“Have you been unhappy, dear, and are you hiding it in your heart?” Virginia asked anxiously.
“Unhappy?” Margaret lifted such a glowing face that Virginia felt that her question was answered before the next words were uttered. “I have never been so happy before in all my life. This is the first real home that I ever had. Mother died when I was so very young, and then father placed me in boarding school, and then he died. Of course I was happy at Vine Haven and Babs was like a dear sister, but Oh, Virginia, there’s nothing like a comfortable, love-filled house for a home, is there? Of course I still love Babs, and now I have you, and Malcolm for a brother.”
Margaret had returned her attention to the sock she was darning which chanced to belong to the lad she had just mentioned, and she smiled as she continued, “How nice Malcolm is. But isn’t he much more serious than most boys of eighteen? Is it because he has had so much responsibility since your father died?”
“Perhaps, and also because he is of a serious nature,” Virginia replied, as she threaded a needle. “And yet there is lots of fun in Buddy. You haven’t had an opportunity to become acquainted with him. He has been so occupied since you came. If he does return to V. M. Ranch tomorrow I do hope he plans staying at home for a while. He has been away now for two weeks.”
“Whew-oo!” Margaret said with a shudder. “Virg, did you hear that gust of wind? It’s blowing the sand, and how dark it is getting!”
Virginia glanced anxiously at the window. “I do hope Lucky will reach here before nightfall,” she said. “However, he may remain all night at the Junction. That would be the wise thing to do.”
“Hark!” Margaret exclaimed listening intently, “I’m sure I heard someone calling just then. Did you?”
They both listened but heard only the rush of the wind and sand.
However, a moment later, there came a rapping on the back door and both girls dropping their darning, hurried to see who the newcomer might be.
As they had really expected, it was the cow-boy who had ridden to the Junction for the mail.