“Such pretty young girls,” Nan remarked as the car stopped at a crossroad to let a half dozen Mexicans cross the street.
“Aren’t they though?” Bess agreed. “One of them looked just like Juanita. Remember?”
Of course Nan remembered the girl that had been involved in the hidden treasure plot that was recounted in the story “Nan Sherwood at Rose Ranch.” The thought of her now brought Rhoda back to mind and her mother, and with it a return of the anxiety they had felt at not having heard recently from their friend.
CHAPTER XII
LINDA RIGGS TURNS UP
Adair MacKenzie was quick to note the change in their mood. “Wells Fargo and Co., Madero 14.” He gave instructions to the chauffeur, and then turned to Nan. “It’s the American Express of this country,” he explained in a tone that indicated that they had no right to call it other than the “American Express”. “We’ll pick up mail there. You see.”
“What have you done to the old man?” Walker Jamieson questioned as he helped Nan out of the car a few minutes later. “Why, Alice,” he continued, assisting her too, “he’s practically putty in her hands.”
“I know,” Alice smiled as she took Nan’s arm and walked along beside her. “It is amazing and I’m almost jealous. I thought that I was the only one in the world that could manage him.” She looked fondly in the direction of Adair MacKenzie who had already passed through the door and was at the counter inside demanding his mail.
“See, what did I tell you?” He asked triumphantly when they all entered together. “There’s a whole bunch of mail here. See.” He held up a truly large package of letters, letters from home for each of the girls. As they all crowded around him, he teased them by delaying the process of handing them out.