Nan Sherwood on the Mexican Border Part 18

"Here, here," Adair MacKenzie broke the spell. "Don't go preaching that manana business to these girls. They are lazy enough as it is. Look at them now, will you?"

In truth, the girls did all look comfortable and lazy, entirely at peace with themselves and the world and not at all like the busy energetic beings that they were at school.

"The world doesn't seem real, does it?" Nan looked at Bess as she made this observation.

"No," Bess answered. "Not real at all. This, I believe, is the most romantic spot we have ever been in."

"Yes," Nan agreed idly, and for some reason or other her thoughts drifted back towards home and school and then to Walter, Grace's brother.

"I've been meaning to tell you," Grace broke in on her train of thought as though she knew what had been going on in Nan's mind. "Mother said in that letter I got at Wells Fargo's this morning that she had consented to let Walter go on a motor trip through the West and Mexico with his Spanish teacher."

"Yes." Nan's voice betrayed her interest, and she was conscious as she spoke that all the girls were suddenly more alert. The piece of news was one they were interested in too.

"It seems," Grace went on, pleased that she had the attention of everyone, "that every year he takes a group down through this district so that they can hear Spanish spoken by the people whose tongue it is.

Walter likes Spanish and so he's going along with them."

"When will he be here," Bess asked the question which she knew Nan wanted to ask but wouldn't in face of the interest that everyone was showing in the matter.

"Oh, mother wasn't sure," Grace answered. "It all depends on so many things. They'll be gone the whole summer and will linger at the places the boys seem to like the best. It seems that the teacher leaves the itinerary almost entirely up to them."

"Sounds like fun." Nan tried to be casual and general as she spoke, but she didn't altogether succeed.

"What's all this about?" Adair MacKenzie had caught the drift of the conversation. "Who is this Walter anyway?"

"He is Grace's brother," Nan answered.

"Yes?" Adair was not to be put off so easily.

"And he went with us to Rose Ranch a few summers ago and met us in London with Grace's mother and dad last year." Nan thought it would be better for her to answer the questions.

"Hm-m-m. Think I understand." Adair appeared to be devoting much thought to this "understanding" business for he said nothing further for a while. Finally, as though he suddenly remembered what they had been talking about, he returned to the subject.

"Why can't the young hoodlums--I have no doubt but what they are young hoodlums, all boys are--stop at the hacienda with us for a few days?" he asked.

Grace's face beamed at this. "Why, how nice!" she exclaimed, "but just think, there will be five of them at least."

"What of it?" Adair dismissed this as an objection. "Got lots of room.

We'll make a party of it when they come and serve them a real Mexican meal." Adair seemed to have forgotten entirely that he personally despised Mexican cooking. "Hot tamales, tortillas, everything." He waved his hand grandly as though the whole world would be at the disposal of the boys for the asking.

"Like boys anyway," Adair went on. "Girls are a nuisance. Always fainting. Oh, it doesn't matter," he glossed over this last part of conversation as he saw the blood mounting to Grace's cheeks. "Just like to have boys around." He ended rather weakly. "Now, let's see. It's getting pretty dark, better move on." He motioned to Walker who obediently took the paddle in hand and began the leisurely journey back.

CHAPTER XX

GOOD-BY TO MEXICO CITY

"Oh, yesterday was a grand day!" Nan stretched her arms wide and high as she sat up in her bed the next morning.

"Yes, wasn't it?" Bess rolled over in her bed and looked at Nan. "It was just full of surprises. I don't know what I liked the best."

"I do," Nan said promptly.

"What?"

"Oh, Cousin Adair. I think he's a darling."

"He'd probably roar a mighty roar if he heard you say that," Bess laughed at the prospect, "but you know, I quite agree with you, even if it isn't my friend that he has invited to stop at the hacienda."

"But Walter's a friend to all of us," Nan protested.

"Yes, yes, of course," Bess agreed. "He's a friend to all of us and a particular friend to you."

"Bessie, if this big pillow wasn't so soft," Nan looked at the pillow she was holding in her hand speculatively, "I'd heave it over at you so fast that you wouldn't know what had struck you."

"That's all right, Nancy," Bess laughed. "I understand. You don't like to be teased."

"Wasn't it fun last night?" Nan changed the subject completely.

"What was fun?" Bess could remember so many nice things that she really didn't know which one Nan was talking about.

"Dinner on the bank of the ca.n.a.l at Xochimilco," Nan answered promptly.

"I'll never forget it. The lights. The flowers. The music. Who would ever think to look at him and hear him talk that Cousin Adair would be romantic enough to think up anything like that?"

"I know it." Bess idly watched an insect that was buzzing around the room. "I was much surprised. Then I began to wonder if it wasn't Walker Jamieson's idea after all. You know he has a clever way of suggesting things to your cousin, so that when your cousin decides what to do it appears as though he thought up the idea originally."

"Why, Bess." Nan appeared to be horrified at the thought.

"Oh, you know it's so." Bess looked over at Nan. "It's lots of fun to watch him do it. Do you know, sometimes I think that he's almost clever enough to make Mr. MacKenzie think that the idea of his marrying Alice was his, Mr. MacKenzie's I mean, originally. Do you suppose?"

"Bess, if you don't stop speculating about that, I don't know what I'm going to do to you." Nan laughed. "You know you might spoil everything by talking about it," she ended seriously. "For all you know the idea has never once entered Walker Jamieson's head."

Bess hooted at this. "Don't you ever think that," she said finally, "because it isn't true and you know it isn't."

"Say, what are you two people doing in bed at this hour?" Laura stuck her head in the doorway and inquired. "Don't you know that it's long past time to get up."

"Oh, bed's so nice," Nan answered, "I just hate to get up."

"Well, all I can say is," Laura finished before she closed the door, "the temperature downstairs is slightly chilly, and if you know what's good for you, you'll be out of there in a jiffy."

"Right-o." Nan jumped up at this bit of information. "Hi! Laura," she called after her friend, "come back here a minute. Was there any mail this morning," she asked as Laura's red head reappeared.

"Nothing for us," Laura answered, "but your cousin got something that made him blow up. That's why I'm telling you to hurry. I gather from certain orders I overheard him giving the chauffeur that he wants to start immediately, if not sooner, for the hacienda."

"Really?" Bess asked, as she too jumped out of bed. "You mean we are going to leave Mexico City today."