The Mystery in Arizona

started to giggle but quickly clapped her hand over her mouth. “Let’s never do anything to make her or Miss Mall mad. They might quit, and then we’d have those patients’ rooms to take care of.”
    This thought sobered them, and they quickly but quietly donned their attractive uniforms.
    “They probably belonged to Maria’s sisters-in-law,” Di whispered. “It’s lucky that they’re the type of costume that fits practically anybody and everybody. You two look simply darling.”
    “And you,” Honey said softly, “look ravishingly beautiful, as always. And now we’d better tiptoe over to the dining room and set the tables.”
    When this chore was done, they went on to the kitchen where Rosita and Maria were preparing breakfast. “For the help,” they said, smiling.
    “I’m glad that I’m help,” said Trixie, drenching a golden-brown waffle with butter and maple syrup.
    The boys, wearing their “bullfighter” costumes, arrived while the girls were still eating.
    “Wow!” Mart cried out. “Don’t you gals look purty! Except Trixie, of course. She always looks odd in feminine garments.”
    Trixie glared at him. “You and your blond crew cut look pretty odd in those garments, in case you’re interested. I trust,” she added sarcastically, “that you had a pleasant moonlight ride last night and that the foreman now dotes upon each and every one of you.”
    “Truer words were never spoken,” said Mart, helping himself to a waffle. “Once dear old Howie realized that we know a thing or two about horses and are experts when it comes to cleaning the tack, he took us to his bosom.”
    “That’s a slight exaggeration,” Jim said, his green eyes twinkling. “But I’m sure you gals can easily win him over to your side. You can’t blame him for being allergic to dudes who insist upon riding when they know nothing about it. There are morning classes for beginners, but apparently many of the guests refuse to take lessons, and yet think they should be included in the afternoon rides.”
    “I wish,” said Trixie dubiously, “that I thought we could win our d.g.’s over to our side as easily as you think we can win over Foreman Howie.”
    “Your what?” Mart yelled. “Elucidate, old thing.” The breakfast bell chimed while Trixie was explaining about the difficult guests.
    “Now you must hurry,” Maria advised the girls soberly. “If you have not finished those three rooms by eight fifteen, the guests will return to them and may keep you there indefinitely. That will ruin your whole morning schedule and may mean that, instead of riding in the afternoon, you will have to finish your work.”
    She handed each of them a dustcloth and a dry mop and shooed them out of the door.
    It was cold outside, and Trixie shivered, wailing, “But I don’t know where to go.” She stared longingly down at the corral and the stables which flanked it on one side.
    “Just follow me,” said Di, hurrying ahead of them along the path. “In order to avoid the crowd around the entrance to the dining room, we’ll enter the house from the east patio. Our special guests have rooms on the south side of the living room.”
    Trixie brightened. “In that case they must live in cells as small as ours, because the south wall of the living room is practically all picture window.”
    Di nodded. “It shouldn’t take us ten minutes to make the beds and tidy those rooms. My own idea is to be gone before Mr. X. Wellington comes back. And I know Honey has no desire to meet Mrs. Astor-bilt Sherman if she can avoid it.”
    Trixie snorted. “If you think I’m dying to meet Calamity Jane, you’ve got another think coming.” As they hurried into the living room, they could see through the glass door to the west patio where the guests waited for admittance to the dining room.
    “They remind me of a herd of buffaloes,” said Trixie. “Almost anything could stampede them. I hope they do stampede and trample the boys underfoot.”
    Honey went off into gales of laughter. “Not that you’ve ever seen a herd of buffaloes or a stampede, but I agree with you about the boys. They’re certainly getting by with murder. We were dopes to let them do nothing but wait on the tables. I almost wish that Maria would quit. Then the boys would have to cook.”
    “That’s a thought,” said Trixie. “Let’s encourage Maria to join her in-laws. Nothing would make me happier than for the boys to spend the whole livelong day hovering