Thus induced, Sary left Jeb"s head to its fate and quickly sought the cause of Eleanor"s excitement. The amazing experience of being on a vehicle that glided directly over a rushing stream of water while there was no apparent land to uphold the vehicle, held Sary and Jeb spell-bound.
When the train reached land, once more, and was steaming along its way, Sary sighed audibly and whispered to Jeb: "Did you-all ever know sech doin"s went on when one traveled?"
But Jeb was too surprised to make a sound. He sat and stared from the small window of the car without even having heard his fiancee"s words.
The conductor had pa.s.sed through the car many times since the Brewster family boarded the train, and when the last local station had been left behind and he had punched all the tickets of the pa.s.sengers on that trip, he entered the car and sat upon the arm of the seat just opposite Sam Brewster, in order to converse with the man every one about Oak Creek knew so well.
Having no stops to make for a long stretch, and the track running on a level line for many miles, the engineer increased the speed of his engine with corresponding results in Sary"s anxiety. She stepped over Jeb"s obstructing feet and made madly for the conductor, taking that worthy man quite by surprise.
"See here, Mr. Boss, Ah ain"t going to pay fer no ticket to ride on a runaway injun! It"s your job to get up front and see what"s ailin" this car. Ef it"s locooed you"d better cut loose from th" injun--come along!"
And before the amazed conductor or Mr. Brewster could resist or explain, Sary had the man by the shoulder and was actually lifting him along the aisle towards the door.
"Hi, there, Sary! Stop that!" shouted Sam Brewster, jumping up and trying to rescue the poor victim from Sary"s mighty hold.
"Ain"t it so, Mister Brewster? We-all paid good money fer this joy-ride, an" we-all ain"t got nothin" from it but jumpin" nerves, so far!"
Every one but the poor conductor laughed heartily at Sary"s complaint.
But Mr. Brewster persuaded Sary to loose her prisoner and let him collect his scattered senses; when the shaken man was able to once more think reasonably, he gave Sary one look and disappeared from that coach, nor did he venture his head inside the door again, until he had to take up all the tickets.
The eventful trip finally ended when the local pulled into Denver station; the Brewster party lost no time in leaving the train and threading a way through the crowds at the waiting-room. They were to go directly to Anne Stewart"s house where luncheon would be waiting for them.
"Well, friends! glad to see you!" called Anne, as she welcomed the travelers. "Come right in and meet mother."
Introductions over, Mrs. Stewart led the way to the cozy little dining-room where the table was ready-spread for the luncheon.
"I didn"t pretend to provide much, Mrs. Brewster," explained Mrs.
Stewart, "because, you see, the house is rented furnished for two years and I could not leave a pan full of soiled dishes and crumbs of food about for my new tenant to clear away. Of course, the lady is an old neighbor of mine, and would understand how hurried we are to-day in order to get off on the afternoon train for New York; still I never like to do things wrong."
"Now see here, Miss Stewart," declared Sary who had over-heard the remark, "you-all jes" go along to the cars an" leave me to do up the work."
"No, Sary, this is your great holiday in Denver," contradicted Mrs.
Brewster, "and Jeb wants to fit that engagement ring on your finger, you know; after lunch, you get away with Jeb and see the city while I do up the dishes and help Mrs. Stewart dress and get ready to leave."
That was a merry although hurried luncheon. Immediately after the cake and tea were finished, Jeb and Sary started away to hunt the ring; but many were the admonitions sent after them as they left the door, to be on hand at the railway terminal to see Polly and her friends off for New York.
Mrs. Brewster and her husband cleared away the remains of the luncheon while Mrs. Stewart and Anne completed their packing and dressed for the long trip to the East. Everything in connection with the lease and the inventory of furniture had been attended to before this day, so there were really no errands or work left to be done at the last.
Finally Mrs. Stewart locked the door and gave the key to a next-door neighbor who had offered to keep it until the tenant called for it; then good-bys were said to the congregated friends of Anne and her mother"s, and at last the party started for the station where the New York train was scheduled to leave at five o"clock.
"Dear me, I do hope Sary and Jeb will be there on time," sighed Mrs.
Brewster, with a worried frown.
"Don"t worry about them, Mah, because I"ll say they have been waiting for us this last hour," laughed Sam Brewster.
"Sary wouldn"t give Jeb a moment"s peace until she got that ring," added Anne Stewart, laughingly, "and once she had it she would never give him another moment"s peace until she had shown it to every one of us!"
"Anne"s right, mother," giggled Polly, nodding her head wisely.
And so it turned out. When the Brewster party reached the station in Denver, and before Sam Brewster could seek for his two servants Sary shouted so that every one at that end of the building heard her.
"Here we-all be, Mr. Brewster! Jeb an" me"s be"n lookin" out fer you-all this last hour! Come right on, and see mah ring!"
Eyes turned in the direction of the voice and there stood Sary, perched upon one of the benches in order to look over the heads of the people who stood about in groups or who kept going and coming through the station. She was waving her hand wildly to attract the attention of her party. Eleanor laughed so hysterically at the sight that she could hardly stand, but Polly dragged her along after the others until they reached Sary and Jeb.
"Ah d"clar" to goodness, folks! This city is one big camp, all right!"
vouchsafed Jeb, his eyes wide enough to pop at the great adventure.
"Don"t you-all go talkin" of sech things, Jeb, when we-all got more important things to do," was Sary"s scathing criticism, as she gave Jeb a shove to quiet him. "Here--jest you-all look at this diamond! Three times bigger"n Anne Stewart"s! Pull off that glove, Anne, and le"s see mine and your"n side by side!" exclaimed Sary, eagerly.
Anne laughed but complied with the challenge. Two hands were compared--a small white hand with polished nails and with a sparkling diamond shining upon the third finger of the left hand, and a large-boned red hand with stubby nails on the fingers, but one finger displaying a great Rhinestone set so high that it would have been a menace had Sary tried to use her fist on an enemy. Jeb stood by grinning widely at the praise bestowed upon him for his choice of the largest stone in the department store.
"Cost some cash, that stone, eh Jeb?" chuckled Sam Brewster.
"Bet chure life, Boss!" was Jeb"s snappy reply.
Eleanor now pulled Sary"s head down in order to whisper into her ear.
"Sary, when you get back to Pebbly Pit, Mrs. Brewster will give you a pile of finery I left for your trousseau. You will be delighted to get the laces and other tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs for your hope-box."
"Ah, Nolla, won"t ah, jest! An" when Ah comes to Noo York to see you-all, you won"t know me in my fine togs!" was Sary"s eager reply.
"Oh! were you expecting to come, Sary?" Eleanor asked.
"Shure thing, Nolla. Onct Ah"m married Ah"m goin" to travel every year!"
exclaimed Sary.
"New York"s a long way off from here, Sary," ventured Eleanor.
"Oh, Ah don"t mean to say Jeb an" me"ll go thar fust. Ah"m goin" to figger on takin" a side trip to Chicargo fust, you know. Mebbe you kin fix it so"s we-all kin visit your maw whiles we-all stop at that town, Nolla. An" nex" time we-all kin go on to Noo York, like-as-how Ah said."
Eleanor caught her breath at this astounding news. The picture of Barbara and her mother receiving Sary and Jeb proved too much for her risibles and she laughed merrily as she replied to Sary"s announcement.
"Sary, if Jeb and you _would_ honor our house with a visit, I"d tell Daddy to look after you-all. But you must let me know, first, so my father can meet you two and see that you are shown about in true style."
"Nolla, that Ah will, when we-all get time to go thar. Ah says to mahself, jest the other day, Ah ain"t never had no fun or chanct to better mahself, Ah says: "Sary Dodd, when you get Jeb you plan to go about like-as-how Anne Stewart is doin"." Nolla, thar ain"t nuthin" like a bit of travel to polish folks up, is thar now?"
"You"re right, Sary! Just exactly right," laughed Eleanor.
But Sam Brewster was now heard calling Eleanor that the train was ready and the gates were opened, so Sary caught Jeb by his sleeves and followed after the others when the entire group started for the New York train.
One would think, to hear Sary"s excited tones, that she was about to take the long, long journey from which there is no returning; but once Anne Stewart and her charges were aboard the long Pullman train, the ones who remained behind stood upon the platform waiting for the girls to find their compartments and open the windows in order to converse until the last moment.
Sam Brewster went over to a guard and asked several questions, then he hurried back and said to his party: "We can go aboard for a few minutes, as the train will not pull out for seven or eight minutes. Do you care to see how Polly will be located for the trip?"
With motherly concern Mrs. Brewster followed her husband, and in order to be experienced when that trip east was to be taken, Sary dragged Jeb after the Brewsters.
"Wall, suh!" breathed Sary, when Eleanor demonstrated where the beds were hidden, and what the push b.u.t.tons were for, and how the window shades ran up or down on springs! She could hardly believe her eyes when she was told about the convenience of modern traveling.