ALBUQUERQUE FESTIVITIES
Upon arriving at the hotel in Albuquerque, Jack was given a letter
written by Mr. Dalken that same morning. In it he explained that Mr.
Alexander, Mr. Fuzzier and he had to go on to Gallup in order to
confer with several other gentlemen who would be in that place for a
few days. Jack was told to conduct his friends to such points of
interest as they might wish to see, and to come on to Gallup not
later than three days from date.
“Hurrah!” shouted Jack, waving the paper at the girls, as they
waited for him in one of the beautiful alcoves of the hotel, “We
have _carte blanche_ to do whatever we please for the next three
days. Dalky has to be in Gallup, where we will meet him when we
leave here.”
“Oh!” returned Polly, regretfully, “I was sure we would have him
with us on our tours in Albuquerque.”
“What’s the matter with me—any complaints about my manner of
playing host?” demanded Jack.
“No, but that’s just it, Jacky,” laughed Eleanor. “You only _play_
host, while Dalky is the real thing.”
“Humph!” snorted Jack, then he turned away to Dodo. “I see you
disagree with the others—and it’s just as well that you do, or I
would resign, and take up my valet duties again.”
The girls smiled, but Algy had not heard of Jack’s engagement as a
valet, so he was horrified at what he just heard.
“Valet! Valet! Wh-y,—I was told by Mrs. Alexander that you were
quite my equal in society. She never mentioned the fact that you had
been a common servant,” gasped Algy, horrified at the disclosure.
“Oh! didn’t you,” was Jack’s delighted reply. “Perhaps Mrs. Alex.
never knew it herself, or I’m sure she never would have associated
with me so intimately.” Then Jack sighed heavily and added, to the
girls’ intense amusement, “I have had a hard life of it—till Mr.
Dalken took an interest in my future career and offered me the
position of valet to himself. You can imagine how I jumped at such a
chance—having been a waif thrown upon the mercies of a cold world
all those years!”
“You don’t say!” was all Algy could whisper in his distress at
hearing such astounding revelations from a young man whom he had
fondly believed to be a millionaire. What a shock to his sensitive
self!
“You will pawdon me, I’m suah, Mr. Baxter, but I—ah—feel that I
must attend to an urgent errand,” stammered the troubled youth.
“Certainly! Certainly!” agreed Jack, grinning broadly as Algy
hurriedly left the group to seek out Mrs. Alexander.
“Oh! That’s the best joke yet!” laughed Eleanor.
“The little snob!” muttered Dodo, angrily. “Now he’ll act so
superior to Jack that life will be made wretched.”
“It will be the best fun I ever had, Dodo, and I don’t want you to
spoil it by telling the child the truth about me,” said Jack.
“We’ll have to warn Dalky and Mrs. Courtney then, or they’ll wonder
what’s wrong with A. A. A.,” added Polly.
“You tell Mrs. Courtney, and I’ll put Dalky and Dodo’s father on,”
laughed Jack, gleefully.
Before the plotters had had time to plan for their next diversion,
the hotel porter came over to Jack and asked politely: “I am holding
a number of trunks for your party, sir, and I shall be glad to
deliver them to the rooms you direct me to.”
“Trunks! Why, we brought our light luggage with us,” exclaimed Jack,
astonished.
“These were forwarded from the Spring Hotel at Colorado Springs, and
they are plainly directed to Mrs. Alexander, care Dalken Party,
Alvarado Hotel, Albuquerque,” explained the porter.
“Goodness me! They are _mother’s_ trunks!” cried Dodo, with intense
annoyance. “I warned her not to send her trunks, because we would
have no need for elaborate clothes. She promised me she would have
the hotel management store them for her till further notice. Now
what does she mean?”
It was soon explained, because Mrs. Alexander now joined the
surprised circle of young friends and used her loftiest manner in
addressing the porter and Jack.
“Young man (to Jack), show the porter to my room, and help him
unstrap the trunks.” She held forth the key to her room as she
spoke.
Dodo was about to exclaim, but Jack sent her a look, and the other
two girls nudged her quickly to keep her quiet. Jack took the
proffered key, and nodded to the staring porter to follow him.
“I got ’em on the freight elevator, sir. We got to go up that way,”
announced the porter, apologetically.
“Quite right, porter,” retorted Mrs. Alexander. “All servants should
be made to use other elevators than those their masters use.”
“Mother!” exclaimed Dodo, frowning at such airs, but Jack bowed
humbly and followed the porter.
“Don’t you ever look at me, or speak to me in such a shocked manner
again, Dorothy, when I am addressing servants. If there is any
reason left in this world of silly democracy since the War, I’m
going to find it, and I shall act as though I understood the rights
of Class. If you prefer to follow with the rabble along with your
father, do so.”
Dodo turned away in anger, but she did not reply as usual to her
mother’s irritating remarks. Then Mrs. Alexander hurried away also,
leaving Polly and Eleanor alone to discuss the peculiar situation.
When Jack got back to the hotel lobby no one he knew was to be seen,
and he rightly decided that all had gone to their rooms. Then he
strolled over to the desk and began to chat with the clerk. When he
left him again, the clerk was seen to be smiling appreciatively at a
joke.
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.
The five remaining members of the outing party enjoyed the day as
much as though Algy and Mrs. Alexander had been with them, and it
must be confessed that the ride was far more enjoyable with but five
in the car, which made it possible for Jack to be with his friends,
instead of sitting outside beside the driver.
Isleta and the Ruins were visited that day, but Laguna and Acoma
were left for the following day. This change of plan was agreed upon
after Jack was told by the chauffeur of the mid-week dance to be
given at the hotel that night. Immediately, the young folks voted to
go back in time to rest and be ready for the hop.
Dinner was speedily disposed of, and then the girls hurried to their
rooms to dress in the simple evening frocks which they had packed in
their light luggage. Polly and Eleanor were soon ready, and then
they ran to Dodo’s room to help her if necessary. A few minutes
after they were comfortably seated and watching Dodo slip her feet
into silver brocade slippers, a sharp rap sounded upon the door.
“That’s Ma’s knock,” whispered Dodo, going to unlock the door. She
was right. Mrs. Alexander entered the room with a gorgeous frock
over her arm.
“I brought your dress for this evening, Dodo,” she said, dropping it
upon the bed. Then she sneered at the simple gown her daughter wore.
“You don’t mean to say that you’d be seen in this exclusive hotel in
that rag!”
Polly and Eleanor wore similar unpretentious dresses and they
wondered what Mrs. Alexander would think of their costumes! Dodo was
not to be so easily influenced as once she had been long ago, while
on that European tour. She had developed a great deal of
independence since that time, and she had scant patience with her
mother’s whims.
“This is not a personal affair, Ma, nor is it expected that
transient guests dress like all-possessed. You’d look a hundred per
cent more exclusive, and appear in better taste, if you’d remove
that imported Paris gown and all your diamonds, and wear a simpler
rig,” advised Dodo, her expression plainly condemning her mother’s
tendency to display her finery.
“When one has jewels and clothes like mine, it is foolish to keep
them in the trunks. How is the world to know we have these things,
unless we show them?” demanded Mrs. Alexander, angrily.
“There are places where it is correct to wear them, and there are
people who know enough to keep them for proper occasions; but you’ll
find such society members do not consider this sort of an impromptu
hop the place to show off personal effects.”
“Humph! I suppose you are throwing Mrs. Courtney up to me, by
speaking of society persons who know how to dress! Well, I will say
this much: I wouldn’t _think_ of traveling in such a dowdy
tailormade suit as she wears on this trip. Not a speck of trimming
on it, and no panels or drape to conform to the very latest fashion.
Her ball-gown most likely will be similar to her convent-like taste
in dressing,” declared Mrs. Alexander.
Eleanor flared up in defence of her friend’s perfect judgment in
dressing. “If you knew the price of that exclusive tailormade suit
imported direct from London a few weeks ago, and showing next
season’s advanced styles, you’d change your mind, Mrs. Alex.”
But Mrs. Alex. had no opportunity to change her mind at that moment,
since a knock sounded upon the door, and Dodo opened it to admit the
lady just being discussed. The moment the girls saw Mrs. Courtney,
they felt secretly delighted. She wore a handsome though strictly
suitable black velvet gown relieved only by a long string of
beautiful pearls about her neck. In contrast to the flashily gowned
Mrs. Alexander, there could be no doubt as to the good taste of the
one dressed in simple black.
Mrs. Alexander must have felt the silent rebuke of the other lady’s
quiet appearance, for she tossed her extravagantly coiffured head
and marched to the half-open door. There she turned and said: “I
expect you to wear that dress I brought in, Dodo,” then she was
gone.
“Ma may expect it of me, but she is doomed to disappointment, this
time,” remarked Dodo, giving the dress a disgusted look.
“If you are ready, girls, we may as well go down to the dance,”
suggested Mrs. Courtney, wondering what had caused the suppressed
anger so plainly manifested on the faces of the three girls.
“Yes,” cried Eleanor, jumping up quickly; “let’s get out of here
before we explode.”
Grasping Dodo by the hand, she dragged her towards the door. Polly,
laughing, followed with Mrs. Courtney. They descended and upon
arriving at the ball-room where the mid-week hop was held, they
found Jack waiting for them.
“The poor valet has to ask some fair lady to befriend him, because
A. A. A. and his patroness just sailed past me without a glance.
Even a lapdog may be given a kindly look or a bonbon,” complained
Jack.
“You do not seem to be downcast over your treatment,” giggled Dodo.
“But come along—I’ll take you under my wing and introduce you to
the Honorable Algy and my Ma.”
“Better not! Ma may send you to bed,” warned Eleanor. “Or more
dreadful still, Algy may never be seen in your company again, if you
persist in associating with a mere valet.”
“S-s-h! Girls, remember Mrs. Alexander is Dodo’s mother, and as such
she is entitled to your respect,” was Mrs. Courtney’s rebuke.
There were many dancers on the floor when Polly and her friends were
ready to join them, and the sight of pretty gowns and still prettier
faces presented a festive scene. Since there was but one man in
their party, the girls urged Jack to take Dodo for the first
dance—in spite of Mrs. Courtney’s shake of the head. And off Dodo
and Jack danced.
At first glance nothing was seen of Mrs. Alexander and Algy; soon,
however, they were seen whirling swiftly around in the dance,
drawing nearer and nearer to Dodo and the despised “valet”—both of
whom danced slowly and gracefully. The other two girls and their
chaperon watched the two couples eagerly.
Algy seemed to think that speed in dancing proved he was a past
master in the art, so he, metaphorically speaking, “stepped on the
gas” at every other round, gathering momentum as he whirled.
Naturally his partner had to keep step with him or give up the race.
But Mrs. Alexander was not the woman to give up a dancing partner,
even though that partner flew around like a mad kitten after a ball
of wool.
As might have been foreseen by the watchers of this comedy, Algy and
his partner, in blindly wheeling fast and furiously, collided with
Dodo and Jack, who were chatting and enjoying the rhythm of the
music and the motion of the sliding steps.
Jack seemed slender in black evening clothes, but he was a splendid
athlete, and his body was hard as nails. Thus, when the soft pulpy
form of Mrs. Alexander struck him back to back, it was not Jack who
grunted and fell over.
Algy, being a “fragile darling,” and never prepared for emergencies,
was lifted from his feet when Mrs. Alexander began to slip and
gyrate, while endeavoring to balance in an upright position. The
grip the lady maintained upon the only tangible thing at hand made
Algy hop-skip-and-jump about like a Jack-on-a-stick. But all this
performing took only a few moments to accomplish, then came the
end—upon the floor.
For such a little fellow Algy needed more room in sprawling than
three big men could have covered. Consequently he managed to trip
several other couples who could not avoid dancing close to the
danger zone, and they, too, began to slip and slide about
grotesquely before they subsided upon the floor.
Polly and Eleanor, try as they would, could not help laughing at the
amusing scene; and others in every direction joined in the general
laugh. The music now came to an abrupt end, leaving the embarrassed
group of unfortunates the center of attraction.
Mrs. Alexander, much too stout for her elaborate gown, had paid the
room-maid handsomely to strap her into her harness. Then she found
it possible to work herself into the tight-fitting costume. She had
had difficulty in breathing, however, and soon after Algy began to
whirl her giddily around the floor, she wished with all her heart
that she had had courage to refuse to dance. But she had heard that
dancing made people slender and sylphlike, so she had succumbed to
the temptation.
After turning about like a whirligig, Mrs. Alexander had appreciated
why dancing made one thin—she was perspiring freely and had no
opportunity in which to dry her streaming face. Her breath had
become shorter and shorter, and her head seemed to swim. At the last
she felt that she must drop or die, but instead, had come the
collision.
Now she doubled up on the smooth floor, gasping madly for a bit of
air. The more she struggled to gain a foothold on the waxed wood,
the more she slid and gasped. Finally a desperately deep breath
broke the bonds which held her lungs and heart as in a vise, and
instantly there sounded the r-r-r-ip of a tight seam.
“Ah!” sighed the wearer of the armor, as she released her pent-up
lungs and thought she would fly from sheer lightness. Then she
recollected where she was. This reminded her that she must divert
the laughter from herself to others, so she instantly pretended to
faint—to rouse sympathy in place of ridicule. And she was an adept
at fainting.
“Oh, I say! Mah deah Mrs. Alex.! Do try to sit up,” cried Algy,
plaintively, when he saw her head roll back and her eyes close.
But his partner seemingly was dead to his supplications. He managed
to stand up, and then he gazed helplessly around for some one to
come and advise him what to do. His eyes, in their roving, found the
despised valet watching him with ill-concealed amusement.
“Oh, I say theah! Come heah, and lift this lady from the floah.” But
Jack turned and gave his attention to the girls. Mrs. Courtney
seemed to be urging them to do something against which they
rebelled.
Algy felt angry at a common valet’s treatment of him, and now he
cried aloud shrilly: “I say! Mr. Dalken’s valet—you, Baxtah! Come
heah directly, and lift this lady to a chaih!”
Several men sprang over at the call, believing the poor woman to be
injured; and finally Dodo had to go with Mrs. Courtney to see that
her mother was not hurt. Dodo had declared the truth—that she knew
her mother too well to fear that anything worse than chagrin could
be the matter with her.
Even while Mrs. Alexander was planning what to do, should they try
to carry her to an alcove to revive, an unexpected turn was given
events, by the presence of a physician. He kneeled upon the floor
beside the prostrate woman and took her wrist between his practised
fingers. As he counted the strong, regular beats, he began to smile.
Evidently the doctor had no patience with women who played upon the
sympathy of their friends. He must have seen other cases similar to
Mrs. Alexander’s, because he applied a drastic remedy.
“Here, gentlemen—lend me a pocket-knife, will you? I must slash
this gown up and down to give the patient plenty of room to breathe.
And you, my good woman, remove her jeweled dog-collar so her neck
muscles can act. Hold it till she revives—it’s only paste, I
suppose.”
The very idea of slashing that wonderful gown was bad enough to
bring consciousness back to a dying woman, but add to that the awful
fact that a ten-thousand-dollar collar would be handled as though
the stones were paste, was too much! Suddenly Mrs. Alexander sat up!
She forgot to regain consciousness slowly and gracefully, but she
remembered the heartless doctor’s words—only paste!
“Don’t you dare ruin my gown!” cried she, catching hold of the hand
that would devastate a Parisian model. “As for my diamonds being
paste! Well, I can show you the insurance on them. Paste, indeed!”
With this retort, Mrs. Alexander managed to stand on her feet,
though it was not done without awkwardness.
“There!” muttered Dodo, flushing scarlet, “Didn’t I tell you so?”
And the poor girl turned away quickly and hurried from the room.
Mrs. Courtney followed immediately, beckoning Polly and Eleanor to
come, too.