Melinda and the Wild West by Linda Weaver Clarke Read Free Book Online

hike up
the mountain.
    They only had to walk five hundred yards to
the spring, but oh, how lovely this walk was. They passed one
quaking aspen after another. There were pine trees, lavender
flowers, Queen Anne’s lace, and bushes with white berries; shrub
after shrub lined their path as they walked. There were scads of
yellow daisy-like flowers that were nodding in the breeze on each
side of the path, and the white rugged cliffs stood five hundred
feet high in front of them, looking magnificent.
    While they hiked, Melinda noticed how gentle
and attentive Gilbert was with Jenny as he helped her along. She
also noticed that he was kind to the other children as well. When
they came upon a rugged area, he stopped to help each of the
children safely across.
    For the first time since Melinda had
arrived, Jenny was talking and laughing with the other girls.
Melinda had been teaching for one month now and this was the first
time she had seen the girls even speak to Jenny. Jenny was laughing
and joking as she hiked the hill. Melinda had not heard her laugh
before and she thought it was one of the most delightful sounds she
had ever heard.
    As they walked along the path, Melinda overheard
Peggy tell Jenny, “I know that the boys can be rude. But they call
all of us girls names, even me. The secret is to ignore them when
they do. They just hate it when we don’t pay attention to them. I
just walk away when they start up.”
    Peggy was a redhead with several freckles on
her nose and upper cheeks, and she had a charming smile. She was
ten years old and had decided to befriend Jenny.
    Jenny listened attentively to every word she
said and asked, “They call you names, too?”
    Peggy nodded. “Remember when Billy put my
braid in the inkwell?”
    Jenny giggled and nodded.
    “And do you remember the frog in my
pail?”
    Both girls giggled and their laughter
bounced off the canyon walls. Melinda knew this excursion was good
for them and she couldn’t help but smile at her brilliant idea.
    The swift, white-foamed rapids rolled over
the rocks and gradually became louder as they approached the cliff
where the water was pouring out of the mountain. As they arrived at
their destination, she noticed a large flat boulder in the pathway
that led to the springs. Gilbert climbed upon it and held his hand
out to help the children up to the flat boulder. Each girl took his
hand to keep balance as Gilbert helped her up, but the boys wanted
to be independent and they jumped up to the boulder without any
help whatsoever.
    Melinda smiled as she saw Gilbert helping
the children. He seemed so helpful and caring, and that impressed
her. After he helped the last child up, he held his hand out to
Melinda. She hesitated as she looked into his eyes.
    “Miss Gamble? May I help you up, also?”
    Gilbert steadily gazed into her eyes with a
curious and questioning look. Then Melinda grabbed her skirts with
one hand and gave Gilbert her free hand. He held it firmly in his
as he helped her up to the flat boulder where he stood. His hand
was strong and warm and she blushed from the touch of it.
    Looking into his eyes, she felt embarrassed
and quickly pulled her hand away as she said, “Thank you, Mr.
Roberts.”
    As she walked away, Gilbert found it hard
not to smile when he saw her face turn a rosy glow and quickly
avert her eyes from his. He was amused and enjoyed the effect he
had on her.
    He said, with a slight upturn of his lips,
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help.”
    Without another thought, Melinda walked to
the head of the class and told the children, “Class, follow
me.”
    The roaring sound of the water pouring out
of the mountain was exhilarating to listen to, not to mention
freezing cold. Melinda encouraged the children to take their cups
and hold them at the opening where the water was pouring out of the
cliff so they could have a drink. She told them this water was
unpolluted and fresh from the mountain. It was delicious and
remarkably