“Well, dearies, here I am, ready to start, when you say the word,” began Mrs. Alexander, but she looked around quickly for signs of her promised suitors.
“All right, Mrs. Alex.,” replied Jack suavely, “we are all ready, too. Come, girls! The car is outside.”
Jack and Polly led the way, and in a short time all were in the automobile, and the chauffeur was given the word to start.
“But, wait! Where are the gentlemen?” cried Mrs. Alexander.
“Oh! they will not be with us on this short outing. We are going to drive to the Lowell Observatory this afternoon, and postpone the trip to Montezumas Castle for to-morrow. You see, such an outing will need the most of an entire day, if it is to be enjoyable,” explained Jack, nonchalantly.
“All the same, I don’t see why they couldn’t have come with us,” complained the lady, sulkily.
Eleanor and Dodo had not heard of the unexpected departure of the three men, and they were not in the surprise which Polly and Jack would have to spring upon them later. So they all drove to see the famous observatory where investigations of the planet Mars were made. Late that afternoon they returned to the hotel, Jack wondering how he should tell Mrs. Alexander that her beaux had fled.
Flagstaff, being a popular summer vacation place, was, at this time of year, quiet and settled for the winter’s rest. Consequently the tourists might be said to have taken possession of the hotel, since so few visitors stopped there during the cold season.
Upon arriving at the hotel Mrs. Alexander looked eagerly around for her husband and his two friends, and Jack seized this opportunity to inform the dismayed lady of the necessity of their hurried trip.
“Well! Any man that would consider a paltry strip of western land in preference to a lady isn’t worth wasting my time. Let Ebeneezer run them off, as I’m sure he did in order to annoy me, but I’ll find other company, just as good as those two old men!” threatened Mrs. Alexander, angrily.