“No, no, Miss Florencita. I will take care of you. But you and Miss Jo and Miss Peggy must be very careful. Stay here at the house unless I am with you. Shall I tell Mr. Eldridge about this?”
“No—well, not yet, anyway.” Jo Ann put in hastily. She must get the information to the mystery man, and if she stayed a prisoner in this house all the time, she couldn’t get the chance. Mr. Eldridge might not even want her and the girls and Miss Prudence to go to the city, if he knew about this man’s threat.
“José, you haven’t gone after the mail yet, have you?” Florence asked.
José shook his head. “I am leaving soon.”
“Get a burro so this woman can ride home. She must be very tired. I’m sure Mr. Eldridge will not object.”
“Bien. I get the burro.” He gestured to the woman. “Come with me.”
“Wait just a minute, José,” spoke up Jo Ann. “I want to give her something for her children.”
She ran to her room and reappeared in a moment carrying a large box of caramels. She handed them to the woman, saying, “Here are some dulces for your children. We will come back next week for some more ollas. You will have some ready then?”
The woman nodded.
Both Maria and the girls felt relieved after the woman and José had gone without Miss Prudence’s seeing her.