Read Online Triumph of the Mountain Man by William W. Johnstone - Free Book Online Page B

on the breast of the Medicine Bow Mountains to the northeast. Sally Jensen gave up on her industrious dusting program at the clatter of narrow, steel-tired wheels on the ranch yard. She removed the kerchief which covered her raven locks, abandoned her smudged rag and straightened the apron as she walked to the door. She opened the portal to an astonishing sight.
    A woman, vaguely familiar, and four children sat on the spring-mounted seats of a sparkling, brightly lacquered carriage. The three boys, their soft, brown hair cut in bang-fringed pageboy style, wore manly little suits of royal blue, Moorish maroon and emerald green, with identical flat-crowned, wide-brimmed hats. The small girl sat primly beside her mother, in a matching crushed velvet cape and gown of a puce hue, feathered bonnets to match. The young males quarreled loudly and steadily among themselves.
    Sally took three small steps to the edge of the porch. She paused then as she put a name to the face, remembering the letter she had received three days earlier. Mary-Beth Whipple. No, Sally corrected herself, her married name was Gittings. Obviously when Mary-Beth had written asking to make a brief visit, she had taken for granted that the answer would be yes. How typical of Mary-Beth, Sally thought ruefully.
    â€œSally, dearest,” Mary-Beth burbled happily as she reined in.
    â€œMary-Beth?” Sally responded hesitantly. “I—didn’t expect you so soon.”
    Mary-Beth simply ignored that and gushed. “It’s so good to see you again. You have no idea how much I’ve missed my dear schoolmate.” She raised her arms and flung them wide to encompass the whole of the Sugarloaf. “We’re here at last.”
    â€œUh—yes, so you are. Won’t you come in?”
    â€œOf course. Right away. Can you get someone to take care of these dreadfully stubborn animals?”
    For a moment Sally wondered if she meant the snorting, lathered horses or her three sons. The volume of their altercation had risen to the shouting stage. Sally recalled her school chum only too well. The daughter of a wealthy New England mill owner, she had always been a petulant, spoiled young woman. One who proved woefully empty-headed. Sally had been compelled to drag Mary-Beth’s grades upward at the Teachers’ Seminary. Worse, she absolutely, positively refused to eat meat. Yet those were not her only eccentricities, Sally recalled as Mary-Beth spoke again.
    â€œThese abominable horses, of course. They have made our journey from Denver absolutely miserable. So tedious. Well,” she declared, releasing the reins and standing upright in the carriage. “We’re here now. And we can look forward to not having to deal with these fractious creatures for a whole month.”
    A month? Sally thought sinkingly. That was Mary-Beth’s idea of a brief stay? “I’m afraid we’re not . . . prepared for such a long stay.”
    Mary-Beth’s face clouded up, and she produced a girlish pout. “But, we simply must. My husband is doing businessey things in Denver, and it is frightfully boring.”
    â€œBut . . . my husband is not here. He has been called away.”
    â€œOh, bother the men. They are all alike. Born to neglect. I sometimes regret that I gave birth to even a single male. Little Francine here is all my life.”
    Her words chilled Sally, who instantly saw the confusion and hurt in the expressions and suddenly flat eyes of the boys. For all of that, Sally’s inborn hospitality compelled her to welcome them. She opened her arms in an inviting gesture. “Come on in, then. I’ll fix coffee. And I have a sponge cake. Your boys will like that, I’m sure.”
    Three bright, happy faces shined out on her. “Cake, yah!” they chorused.
    Inside, with the boys gulping down slice after slice of the cake Sally had planned to have for herself and Bobby for supper, Mary-Beth returned to her