Consider him your property while you remain my guest."
"You darling Don Miguel Farrel!"
"Exuberant, my dear," her curious mother remarked, dryly, "but, on the
whole, the point is well taken." She turned to Farrel. "How about some
sort of nag for mother?"
"You may ride my father's horse, if that animal is still on the ranch,
Mrs. Parker. He's a beautiful single-footer." He addressed Parker. "We
used to have a big gray gelding that you'd enjoy riding, sir. I'll look
him up for you after breakfast."
"Thank you, Mr. Farrel," Parker replied, flushing slightly, "I've been
riding him already."
"Fine! He needed exercising. I have a brown mare for Mr. Okada, and you
are all invited out to the corral after luncheon to see me bust
Panchito's wild young brother for my own use."
"Oh, splendid!" Kay cried, enthusiastically.
"The day starts more auspiciously than I had hoped," her mother declared.
"I really believe the Rancho Palomar is going to develop into a regular
place with you around, Mr. Farrel."
XI
"I am convinced," said Miguel Farrel, as he followed his guests out of
the dining-room onto the veranda, "that the Parkers' invasion of my
home is something in the nature of a mixed misfortune. I begin to feel
that my cloud has a silver lining."
"Of all the young men I have ever met, you can say the nicest things,"
Mrs. Parker declared. "I don't think you mean that last remark the
least bit, but still I'm silly enough to like to hear you say it.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121