"Why, I do! You don't suppose I'd ride 'way over there if I was bored, do you?" replied Kenneth, earnestly.
Eleanor laughed this time, but Polly felt he was in too serious a mood for laughter. So she said: "I'm glad you liked us. We'll tell mother you are coming again. That is one reason we drove to Oak Creek—to get the letter."
"I'm afraid it will be our only chance to see you-all again, as our crew moves from Brushy Creek to Silver Creek, and after that we go to Buffalo Park. The Boss says we will have about three weeks' work there, and then go across the desert to work along the Lincoln Highway, until we reach the other lines, completed last year by Carew's men.
"He doesn't know whether we shall be dismissed then, or sent on to tie up a few other little jobs before the summer ends. However, it looks as if Jim and I will be too far away to ride over for the day then. It will take us a day and night to cross the desert and over several mountain peaks to reach you."
Eleanor listened delightedly to this innocent youth, and as he concluded she squealed with amusement: "Oh, don't you love it!"
"Love what?" asked Kenneth, never having heard this extravagant expression so favored by city misses.
"Love you, of course!" retorted Eleanor, laughing.
Polly frowned at this admission, and Kenneth blushed, for he had never before been told so publicly that a pretty girl loved him! Eleanor doubled over laughing, and gasped: "Oh, you two adorable babes!"
Further conversation was made impossible now, by Barbara and Anne coming in. They immediately joined the three young people, and Anne asked: "Did you get the mail, Nolla?"
"No, we never thought of it. Ken has such an exciting telegram that we forgot everything else."