“That’s what all you darn’ flappers think,” said John, whom enforced idleness had made rather fussy. “But how’d you like Ma Earp?” “Oh, she’s a duck. She’s about eighty, and she was here when there were Indians and outlaws and everything. She sits up there on the big ranch, Jacky, and bosses them all--all the Earps and the Yanceys and everybody. She’s the prettiest old thing with silver hair, and her eyes are just as black and snappy. You should have seen her look me over when that darn’ fool of a Sam Earp and Bud took me in to her.” “Why darn’ fool?” lazily questioned her brother. “Go and chase up Chi-sui, will you, Lainy? I want him to find my pipe.” “It’s right on the couch beside you, dumbbell,” answered Elaine with sisterly candor. “Why, he said, ‘Ma, you-all claimed there wasn’t no such animal like you-all been readin’ about. Me and Bud, here, caught us one down in Wirton and tamed it a lot so we could bring it up here for you-all to look at.’” “Yeah? What did she say?” “Well, first she said to them: ‘You young scoundrels, go on away from here right now, you hear me?’ And honest and truly, they both did.” John laughed. “Then what, Lainy?” “Why,” Elaine admitted, “she told me to sit down, and she asked me a lot of questions, and--” “Hard ones?” grinned her brother. “Some of them,” Elaine confessed. “And then she told me to open my compact and show her how I used the rouge and the powder, and she asked me what I did it for--being a right pretty girl. And when I told her all girls did, she--she just snorted; that’s the best way I can describe it.” “I’ll bet she did,” said John, delighted. “Well, anyway, she did--and then we talked some more, and when I was going she called me over and kissed me, and said: ‘Sugar, you’re a right good girl and a smart one; you can’t fool me a-tall.’ And she went on to say,” continued Elaine, with a boyish grin, “that she’d heard a lot about that poor fish of a brother of mine that was shining up to Betty Yancey, and from all she had heard he was--what was it she said? Oh, yes, that you were a no-’count scoundrel of a flyer, and--” “Go on, now you’re romancing. Go and make me a glass of iced tea, will you, Lainy? Spike it heavy with corn licker.” “I’ll make the tea and spike it light, if at all. Corn licker and flying don’t go together, me lad.” “Aw, have a heart,” complained John to a very pretty back disappearing in the direction of the kitchen. * * * * * Elaine stopped her car on the comb of a hill and stood up. “Bud,” she said solemnly, “I think that’s the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been in Switzerland and--Bud Yancey, are you listening to me?” “No,” answered Bud, from his seat beside her in the roadster, “I’m watchin’ something.” “What?” demanded Elaine, sitting down again and turning so that she could see in the direction Bud was looking. “Where? Show me, Bud.”