“For all my war paint, I’m really quite harmless. I’ve had enough excitement for one day.” Jo Ann sipped the cooling drink. “My, this tastes good! Driving that iron into the wall was harder work than I expected. I can easily understand why these houses are so old. Nothing short of an earthquake or a bomb could destroy them.”
“Here, I’ll take the glass if you’ve finished,” said Florence, placing it on the tray. “I’ll send Felipe down to the drugstore with these things, and that’ll give you a chance to slip to your room and get a bath and change your clothes. We’d better not let anyone see you like this.”
“Poor Florence!” laughed Jo Ann as Florence carried the tray to the door and gave it to Felipe. “Doesn’t she have a time trying to keep me from disgracing the family?”
“You are a problem sometimes,” agreed Peggy. “Especially when you get your head set on a thing. You seem to forget everything else then.”
“I heard what you said just now,” interrupted Florence coming over and putting her arm around Jo Ann as they started for their room. “I know you sometimes think I’m fussy, but there’re some queer customs here that we must recognize. You know the old saying: ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do.’”
Having reached their room, Peggy and Florence hastened to bring Jo Ann the necessary toilet articles for removing all traces of her escapade.
“Here, Jo, you’d better use this cleansing cream first,” said Peggy. “You’ll never get all that grime off without it. Wait, I’ll help you,” she added, rubbing some of the cream on her neck.
“Ouch! Be careful! You’re rubbing the skin off,” cried Jo Ann, dodging.
“Why, I’m not! I’m being just as careful as can be. You’re sunburned, that’s the trouble—you’re red as a beet.”
“You’re blistered!” added Florence. “Just look at your arms and face now that we’ve got some of the dirt off! I was afraid of that when you had to stay up there so long. You don’t know the penetrating qualities of a tropical sun.”