Several indolent guests, who plainly showed their plane of life, sat upon the rickety chairs on the narrow verandah which hung desperately to the front of the “Hotel.” The landlady, a great bulk of light yellow tint, came out to greet her new guests.
Polly glanced over the place in amazement, and Eleanor felt inclined to double up in laughter. She had to cover her mouth with her hand in order to choke back the wild shout of amusement that would demand a vent.
“Why, what do you call this place?” demanded Polly of the driver, frowning upon him in stern anger.
“Dis am de ho-tel you wants to come to,” replied he.
“I told you to drive us to the Spring Hotel, and this never is it!”
“No’m, you’se says foh me to drive you-all affer dat man what cotched hoi’ of dat hoss’s head. Well, dat hoss and man done runned away somewhere, so I jus’ brings you to the fust-class place I knows of,” explained the driver.
Eleanor now screamed with laughter at the funny experience, and was unable to help Polly in her cross-examination of the man.
“You get back in that seat and take us to the Spring Hotel, or I will hand you over to the police!” threatened Polly, but she could not help wondering if Kingston ever had a police force!
“Ef I has to take you-all another trip, it’s goin’ to cost more money,” bargained the fellow, not knowing the nature of the girl he thought he had at a disadvantage.
Polly leaned out from the door of the hack. “You get in that seat in double-quick time or you’ll find out where I came from! Did you ever hear of Colorado people who know how to shoot a fly from a swinging street lamp forty feet away? Well, that’s me!” Polly’s tone was that of a hangman’s, her expression similar to that of an Empress who is judging a criminal, her sudden wave of the hand that of a western hold-up man. The driver, never having had such a “fare” with which to deal, obeyed like a whipped puppy. He climbed back into his seat and drove away midst the jeers and hoots of the loafers on the hang-too verandah. Even the landlady of the house jeered at him.