LETTERS EAST AND WEST
Mr. Dalken and his party remained at the Grand Canyon two days
longer, and then started for Prescott, where they would stop at the
leading hotel until Mr. Belnord returned from Chicago with the
signed papers for the three investors.
So interested were the members of the Dalken party on the way from
Grand Canyon, that they arrived at Williams before they were aware
of it. Here they were to change for Ash Fork, and at that town they
would change again for the train which ran to Prescott.
As Mrs. Alexander and Algy sat in the seat together, they heard the
guard announce Williams. Algy heaved a heartfelt sigh, and then
said: “Shall I eveh forget this place? I felt I had been deserted by
my best and only friend!”
“You didn’t act as though you felt that way,” retorted his “best and
only friend.” “I came here for you, and you had motored with that
man to the ranch. That’s how you broke your heart over being here
alone.”
“Aw, don’t say that, Mrs. Alexandeh, because you do not know how the
fellaw coaxed me to go and keep him company,” explained Algy.
There was no time to say more at that time, since all had to hurry
to change cars. And Algy’s shallow mind soon forgot the complaint he
had to make in exoneration of his leaving Williams.
Mrs. Alexander maintained a dignified silence all the rest of the
train-ride to Prescott, because she felt that Algy must be trained
to realize that she was the one to order and plan. Algy,
never-the-less, seemed not to miss her conversation because he was
preoccupied in watching Jack and the girls.
The three days spent in sight-seeing around Prescott were enjoyable
ones, and the entire party also made trips to many points a distance
from the town. The roads were excellent, and the weather continued
as mild as though it were summer instead of December. One of the
auto trips made at that time was along the Cherry Creek road, thence
along the Rio Verde to Camp Verde.
From Camp Verde, Mr. Dalken had the chauffeurs drive them on to
Crown King, where he wished to inspect certain parcels of land
offered for sale. As the vicinity of Crown King had recently
developed rich mineral deposits, it behooved these careful investors
to examine the truth of such reports.
Mr. Belnord arrived in Prescott the evening of the third day of the
Dalken’s party visit there. The success of his trip to Chicago made
a gala night of his appearance with the recorded deeds, and the
elderly men of the party joined in the dancing with the younger
generation with such vim that they soon wilted.
During the next two days at the hotel, a budget of letters arrived
for the members of the touring party. These letters had been
forwarded from one place to another all along the line, and now, ten
days later, they were delivered to the right persons.
Polly received more personal letters than any one of her friends,
but then, it was remembered that Tom would be sure to mail her a
letter every day, even though it contained but the one oft-repeated
sentiment: “I love you. Will you marry me, Polly?” These easily
recognized letters were left to the very last, however, and Polly
eagerly read the communications from her friends in the East.
“Oh, girls, _girls_!” exclaimed she, having read half through one of
her New York letters. “Guess the news—it’s wonderful!”
“What—oh, what is it?” demanded several voices, their owners
looking expectantly at Polly.
“Why, Nancy Fabian is engaged to Raymond Ames—the chum Jack brought
aboard the yacht at Palm Beach, during our southern cruise, you
know!” exclaimed Polly, aware of the importance of her news.
“No! You don’t mean to tell me that Ray is such a ninny as to fall
in love with a girl!” was Jack’s disgusted comment.
“Of course not!” retorted Eleanor, quickly. “It’s poor Nancy who is
the goose. To think of such a brilliant, talented girl throwing
herself away upon a mere young man! Now, if this friend of Jack’s
had anything to recommend him other than his acquaintance with a
ne’er-do-well that we all know too well, but whom we will not
mention, it might be pardonable. But to see _Nancy_ choose Ray!”
“Umph!” snorted Jack, highly indignant at her tone. “I bet anything
you girls would just give your heads to have an offer of marriage
from such a good-looking chap. _I_ know some girls who would like to
catch _me_!”
“Oh, hark! The little vanity bag!” laughed Dodo.
The others joined in the laugh, as much at her comparison as at her
contagious laughter.
“Well, anyway, there is hope that Nancy may be saved from taking the
fatal step in matrimony,” mused Polly, glancing at the letter in her
hand. “She writes that there is no idea of her marrying in the near
future, but Ray and she decided to announce an engagement to stop
every one from asking them ‘when is it to be?’”
“I just want to see any one drive me to such extremes by asking
impertinent questions. I’d tell them mighty quick just where they
get off!” declared Dodo, tossing her head.
“Good reason why you’d like to see them ask you,” teased Jack.
This second hint from him brought down an avalanche of protests from
the three girls—as he knew it would. He dearly loved to tease them,
and nothing pleased him better than to have them all defending
themselves at one time.
“You certainly have a bad memory, Jack Baxter!” exclaimed Eleanor.
“I can remember, not many years ago, when you fell in love with
first one and then the other one of us girls. When you got the
mitten from Polly, you threatened to commit suicide. But you merely
took a trip to Pebbly Pit. Then you began again, and fell in love
with me. I soon showed you the exit, however! And you next tried the
game on Dodo. She felt sorry for you, and told you in a gentle
manner that she would prefer to be your sister. But, at that time,
she had no idea of what a wretched brother you’d make. 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!”
“Oh, you mean Tom Latimer,” returned Jack. “We all know _he_ doesn’t
mean what he says. He is so used to proposing now, that he does it
from force of habit. If you were to write and tell him you’d
consider his offer, he’d soon back down in some way.”
“Why!” gasped Polly, frowning at Jack. “I’d just like to shake you
till your teeth rattled.”
Jack roared. He hadn’t enjoyed himself so much in a long time. “My
teeth can’t rattle. Poll. They’re set in too firmly.”
“Oh, go along with you!” cried Dodo, jumping up and catching the
torment by the shoulders and wheeling him right-about-face and then
marching him from the room.
Jack found Dodo’s muscle too much for him, and he had to make a
graceful, though forced, exit. When he heard the key turn in the
lock of the door, he hurried to the desk and asked the clerk to
kindly ascertain why it was that that reception room door was
locked.
Naturally the clerk was amazed at such temerity in any one stopping
at the hotel, and he hastened to demand that the door be opened at
once! The three girls, believing Jack was knocking and demanding
entrance, refused to unlock the door. Consequently, the clerk went
for a pass-key and in a short time had the door wide open. When the
two sides—the girls and the clerk—faced each other, the truth came
out, and Jack was destined to have a trick played upon him to square
accounts with the girls.
Other letters from friends at Pebbly Pit and from New York were
received by the members of Mr. Dalken’s party, and then Mr. Dalken
sat down to reply to those which he had received from Mr. Ashby that
day. After telling him of the successful issue of his attempt to
secure the valuable mining land near the competing copper company’s
vast lands, he went on to speak of the strides the new corporation,
called “South American Interior Developing Company,” were making.
Then he spoke of his future plans.
“You see, Ashby, the terrific earthquake in Japan has made a visit
to the Orient out of the question at present. Now the question is:
Have your friends in New York thought of any place you might choose
for next summer’s vacationing, instead of Japan?
“Since we are all so far west, and will be in California after
Christmas and during the following three months, I am inclined to
take that President Harding trip to Alaska—that is, I think it
would be splendid to visit the same places he saw, and do Alaska
thoroughly, before we go outside of our own country.
“If the Fabians and you with your family started for San Francisco
in April, I will have completed all my business visits by that time,
and we could lease a small steamer or yacht, and sail leisurely
northward. We could stop whenever we pleased, as we did upon the
trip to the West Indies, and down the coast of South America. We
could follow the pathway now so well known, because our honored
President passed that way to Alaska, and we might go farther inland,
and northward, to look over the mining industries there. It ought to
give us many valuable points on the wisdom of selecting mining
equipment for our South American work.
“We would have at least three to four months in which to enjoy this
trip, but I will say that I see little hope of your finding any
goods whatever suitable for your Decorating Shops. This time it will
be a genuine rest for you—and you need it, old man!
“We can be back in San Francisco by the last week of August, and you
can devote a little time then to looking up the latest imports from
the Orient, in California. You may find enough rare bargains to make
it worth coming on such a long trip.
“I am writing the Fabians to-night, also, and you two families can
get together and talk things over, then write and let me know your
final decision. Remember, however, that we ought to start for Alaska
not later than May, if we hope to have a good visit there and get
back in San Francisco by the last of August.
“If you folks should decide to travel by the Canadian Pacific road
and meet us in Seattle, you must give us ample time in which to
change our plans to meet you there. It will matter little to me
whether it be San Francisco or Seattle, just as long as you give me
plenty of notice.
“The Colombian Development plan is going ahead splendidly, and
Fuzzier plans to take Alexander with him to visit the territory for
which he has options. They will sail from San Francisco as soon as
we arrive there, and expect to be in South America the greater part
of the next six months.”
Having concluded his letters to his friends in New York, Mr. Dalken
walked to the mail-box to post them. Here he met Polly about to mail
a letter she had just finished.
“Dalky, did you say anything about Tom Latimer going to South
America with Fuzzy and Dodo’s father?” asked Polly.
“No, I was not aware that Tom is expected to join us again,” replied
Mr. Dalken. “I thought his huff seemed to be permanent.”
“I am not aware of his intentions either,” admitted Polly, “but I
heard him telling my brother that he’d love to go with the men who
would visit Colombia to take up the options on that land.”
“Well, if that is so, I’ll write and invite him to come on and meet
us in Los Angeles, and then he can join Fuzzier and Alexander on
their trip,” remarked Mr. 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. But she did not mention the
possibility of his coming to join the two men who planned to go on
to South America—she left that to Dalky, because she had no desire
to be held responsible for Tom, after he should arrive in
California.
Eleanor had received a letter that day, too, but she had not
mentioned it to any one. It had been forwarded from New York, the
day after the tourists left that city for the west. Then it went to
Oak Creek, and there it was sent on to the Denver hotel. Again it
had been forwarded to Santa Fé, and then to Albuquerque. It reached
Gallup the same day Eleanor left there, but it was not forwarded to
Flagstaff for several days, and when it did arrive at the latter
place, Eleanor had just gone to Grand Canyon. Now it reached her
with its envelope covered with postmarks, and the original address
almost obliterated. But the girl flushed as she recognized Paul
Stewart’s scrawly writing.
Slipping the letter inside her blouse, she waited an opportunity to
get away where she might read it undisturbed by others. Now she had
this opportunity, and she made the most of it.
She hastily opened the sealed envelope and smiled as she found the
familiar scrawl that covered a double sheet of paper. As she read
how Paul had succeeded in his engineering work in the Rockies of
Southern Colorado, she felt proud of him and his fight against
poverty. He went on to say that all he needed now was the big
opportunity to prove what was in him. When that chance came, he was
ready to take it by the forelock, and as soon as he had made good
his claims, he would be making tracks in the direction of a certain
girl he knew—one who thought nothing of money, but a lot of a real
man! “Still,” wrote Paul, “I cannot ask that girl to have me unless
I have something more than brag to prove what I am capable of doing.
In case you hear our old friend Dalken mention any plans he may have
on the board where a wide-awake mining engineer is needed, I trust
you will not forget to recommend your devoted lover and soon-to-be
husband.”
Eleanor gasped at this daring signature, but she rather enjoyed such
a high-handed manner. Now she remembered that Mr. Fuzzier and Dodo’s
father were planning to go to South America as soon as they reached
California. And she lost no time in driving a wedge for Paul to
accompany them on this trip.
She opened the subject nearest her heart that evening, and began by
asking Mr. Dalken how many men might be allowed to go with the two
men.
“Why do you ask? Polly wants to get rid of one admirer, and I
suppose you have another one to get rid of, eh?” laughed he.
“Yes, that’s it!” retorted Eleanor. “But this one is a wonderful
engineer, and he has an exceptional position in South Colorado at
the present time. However, I might persuade him to give that up, if
we could show him any advantage in going to South America with our
friends.”
Mr. Dalken smiled. He was good at guessing, and he guessed Eleanor’s
secret. However, he understood her reluctance to admit any interest
in Paul Stewart, and he acted accordingly.
“If the young man you are thinking of is a first-rate _young_
engineer, there will be a splendid opening for him with us down
there. Fuzzy and Alexander and I were talking about it to-day. I
said I would like to get all the young engineers I had met through
my acquaintance with the Brewsters to go down there and make their
fortunes—as they will be able to do in such a project. Now you
might write this young man and have him write to me to reserve any
opening for him which may come up. If he could get to California and
meet us there before Fuzzier sails, he might prove to be a valuable
man to take down there.”
“Oh, Dalky! Thank you so much. Now I’ll have _you_ write to Paul and
tell him exactly what you told me. It will bear more weight, coming
from you, of course. And it will let me out of appearing
over-anxious to encourage him to make good, see my point.”
Mr. 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.
“I don’t know but that you are right, Nolla!” said Mr. Dalken.
“I _know_ I am, Dalky. Life is long, and love is fleeting, so it is
best to find a mate who is loyal and true in all circumstances,
don’t you think so?” said wise Eleanor.
“You’re a good judge, and if all girls were as thoughtful, before
they became engaged, there would be less marital troubles,” agreed
Mr. Dalken.