Mystery Ranch (7 page)

“Dear Aunt Jane!” cried Violet. “You are up and dressed! I was never so glad in my life.” She bent over and kissed the little old lady.

Aunt Jane was surprised at the kiss. But she was very pleased.

“I will bring the kitchen table in here,” said Henry.

“Why not eat on the table that is in here?”

“But that is your very best table,” said Jessie.

“It is your table, remember,” said Aunt Jane. “I’d like to eat on it, if you want to use it.”

A happy family sat down to supper that night.

“Now, tell me everything that happened in Stony Creek,” said Aunt Jane.

The children took turns. They told her everything. They told her what a fine man the Mystery Man was. They passed quickly over the three tough men, because they did not want to frighten her.

“They caught them anyway,” said Benny, “So no more trouble from them.”

At last, everything had been told except one thing—Grandfather.

“About these strangers,” said Benny. “Mr. Carter says this place won’t be quiet any more. Everyone will come to see the uranium. And maybe some will take away rocks.”

Aunt Jane nodded. “What does he think we ought to do?”

“He says we can’t take care of it ourselves,” began Henry. “We must have help from some man who can do things in a big way and who has money to have a mine dug.”

Aunt Jane said slowly, “I know one man who can do it. My brother, James.”

For a minute the children could not speak. Then Jessie cried, “Oh, he could, Aunt Jane!”

“And now I wonder if he
would,”
said Aunt Jane, “after the way I’ve treated him.”

“I’m sure he would,” said Jessie excitedly.

“Well, I hope so,” said her aunt. “I could never stand hundreds of people running all over my ranch—your ranch. I’ll send your grandfather a night letter.”

“If you will write a night letter,” said Henry, “I’ll take it to Tom Young’s house and have him send it tonight.”

“You care a lot for your grandfather, don’t you?” asked the old lady, with a sharp look.

“And we care a lot for you, too,” said Henry.

“Get me some paper at once, Henry,” said Aunt Jane, “before I change my mind.”

The children were very quiet while their aunt wrote the night letter. They were afraid every minute that she would change her mind.

“Listen to this,” she said at last. “‘Will you take over all business of the uranium fields, now owned by your grandchildren? For once I am glad to have you for a boss. The children and Watch send love. Jane.’”

“Perfect!” said Henry.

Next morning, right after breakfast, a telegram came for Aunt Jane.

She read it aloud, “‘I shall be glad to take over this business. You do not have to see me. Decide how much land you want to keep for yourself and we will build a fence around it. I will send a guard for the house. James Alden.’”

“A guard for this house!” cried Benny. “Isn’t this exciting!”

Jessie called, “Look! Here’s a car already!”

The car was full of telephone men. One of them asked Aunt Jane very politely where she wanted the telephones.

“Telephones?” asked Benny. “Are you going to put in two?”

“We have to put in four,” he said. “I guess you folks don’t know what you are in for.”

“No, I guess we don’t,” said Henry. “I think I had better go to town and telephone Grandfather now. I may not have a chance later.”

Henry left with Watch.

How wonderful it was to talk with Grandfather!

“Now, listen carefully,” Mr. Alden said, “Your aunt’s ranch must always be kept a pleasant place for her to live. So, when you have time, let her decide where the fence should go. Then she could always do anything she wanted with the ranch itself. Do you understand?”

“I think so. You mean we still might want to run the ranch?”

“Exactly.”

Henry noticed that his grandfather still called the ranch “hers.” He also knew that he must get right at the fence. When his grandfather said, “When you have time,” he meant right away.

Henry went back to the ranch and told his aunt what Mr. Alden had said.

“Grandfather wants us to decide where that fence shall go.”

“I know already,” said the little lady. “Here is a plan of the ranch. I have marked where I want the fence to go.”

Aunt Jane listened. “Here comes another car,” she said.

“Poor Aunt Jane!” said Jessie. “You’ll never get any rest.”

“That’s Grandfather for you,” said Benny.

The men were sent by Mr. Alden to put up the fence. Henry was glad that his aunt had the plan ready in time.

Jessie asked, “Do you want Henry to carry you to bed, Aunt Jane?”

“No. I want him to help me to the kitchen window, so I can see the cars drive up. I want to see everything.”

Henry took her to a big easy chair by the kitchen window.

“Doesn’t Grandfather work fast?” asked Jessie.

“He always did,” said her aunt. “Once he worked too fast for me. But not now. Here comes another car!”

“I just can’t believe it,” said Violet, “we’ll never get any work done.”

Benny came in to tell the news. His face was red with excitement.

“The guards are here!” he shouted. “They will stop people from knocking on our door all the time and asking us about the uranium. They say we will get tired of it. But I wouldn’t, would you, Aunt Jane?”

“I’m not tired of it yet,” said Aunt Jane.

CHAPTER
14

The Boss

B
oy, look at that car!” said Benny, looking out the window. It was long and low. It was painted yellow and black. A man got out of the car. A guard spoke to him and nodded, and the man came to the back door.

Henry opened the door, and the man said, “James Alden asked me to come and see his sister.” “Come in,” said Henry. “This is my aunt.” The man smiled at the little old lady. “James Alden is one of my best friends,” he said.

“Sit down,” said Aunt Jane, in a kind voice. “We seem to have all our callers in the kitchen. Some day we may use the front door.”

“The kitchen is all right with me,” said the stranger, with a quick smile. “My name is Gardner. I am a mining man. Your brother sent me to take care of your uranium field.”

Benny asked, “Are you the boss of everything?”

“That’s a good way to put it,” agreed Mr. Gardner.

“Will you let us watch you dig?” asked Benny.

“Yes. There are some men digging in your field now. Do you want to see them?”

“We certainly do!” said Henry at once.

They started across the field.

“Keep your eyes on that white place on the mountain. The hole is there,” Mr. Gardner said.

When they came to the hole, they saw two guards beside it. Two other men were standing in the hole with long sticks in their hands.

“Those are geiger counters!” shouted Benny.

“That’s right,” said Mr. Gardner.

The men heard his voice and looked up. When they saw who it was, one of them came out of the hole.

“It’s good, sir,” he said. “Want to hear it?”

The boss listened. “Good!” he said. “Noisy, isn’t it? Let the children listen. After all, they own the whole works.”

Benny was so excited that he almost fell into the hole.

“How it snaps!” he said.

“There must be a lot of uranium here,” said Henry, as he listened to the geiger counter pop.

When the children walked into the house again, Aunt Jane was sitting by the window in the front room.

“Did you have a good time?” she asked.

“Wonderful!” said Benny. “We listened to the geiger counter, and it made a terrible noise. That means uranium, Aunt Jane.”

“Does it? I am glad to hear it.” She seemed to be very pleased.

After dinner that evening the children left Violet alone with their aunt. Violet was sewing.

“Aunt Jane,” she said gently, “I really don’t understand why you didn’t let your own brother help you when you needed money.”

“I might as well tell you the whole story,” said Aunt Jane. “Father and mother went East. Your grandfather was a very young man. He wanted to sell the ranch and go into the mill business.”

“I begin to understand,” said Violet softly.

“I’m glad somebody understands,” said Aunt Jane. “I loved the ranch. So I said I’d stay here. But I couldn’t run the ranch. I didn’t know how. I had twenty men working for me. Then I had to let the men go, one by one. At last, only Sam was left. I sold the horses and cattle.”

Aunt Jane paused. “How could I ask your grandfather for money? He never wanted me to stay here and I wouldn’t give in and say that I was wrong.”

“I’m glad you told me this, Aunt Jane. I’ll help you get to bed, now.”

Things happened fast on the Alden ranch in the next few weeks. A mine was dug. Big machines worked night and day. Houses for workmen were built. New stores opened in town. The train was not taken off. Instead, there were four trains every day. Two telephone girls stayed upstairs all day to answer the telephones. And Aunt Jane made a surprising announcement.

“I want to give a party!” she said.

“A party?” asked Henry. “When?”

“My birthday is next week, and I want a birthday party.”

“People don’t give their own birthday parties,” said Henry. “Let us give the party for you.”

“No,” said Aunt Jane. “This is my party. And I am going to ask your grandfather if he will come!”

Violet said, “Oh, I’m so glad, Aunt Jane! I’m sure he will.”

The children’s wish had come true.

“Telephone to him!” shouted Benny.

Aunt Jane, her face very pink, called her brother.

“Hello, James,” she said brightly. “I want you to come to my birthday party.”

“Ahem!” said Grandfather. The children could hear his deep voice.

“Of course I will, if you want me. I’ll bring you a present, too.”

“No, just come, and forgive me for everything.”

The children knew that Grandfather did not know what to say to this.

“Well, well!” he said, “Nothing to forgive!”

“Thank you, James,” said Aunt Jane.

Mr. Gardner took the children to meet their grandfather’s train, the day before Aunt Jane’s birthday.

When the children saw Mr. Alden, what a noise they made! They all shouted at once. They rushed up and took his bags. Tom Young stood in the door of the station and laughed.

“They think a lot of
him,”
he said.

They all piled into Mr. Gardner’s car and drove to the ranch.

Aunt Jane was sitting up very straight in the front room. She shook hands with her brother.

“It was good of you to come, James,” she said.

“I’m glad to see you,” said Grandfather. “I had forgotten you were so pretty.”

It was true. When the children looked at their aunt, they saw that she was really pretty. Her blue eyes were very bright.

Mr. Alden said, “I want to see Henry alone.”

Henry and his grandfather went to the back room to talk. Grandfather came back alone. The children heard Henry drive out of the yard in Mr. Gardner’s car. They were very surprised.

“Where is Henry going?” asked Aunt Jane.

“A secret,” said Mr. Alden, laughing.

Henry came back in a little while. He nodded at his grandfather and said, “All right.”

“What can it be?” wondered Jessie. “How can we wait until tomorrow?”

After supper, Grandfather said, “Jane, I have a plan. Do you want to hear it?”

“I do,” said Aunt Jane. “It seems funny, doesn’t it? I never would listen to you before.”

“I was too bossy,” said Mr. Alden. “I know that now.” He smiled.

“My grandchildren love your ranch, Jane,” he said, “but they can’t stay here all winter.”

“Yes, I know that, James,” she said sadly.

“They want to fix up the other end of this house for Sam and his wife. We can cut a door between your room and the next one. Maggie can have that room. Then you will be safe all winter.”

“You are kind to plan this for me,” said Aunt Jane. She smiled kindly at her brother.

“The children planned it,” said Mr. Alden. “They want to fix the rooms upstairs for themselves.”

“Well, they certainly can,” said Aunt Jane.

“Now, one last idea,” said Mr. Alden. He looked at Jessie, with a twinkle in his eye.