John Parker and
his wife exchanged glances, then both looked at their daughter, seated
between them. She, too, was building castles in Spain!
When they alighted from the car before the hacienda, Mrs. Parker
lingered until the patio gate had closed on her daughter and Farrel;
then she drew her husband down beside her on the bench under the
catalpa tree.
"John, Miguel Farrel says he has you beaten."
"I hope so, dear," he replied feelingly. "I know of but one way out
for that young man, and if he has discovered it so readily I'd be a
poor sport indeed not to enjoy his victory."
"You never really meant to take his ranch away from him, did you, John?"
"I did, Kate. I do. If I win, my victory will prove to my entire
satisfaction that Don Miguel Jose Federico Noriaga Farrel is a
throwback to the _Manana_ family, and in that event, my dear, we will
not want him in ours. We ought to improve our blood-lines, not
deteriorate them."
"Yet you would have sold this valley to that creature Okada."
"Farrel has convinced me of my error there. I have been anti-Jap since
the day Farrel was thrown from his horse and almost killed--by a Jap."
"I'm sure Kay is in love with him, John."
"Propinquity," he grunted.
"Fiddlesticks! The man is perfectly charming."
"Perhaps. We'll decide that point later. Do you think Farrel is
interested in Kay?"
"I do not know, John," his better half declared hopelessly.
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