A Texas Blue Bonnet

low ranch house, and threw herself listle

. Ashe asked, layi

Cliff. I-h

why no

owed her up on to the veranda, and now stood resting his fine head on

r, a note of inquiry in his deep, pleasant voice; "

s were turned now out over the wide

eason,

sitated. "Yes

t to tell me i

ly, "I don't want to tell it to

! That's an odd word

use she went, and in through the back way to her own room. There she brushed the hot tears from her eyes with an impatient move

oked up suddenly as her uncle came to sit on the railing b

ght as well have it out-right here and n

back her soft, thick hair.

uld like to do? It wouldn't take much insight to see that you aren't very happy nowaday

Oh, I have been horrid, Uncle Clif

net Ranch-the finest bit of coun

whole stat

e Bo

ive. I-my mother was an Easte

ild,"-there was a quick note of triumph in the man's

sort of name-I would like to have been

f you like it. But Blue-Elizabeth, you know that this is your ranch, and that your father wanted yo

-as soon as I

eckon we'd best not

ly-I sha'n't ever make a Westerner. I'm sorry-on your account. Still, it's true-I hate it all-now,-everything t

r face. "You seem to have gone over this pret

, Uncle

e some business to see to now. I suppose things'll hav

to see my side o

nd the fact that you hate the Blue Bonnet Ranch. I hope

ground called "the garden," Mr. Ashe found Uncle Joe Terry, ranch foreman,

ncipal5 characteristics of Blue Bonnet's garden. "Tell you what," he said, as Mr. Ashe came

e neglected garden. "Yes," he said, "and it's not onl

this two weeks," Uncle Joe co

nts to

t's natural-wants to run with t

says she hat

lly. "Hm-so she says that? She always

o, that she m

ngs can happen in six years. You just give my lady her head; she's looking to be crossed,

l notions, most likely," Uncle Joe admitted, "and a whole heap of others that'll come in6 mighty han

et herself about it, however. Possibly Mrs. Clyde would not care to assume the charge of her

oe, coming home from the little post-office town

er man said. "Looks like sente

new how hard he had been hoping

other looked up to find him still

le, so that she may be ready to start sc

od school

s the one her m

tickled to death

seem p

in the garden," U

er end of the garden. He had two letters in his hand, and, as she reached him, he held them o

she opened one of them. As it happened, it was the one from her Aunt Lucinda-a short letter, perfectly kind and sinc

id, studying the firm, upright handwriting, "that I hadn

far away from the little garden, from all the old familiar scenes. Dimly remembered stories her mother used to tell her of the big white house standin

dmother had said so. It seemed too good to be true. She was glad, now, she had kept this letter to the last. And she w

an up to the house. On the ba

ou was in a h

king at him with shining

t?" he q

ght; but very

h," he grunted, knocking the ashes from his pipe. "Well,

t, and she went at a slower pace through the wide c

d, giving him the lette

gravely, "Yes, you're to go, Elizabeth. When a girl hates the ranch, hates everything the life here

ing her face. To go East was one thing-but to be sent! She sat very

as the firs

pretty soon; there'll be some fi

alone?" Blue

er uncle answered. "Perhaps I'll hear of some on

h other girls," Blue Bonnet said. "I

ious kinds, Honey." Mr. Ashe spoke a little wistfully.

Lucinda's letter. A sudden dread of the writer of it seized her. "Unc

and find out for

o much older than Mamma. Uncle Cli

y place, I reckon. You'll have to

, won't you? You'l

now what I'll find to tell you-y

sed-and you've never broken a p

, Blue Bonnet found the thought of those promised letters strang

e Bonnet urged, "I h

aying in place in the big trunk standing in the center of B

passing a hand admiringly over the surface of the tr

Bonnet answe

nita! Oh, Benita! Here is your new mistress!' She was but the young thing-that11 little Se?ora-not much o

net said, thoughtful

for the going of the Se?orita." Benita's voice was trembling. "And the Se?orita goes to the home o

ther's death ten years before, had mothered and looked after her to t

t is the journey too

lue Bonnet said. "I wonder who'll look after

oubles me much,

laughed. She turned as Uncle Joe came down

!" she

" Uncle Joe12 said, slipping an end

ring the days of preparation. "Uncle Joe,"-she looked up a little wistfully int

nnet, same's if he wa

too, sometimes-and tell

t now and then; and you're going to be so busy doing the things you're wanting

Joe, you know

realize that come another twenty-four hours and the Blue Bonnet Ra

y. "The sunshine goes with the

everything was to be new, you wasn't to be Blue Bonnet any more, but Elizabeth. It's a fine name, Elizabeth, and it's going to suit back East all right; but, if you was stayin

had carried out the trunk, and Benita had gone, she sat quite still on the foot of her bed beside her half-packed hand-bag,

rest railway station in the cool of the day. Mr. Ashe was to go the first hundred miles

She drew a quick breath of pleasure. To be fifteen, and setting out to the land of one's hea

meet him. He was looking down at the trunk; something of th

were going, too?"

, Ho

d doesn't it look deligh

htfull

of dark blue, pea-like blossoms in her uncle's buttonhole. "Yo

won't forget

when she and her uncle went out to the front veranda as usual, her mood changed su

wed closely by Don. Don scented the coming change; he thor

his shoulder. Something had got to be put into words, which she had been trying to say in various other w

e brown head gently