“Olive!” There are no adequate words that can be spoken on first meeting after a long separation from one we love. And so for several moments the two ranch girls clung together trying hard to keep back their tears, while Jean, standing a little apart from them, pretended to laugh at their emotion.
“But, Jack, you are well. Why didn’t you let us know? When did it happen? There are so many things I want to ask you and yet I don’t care whether you answer me or not, I am so glad you are here.” Olive said at last.
“Perhaps it wasn’t quite fair of me, Olive, to have taken you so much by surprise. Jean and Frieda had a few days of warning. But you see it was like this,” Jack explained, leaning a little more heavily on her cane, although neither Jean nor Olive noticed it. “When my operation was over neither the surgeons nor anybody knew just at first whether or not I was to get well. So of course Ruth did not wish to write and tell you until we were certain. Then after a little while when I began to get stronger I thought how I should love to surprise you by appearing out here at Primrose Hall just as I have done to-day. Of course I did not mean to put off coming until commencement day,” Jack continued apologetically, “but somehow I did not get well quite as fast as I expected, until it had to be now or never, so Ruth wrote Jean and Frieda to expect us this morning but not to let you know, for we were afraid that seeing me would somehow affect your speech.”
“It nearly finished it altogether,” Olive returned. “Just think how I felt, Jack, when suddenly in the midst of my poor effort I saw you standing straight up in the crowd looking just as you used to do.”
“I shouldn’t have stood up, Ruth tried her best to hide me, only I got so excited.” Jack wavered a little. “Jean, of course I am perfectly well, but would you mind getting me a chair; I am not accustomed to standing so long.”
Feeling dreadfully ashamed of her thoughtlessness, Jean hurried off, returning in another minute empty handed. But following close behind her was a tall man in a costume that somehow looked a little out of place at Primrose Hall. Also he walked with a freedom and power that did not speak of city streets, neither did the deep tan of his skin. He was carrying the big, comfortable chair for Jean.
“Oh, Jim, Mr. Colter, I don’t think it fair to give a person so many surprises in one day!” Olive protested.
Jim Colter, the overseer of the Rainbow Ranch and the manager of the Rainbow Mine, was engaged in helping Jack into her chair so that he could not at once shake hands with Olive. But in another moment his big hands closed over hers.
“Don’t talk about surprises, Miss Olive Van Mater,” he replied. “To think I used to laugh at all the yarns in the story books, and here I was raising up a real live heroine out at the Rainbow Ranch, whose history makes most of the fiction tales look real pale! But ain’t it great to see the boss herself again. I couldn’t believe she was getting well when she wrote me; I was like that man from Missouri, ‘you had to show me’.” And here Jim put his hand on top of Jack’s uncovered head.
“Jim Colter, where are you and Jack and everybody?” a new voice demanded. “I promised to let Jack and Olive have just five minutes together alone, and I have, but now I am not going to let my sister get out of my sight again as long as I live!” Frieda had joined the little group under the linden tree just as Jim was finishing his speech and before Olive could answer him.