"Oh!" gasped the girl. Then to herself: "Why should I think it queer? Cousin Ben put himself through college by waiting on the students at table and we thought he had a lot of pep to do it." "You go on up and holler to the guy that we're coming but don't you open the door till I get there. He might paste you one." Polly complied. She sprang up the stairs with a freedom of motion that won O'Grady's silent admiration. "Some action!" he commented. "Takes them stairs as easy as a pussy-cat goes up a tree. Some girl that! Old Scotty's jealous of the greaser--do him good--he's gettin' to be a regular old settin' hen. Hope she shakes him up a bit." "Senor Pachuca!" called Polly at the top of the stairs. "We've brought you some supper. May we come in?" "Gracias, senorita, but that rests with you," was the response. "I'm going to open it. He won't do anything," said Polly, decidedly. The room was dimly lighted. In the open window sat Pachuca--outside lay the open country, moonlit and lovely, the grim coloring of the day now touched with silvery softness. Pachuca leaped to his feet and relieved the girl of the tray which he placed on the desk. "I am obliged," he said, with a touch of a sneer. "The services of a major domo and a beautiful waitress are more than I expected." "If you ask me, I'd say it was more than you deserve," replied Matt, tersely. "I'm going out to sit on the stairs. If the lady wants to stop and visit with you she can, but don't you try no monkey tricks because they won't go down. I'm heeled." Pachuca shrugged his shapely shoulders, seated himself and began to eat. "I am hungry," he admitted. "I have had what you call a hard day's work." "I wish," said the girl, severely, "that you'd tell me why you do such things? You're a gentleman--not a bandit." "Of course I'm not a bandit." Pachuca's composure appeared to be deserting him. "You do not seem to understand--you Americans--that Mexico is our country and that we must deal with its political situations independently of you and your affairs." "Oh," innocently, "I didn't know that political situations demanded blankets and victrola records." "You must make allowances for my people. They are poor and ignorant." "It isn't the people we complain about. They only do what you tell them to. Why should you come and tell them to stop working for us?" "In your country it is only the walking delegate who does that?" grinned Pachuca. "That's different. This wasn't a strike. These men didn't want to stop work." "My dear girl, you seem to have lost sight of the fact that a revolution is taking place. It is their duty to stop working and to fight." "It always seems to be their duty to fight and they never get anything out of it!" "They do get something out of it. They got their land when they overthrew Diaz. With Carranza, they got a new constitution. With Obregon, they will get peace and a good government." "Then you are for Obregon?"