestion that they visit another ranch for a few days. At the Cattlemen’s Loan and Trust Company, where he was doing his banking, he had met a ranchman who had invited them out for Christmas week. The cattleman wanted Mr. Wainwright to look over his property, as he wished to secure a loan on the ranch.

Lois pouted, but as Daddy really seemed eager for it, and there was “absolutely nothing to do here,” she consented to go after she had done her Christmas shopping.

There were many pretty things in El Paso shops. Lois was astonished and, as her father gave her all the money she wanted, she really had a very good time. In a burst of enthusiasm she bought Miss Isaphine Carter a gay Spanish shawl, riotous with roses and color that suggested coquettish eyes and a balcony in Seville, rather than Miss Isaphine’s near-sighted orbs.

There was another, in the same store, which Lois liked. While hesitating over it, she became aware of the good-looking chap in uniform who seemed to be watching her intently. She purposely prolonged her inspection of the brown shawl, which was to play such a part in her life, until Mr. Wainwright exclaimed that they had just three minutes to get to the hotel to keep an appointment.

Lois glanced across the counter at the young officer, and found herself looking straight into a merry, quizzical face. Then she turned and ran after her father. Later on she had insisted on going back after the shawl. She half expected that the same young officer would be there. She really wasn’t the least bit interested, of course--but--and then to find the shawl gone!

The long ride to the ranch which they were to visit was made with indifference on Lois’ part. She sat silent while her father and Mr. Meyers (was that the man’s name?) talked about cattle, and range, and the war market. It was very stupid.

And Christmas Eve at the ranch with Mr. Meyers’ sister, Miss Angie Meyers of Texarkana, acting as sprightly hostess, was silly, with cowboys dressed as she had seen them in Madison Square Garden in New York, roaring and crowding around her, and dancing uncouth dances. Miss Angie, filled with Southern airs and graces, was absurdly up to the minute in her clothes. Why, she wore a dress with long sleeves and a low-cut neck just like Lois’ own! But she was so good-natured and affectionate that Lois rather liked her after all.

Still, she was relieved when they were ready to pile into their car the next afternoon, and she was able, for that reason, to say good-by to Mr. Meyers with real enthusiasm. He thought the young lady had had a good time, and was pleased with himself, for Mr. Wainwright had consented to make an investment in his ranch. That would furnish him with funds for extensions that his local banks were too over-borrowed to finance.

They had been riding for some time after dark when their driver stopped, and said he had got off on the wrong road somehow. He knew they were not going in the right direction. They were headed for those mountains and he knew El Paso lay over _there_. All the roads looked alike on these deserts. He didn’t know this country by night very well. They turned about and drove back to the last fork, taking a well-traveled road which seemed to be the main thoroughfare. But when it swung east, they stopped, realizing that they were really lost.

Mr. Wainwright, ill able to stand fatigue or exposure, began to cough, and Lois, who until now had been listlessly indifferent to whether they were lost or not, became all solicitude. It was her tenderness and petting at such times which filled her father’s heart with happiness.

The driver was just about to start the engine again when the sound of another car was heard, and in a moment the swinging searchlight came into sight. Their driver got out and held up his hand. The other car came to a stop. A young man jumped out and stepped into the light.

It was the officer whom Lois had seen in the store two days ago!

The driver explained their predicament. The young man came over, hat in hand, and bowed. When he looked up, he could not restrain a start of surprise. This doll-like blonde surely had a meltingly lovely smile! And her voice was sweet as alfalfa honey, thought the romantic Custer.

The result of the meeting was that Custer, returning to his post at Fort Bliss from the holiday visit with Raquel and his mother, joined Lois and her father on the back seat. He directed the driver to the right road, and the rented car followed them.

They talked of this and that, but it was not long before Custer said boldly, “Didn’t I see you in a curio shop in El Paso the day before Christmas?”

“Perhaps so,” replied Lois, all wide-eyed innocence. And then, “I was there.”

“And I bought the shawl you were looking at,” laughed Custer.

“Oh, it was you, you wretch! And I wanted that shawl terribly.”

“Well, I wanted terribly to speak to you,” Custer replied. “I--I thought you were some one I knew; that is, I knew about. Aren’t you Jimmy Hovey’s cousin Lois?”

Lois was completely taken aback. But it never occurred to her that this attractive fellow, a second-lieutenant, was ever anything but a lieutenant. Some friend of Jimmy’s at the fort, she thought, and smiled.

“Yes. How did you know it?”

But Custer was laughing and teasing again. He would not tell her. He thought it would be amusing if she didn’t know that he was Raquel’s brother.

Lois was unaccountably radiant. Custer was a charmer, she thought. And he was entranced.

“Looks like fate that I should meet you,” he told her.

Mr. Wainwright spoke to him then and they talked for some time of the cattle country, its present condition, and the war. Mr. Wainwright told of their Christmas visit to the A. B. Meyers ranch. He spoke of investment. Custer listened politely but this information somewhat chilled the atmosphere, and spoiled the ride a bit for him. They were nearing the city and the rest of the drive was made with little conversation.

Reaching a filling station they stopped and Custer turned to say good-by. Mr. Wainwright held out his card.

“I hope that we shall see you again when we get back to El Paso in the spring. We leave in the morning for California, but we’ll be back. I am very grateful indeed to you for setting us right.”

“Thank you, sir. I am Custer Daniels, and if ever I can be of service to you I should be proud. Only sorry it wasn’t Los Ranchos you called at instead of the Diamond Bar, Meyers’ place. You must come out when you get back this way.”

Lois had been leaning forward, smiling graciously. While Custer spoke a puzzled expression flashed across her face. Then with realization came distress. Something stirred her, something that had long lain unheeded.

Custer turned and held out his hand. “My sister would be right glad to see you again, Miss Lois,” he smiled.

The unaccountable Lois suddenly became strangely distant. Quite self-possessed and exquisite she looked, her gray squirrel coat drawn up about a coolly tilted chin.

“We probably shan’t have time on our return, thank you.”

She did not dare to meet Custer’s eyes, yet she could not withhold her hand from the hand held out to her. A limp enough hand it was that lay for a moment in Custer’s firm clasp.

He gazed after the disappearing car with surprise and bafflement. Now, what was wrong with that? Custer shrugged his shoulders and climbed back into his own car. It was a let-down to the high-spirited mood of the day. Was it because he was Raquel’s brother that she acted like that?