“Yes, I heard him say about the same thing, but I thought he said it because he was a hypocrite, and to keep us from shooting his cattle,” Gasbang added.
“No matter what might be his motive, the sentiment is kind anyway,” Hancock, senior, said.
“Perhaps,” said the others, still unwilling to yield.
CHAPTER XXIII.—Home Again.
On the 25th day of May, of '74, Elvira and Mercedes found themselves again under the paternal roof of their California home, in the Alamar rancho. They could have arrived ten days sooner had they left New York on the first of the month, as was first intended. This they were not allowed to do, because when Mrs. L. Mechlin heard that Mercedes' birthday would be on the 5th of May, she immediately said she could not and would not think of allowing Mercedes to spend her eighteenth birthday in the cars. Consequently, invitations would be issued the following day (which was the 22d of April) for “A fête in celebration of Miss Alamar's birthday, on the 5th day of May.”
The invitations were issued thus early to prevent friends of Mrs. Mechlin's from going into the country for the summer, as many of them did every year, in May. All, however, accepted, and waited most graciously.
The season was already too far advanced, and the nights were getting too warm to enjoy dancing, so Mrs. Mechlin thought it would be better to have an excursion to West Point; to charter a river steamer, and thus pass the day on the water; to take breakfast on board on the way to the Point; visit the Post; see the cadets drill and review; and re-embark; take dinner on board, and then the young people dance on deck, as there would be a full band to give them music.
This was the programme—which though decided upon hurriedly, on their return from Baltimore, where they had been visiting—was carried out successfully. All their pleasure excursions had been equally delightful. They had visited Boston first, then they went to Philadelphia, intending to remain only three or four days, but when they were there, Mrs. Mechlin's relatives in Baltimore sent urgent invitations to visit them, so there was nothing else to do but accept. Thus the jaunt to Philadelphia was extended to Baltimore, and might have been prolonged, had not Elvira refused to be separated from George one day more. This young gentleman, on his part, seemed to have thought, too, that Elvira had been away long enough. For as the party were waiting for the train to move out of the depot who should come aboard but this same young gentleman, George Mechlin.
“The darling,” said Elvira, perfectly overjoyed at the sight of that beloved apparition, throwing her arms about his neck.
“Precious,” said he, clasping her to his heart.