Lillian Elizabeth Roy

“ Tom had accompanied Jack, but he remained in the open doorway, annoyed at what he saw. He had appeared just in time to see Algy kiss Polly’s fingers, and he felt like cuffing the little dandy’s ears for such impertinence.
Now, however, he crossed the room and spoke impatiently to Polly. “Why do you permit that Jackanapes to perform as he did?”
“Why—what do you mean, Tom?” asked Polly, surprised.
“Well, you know very well! A man who loves a girl hates to see her made a fool of in a public place,” retorted Tom, forgetting Anne Brewster’s advices and allowing his jealousy to show itself again. ”

“ There’s that awful ‘if’ in the way!” sighed Eleanor.
“Well, anyway, Nolla, we ought to be able to find out one of two things on this western trip—whether she does love him, or whether she doesn’t! I’m not so sure but that daily companionship on board a private yacht is coma to spontaneous love. You can always tell, from day to day, just what is about to happen, and who will be in the party. Now, out here, where great things occur frequently, these two may discover how dear each is to the other. ”

“ Hot Springs was an ideal resort for resting, and Dalky wished he might remain there a month. The golf and tennis, the open air swimming pools, the delightful horseback rides to points of interest, brought a sense of peace to the three men who had raced here and there in Illinois, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona ever since they met together at Chicago. The week spent at the Springs did more, perhaps, to stimulate Mr. Dalken’s keen and ever alert brain than anything he could have done. ”

“ Dalken laughed. “Yes, I see your point, Nolla, and I must add that you are too particular—even as Polly is. These young men who are so devoted to you girls now, may change their minds once they reach South America and find how lovely and willing to be loved are the girls there. You may never have Paul yearn to come back, after having a southern beauty make love to him.”
“In that case, he is not worth pining for. If a man cannot love a girl as well when he is absent from her as he does when he is present with her, he is not to be trusted in love,” declared Eleanor, tossing her head. ”

“ Fuzzier’s plans to develop the interior of Colombia, Mr. Dalken,” said Mrs. Courtney, enthusiastically.
“Look at this tremendous work, which had to form first in the mind of man, and then be constructed stone by stone, and by means of the hands which had to obey the mandates of man’s brain. Without the power to think correctly, where would this completed wonder be?” remarked Mr. Dalken, seriously.
That man-made wonder impressed the girls and Jack more than the natural wonders found in the great southwest, and all the way back to Phœnix, they were discussing the power to think. ”

“ Alexander found, in all seriousness, enough to think of to keep her from sending one backward look at Mr. Atchison, or, indeed, to continue planning what she might do when the tourists reached Indian Gardens. Like most shallow persons, she was dreadfully afraid of hurting herself, or of dying. Consequently, when her mount seemed to edge too near the very rim of death, she shrieked aloud in terror, or tried to drive the wise horse closer to the wall. ”

“ Now, we-all find so much to do, every day, that the days are too short for us,” laughed the man.
“I suppose everybody—that is every one worth while, goes right through to Grand Canyon, so Williams never sees society people,” remarked Mrs. Alexander, with a superior air, calculated to impress this mere nobody of a man.
“Sometimes society persons find themselves stranded here,” chuckled the man, who cared naught for this lady’s hoity-toity manners. “There happens to be such a man, right this minute—just as mad at being delayed in his plans, as you can be. ”

“ Then the girls told how Mrs. Courtney had gone to the employment office to engage a good lady’s maid for Mrs. Alexander.
Dodo laughed at the interviews and their termination.
“Just as well you were unsuccessful in the quest,” said she. “If mother has a maid, she becomes so dependent upon her for the least act, that she soon grows too heavy to feel comfortable. Then she feels cross, because she cannot dance and act like a girl, and, worst of all, her new costumes never will meet. Life then becomes impossible, until she has dieted down again. ”

“ After a second attempt to get some brandy down the throat of the guide, Jack succeeded and was repaid by seeing the eyelids twitch and slowly lift. Then the man became conscious all at once, and sat up, though he did not move his foot—it seemed limp.
“What a fix!” exclaimed Barnes, in disgust with himself. “A broken bone, and out here in this blizzard!”
“That’s all right, Barnes—I’ll cut down the aspens for you, and Polly, with the other girls, will drag them out of the way. The work will keep us from freezing,” said Jack, cheerily. ”

“ The little plotter hurried to Dodo’s room to tell her the news, and she laughed with her father at his description of Mr. Fuzzier being a flirt, and having intentions to fall in love with Mrs. Alexander. But Dodo became serious, when she understood the reason for keeping her mother so interested in Mr. Dalken and Mr. Fuzzier.
“You’d better run and prepare Dalky and his friend, Daddy, or they’ll escape. Don’t shock them suddenly, but do it by degrees, if you want them to survive,” laughed Dodo. ”

“ You go west with me, to attend to my wants and to receive for your valet services all expenses and a hundred dollars a month. For that, I shall expect you to look after my comforts, the traveling accommodations, hotel suites, autos, and what-not. You may have every other Sunday off for yourself, and an evening once a week. All your other time belongs to me—not even a chance for a little flirtation with a pretty girl on the train, or out on the deserts of Arizona.”
“And how about the girls you take with you—any chance for Jack to say a word to them, now or then?” laughed Eleanor. ”

“ Dodo laughed merrily and then added: “Nothing to worry about, Nolla. It isn’t as though he was your beau.”
“No; but can’t you see that it does matter? If Dalky is happily married to Mrs. Courtney, who is his other half-soul if there is such a thing, it stands to reason that Polly and I shall always be welcome additions to their little nest. Should Dalky marry some woman of whom we know nothing, what chance is there for our future welcome?” ”

“ But the most enjoyable trip of all those about Phœnix, was the one to Roosevelt Lake and the Dam. They motored there, as Mr. Fuzzier had promised them, and the sight of the huge project so successfully built and operated, caused even the foolish Mrs. Alexander and the vapid Algy to stare in silence at man’s ingenuity and capabilities.
“When one sees what is possible to mere man, it enthuses one with great ideas. ”

“ When the three girls met again it was at luncheon time. Mr. Dalken and Mrs. Courtney were ascending the front steps of the wide verandah, but there were no tell-tale expressions upon the faces of either one. Eleanor searched in vain for the blush that might inform her whether Mrs. Courtney planned to become Mrs. Dalken.
Mrs. Alexander learned that Mrs. Courtney had accompanied the young folks to the swimming pool every morning, and she immediately conjectured that she did this in order to wear a fetching gown and carry her white wrap—white was so becoming to elderly women! ”

“ To play the game right, Dalken and Fuzzier ought to take new names, too. Fine fix it would be, if some one, knowing of Dalken’s fame as a New York millionaire, read his name in the hotel register, and then reported to all the newspapers how he was mad over you! The same about Fuzzier—only he’s famous in Chicago. Now, I won’t stand for any such newspaper notoriety, understand? If you want to try out your hand at acting a part, it’s got to be done proper, and then I’ll stake my money on you, old gal! ”

“ As Jack finished his plans, he glanced hopefully around at his friends to receive their delighted thanks and approval for his arduous sketch. Instead of hearing words of commendation, such as he had expected from the girls and Mrs. Courtney, he heard Mrs. Alexander’s voice.
“No one seems to notice the insult to a lady—of course, my husband does not count, since he never took lessons in social deportment and modern etiquette, so his words spoken a short time ago bear no weight with me;—but I refer to insults to ladies by allowing men-servants in friendly intercourse with their betters. ”

“ Dalken. But he wondered what Polly meant by this unusual reference to Tom. Had he dreamed that she had been peeved by Jack, when he had said the girls could not find any wise young man to propose to them, he would have laughed at her. Polly had been spoiled during the past two years, by having so many admirers wait upon her; and now, barring Jack’s indifferent attentions, having no young man hovering about, made her miss her faithful beau. Perhaps this lack of attention caused her to write an unusually kind letter to Tom. ”

“ Instantly the air became choked with fine snow, and the temperature dropped suddenly so that every one in the party began to shiver and shake. The horses, rebelling against going on in the face of this cold blizzard, balked, but they could not turn in the narrow tunnel between the aspens.
Fortunately the guide rode first, and Jack brought up the rear, so that the horses of the girls could not back nor forge ahead in order to get away from where they were. ”

“ By the time Algy joined those standing upon the platform, half of Dodo’s pretty scarf had diminished into its original strand of wool.
Mrs. Alexander swung her handsome cane aimlessly to and fro to attract Mrs. Courtney’s attention, since that was the only reason for her carrying it, but her husband also saw it.
“By the Great Horned Spoon, Maggie! How’d you ever come to fetch a walkin’ stick? Folks will think you are locoed.” ”

“ Mr. Dalken returned the quizzical look, and replied: “I may not look it, but I will admit that I often find time to go to church, and more times than I will tell you or the world, I find a verse or a bit of advice in the Bible that does me a lot of good. Men of Big Business can’t afford to overlook the Science to be had by referring to the Holy Book.”
“Well! I’ll be doggoned! If you aren’t the last man I ever expected to hear that from!” exclaimed Mr. Alexander. ”

“ Algy is better than a maid, because he induces her to walk and go out with him, and that is good for her health.”
At this moment the men returned from the smoking compartment, and Mr. Dalken said: “It’s time for bed, children.”
“Oh, dear me, is it?” sighed Mrs. Alexander, suddenly seeming to feel indisposed to move.
“You don’t have to go to bed, Maggie, if you like to sit up and enjoy that young man’s conversation,” returned Mr. Alexander. ”

“ But that fraction was quite enough to cause the wheels on one side to run into a deep rut. This hard jolt sent all three men together in a heap. Poor Mr. Alexander happened to be underneath, and Mr. Fuzzier on top. Mr. Dalken, being between both, received no hurt, but Mr. Fuzzier struck his head against the closed door, and soon a great swelling rose there and closed his left eye. Mr. Alexander, being unconscious, could not swear or complain against his tough luck of being the under one. ”

“ Dalken and the men we hope to meet here in Denver and, later on, in Prescott. If Mrs. Alexander demands my attention, how can I serve two masters?” appealed the little man.
“Just tell me the kind of maid I ought to hire, and I’ll move heaven and earth to find one for you,” promised Mrs. Courtney; at the same time she wondered what had come over her to make her step into another woman’s place in this way, and thus force that woman to give the husband all the spare time he craved to attend to business affairs. ”

“ Courtney, since she is the chaperon, you see. Don’t flirt with other men, but make believe you have your hands full of trouble with keeping off the two elderly beaux. I’ll put Dalken wise to the play, but Fuzzier is half in love with you already, I see. He’s not any too particular about loving another man’s wife, I fear, so he’ll be glad of a chance to make up to you. Now, then, for my promise to keep Dodo and myself out of your way, and let you make believe you are Miss Alexander, of New York, or London, or some other big town: you’ve got to keep secret that you ever knew a miner by your name ”

“ Since Polly had left her western home to study a course of interior decorating in New York City, the Rainbow Cliffs and the mass of hardened lava which extended far back of the colored, pebbly wall had been transformed by modern machinery set up on the grounds, to cut the lava-jewels into marketable gems. This work, started after the group of wide-awake financiers headed by Mr. Dalken had seen the great possibilities in the stones, now provided most of the income by which Polly, as well as some of her friends, found it possible to travel luxuriously wherever inclination invited them. ”

“ Jack launched an entirely new form of the same game.
“Your name would suggest British nationality, Mr. Alveston.”
“Aw, yes!” agreed Algy, fixing his monocle in the latest approved English manner. “My full name, you know, is Algernon Alfred Alveston. Quite unusual, don’t you think?—The initials, I mean, A. A. A.”
“I should say so!” declared Jack seriously, albeit the three girls saw a fine wrinkle at the corners of his eyes. “It reminds one of a grade of flour. In fact, I am sure I’ve seen the advertisements of the ‘Aunt Jane Pancake Flour’ with the ‘A. A. A.’ to tell the quality. ”

“ The scenery across country from Phœnix to Barstow, where the railroad branched for the two important points in California—San Francisco being one terminus and Los Angeles the other—was wonderful, and there was not much inclination to talk of other things. The ride over the Mojave Desert seemed to take the tourists from the New World and drop them upon the Sahara, or the great tractless deserts of the East.
Having turned to the southern terminus, the train flew past great orange groves, where, in places, the girls could have plucked the fruit by stretching forth a hand from the windows. ”

“ Alexander provide a lady’s maid for his wife. On the way back to the hotel Polly made a suggestion which Eleanor thought would prove very exciting, if not practical, for Mrs. Alexander’s future peace and personal comfort.
“Why waste time in finding a maid for Dodo’s mother when we can get a first-class Indian servant, who will cook, pack, wash, and do everything else for the men, when they have to camp in the mountains; then he can work for Mrs. Alexander, when the men are with us and have no need of the Guide.” ”

“ You hang on to Alexander, and pose as a flapper, if you like, with Dodo and the other gals your chums. Then I’ll put Dalken wise, to play up as amateur sweetheart, and Fuzzy must be your steady company. That makes a fine little comedy, I say, and we’ll see if folks swallow the bait. I’m sure Dalken and Fuzzier will enjoy the joke as much as you will. The girls are always out for a lark, and that leaves Jack and Mrs. Courtney to fix. But, then, Jack will see the fun to be had out of the play, and Mrs. Courtney doesn’t count any in this plan. ”

“ Alexander, sweetly, as she motioned to her numerous pieces of baggage, “when you take these from the car, don’t drop any. I have valuable things in each bag.”
“But, Ma, the Pullman porter will look after the luggage,” was Dodo’s reminder.
“Not mine! thank you. I wouldn’t allow one of those strangers to handle one of my bags. In this desert land, I could never replace my cosmetics and toilet articles. Algy loves to oblige me, so why disappoint him?” was Mrs. Alexander’s tart reply. ”

“ That day was spent in seeing the sights of Albuquerque, and arrangements were made for a motor trip to Isleta, Laguna and Acoma, including the Enchanted Mesa. Jack had engaged a seven-passenger car as usual, which would carry the entire party, but Mrs. Alexander and Algy refused to go. Dodo looked furious after she had asked her mother privately for her reasons in not being one of the group, and the other girls and Jack had no trouble in guessing the cause—why two members of their group dropped out of the sight-seeing. Jack smiled. ”

“ Now you’re willing to fall in love with any girl who’ll look at you—only they won’t look your way!”
While Eleanor had unburdened her heart of this long complaint, Polly had hastily opened Tom’s last letter. As she had expected, she found his letter wound up with his usual proposal. She waved the letter defiantly under Jack’s nose, and then added: “There, you conceited child! Don’t tell us we never have an offer from a beau. Here’s one in this letter—and I can marry the man any day I care to speak the word. In fact, he’d follow me all the way to China, if I said I’d marry him in Pekin!” ”