“You’s lucky, sir, you is,” laughed the darky and he piloted them out into the street.
They walked about a half a block away from the confusion of the station and then Mrs. Merrill said, “Now look, girls!” And the girls looked away from the burned roof of the pretty station and out toward the city. And there they saw the summerland they had hoped for!—palm trees and flowers growing in the parkways, summer dresses on the passersby and a warmth and glow in the air.
“Oh, Mother!” exclaimed Alice happily, “it’s true, isn’t it? Summer is here—and please may we take off our coats?”
“Not so fast,” replied Mrs. Merrill, “you’ll find them none too warm when you’re riding.” And sure enough, when they got into the taxi Mr. Merrill signaled and started swiftly up the street, they weren’t a bit too warm.
All too soon their hotel was reached, the girls would have liked to ride all day.
“Never you mind,” said Mr. Merrill consolingly, “you shall ride again in about a half an hour. But come in first and leave your bags, and me.”
“Leave you, Dadah?” asked Mary Jane, “you’re not going away from here, are you?”
“I’m not, but you will be,” said Mr. Merrill. “I mean that my business begins here this morning and that you and mother will have to get around by yourselves while I work. But mother knows the way about just as well as I do and she’ll see that you poke into every corner you want to see.”
When the girls went around to the front of the hotel and saw the beautiful park of palms and flowers that filled a whole block, they were not anxious to leave it.
“Let’s not ride,” suggested Mary Jane, “let’s stay and play under those trees.”