to tell about my arrival. Well, to begin with,
I was late getting here [Margaret had decided to leave out the
incident of the desert altogether, for she knew by experience that
her mother would suffer terrors all during her absence if she once
heard of that wild adventure], which accounts for the lateness of
the telegram I sent you. I hope its delay didn't make you worry
any.

A very nice young man named Mr. Gardley piloted me to Mrs. Tanner's
house and looked after my trunks for me. He is from the East. It
was fortunate for me that he happened along, for he was most kind
and gentlemanly and helpful. Tell Jane not to worry lest I'll fall
in love with him; he doesn't live here. He belongs to a ranch or
camp or something twenty-five miles away. She was so afraid I'd
fall in love with an Arizona man and not come back home.

Mrs. Tanner is very kind and motherly according to her lights. She
has given me the best room in the house, and she talks a blue
streak. She has thin, brown hair turning gray, and she wears it in
a funny little knob on the tip-top of her round head to correspond
with the funny little tuft of hair on her husband's protruding
chin. Her head is set on her neck like a clothes-pin, only she is
squattier than a clothes-pin. She always wears her sleeves rolled
up (at least so far she has) and she always bustles around noisily
and apologizes for everything in the jolliest sort of way. I would
like her, I guess, if it wasn't for the other boarder; but she has
quite made up her mind that I shall like him, and I don't, of
course, so she is a bit disappointed in me so far.

Mr. Tanner is very kind and funny, and looks something like a
jack-knife with the blades half-open. He never disagrees with Mrs.
Tanner, and I really believe he's in love with her yet, though they
must have been married a good while. He calls her "Ma," and seems
restless unless she's in the room. When she goes out to the kitchen
to get some more soup or hash or bring in the pie, he shouts
remarks at her all the time she's gone, and she answers, utterly
regardless of the conversation the rest of the family are carrying
on. It's like a phonograph wound up for the day.

Bud Tanner is about fourteen, and I like him. He's well developed,
strong, and almost handsome; at l