The Secret of Casa Grande

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER VIII THE SENOR'S LIBRARY

  In spite of all the ointment and salve Jo Ann had applied to her face,neck, and arms, she spent a restless night. By morning some of thesoreness had disappeared, but her appearance was not much improved.Before venturing out of her room she carefully put on some make-up andviewed the effect critically in the mirror.

  "I may be able to cover up my sunburn from the servants, but not from Dr.Blackwell," she told herself. "His trained eyes'll be sure to penetratemy mask in the daylight. Here's hoping he doesn't eat lunch with ustoday. Florence says he's nearly always late."

  To her inward consternation, no sooner had she stepped into the hall thanshe saw Dr. Blackwell coming toward her. Immediately she slowed hersteps. "If he comes any closer. I'm sunk--even if this hall is dark."

  The next moment Dr. Blackwell called a cheerful "Good morning" to her anddisappeared into his office.

  Jo Ann smiled in relief as she thought whimsically, "A guilty conscienceis certainly a bad companion."

  As on the previous morning, she and Peggy went with Florence to market,and, as before, she made only one purchase. This time it was a roll ofvery slender but strong hand-twisted rope.

  "Now what are you going to do with that heavy cord?" Peggy promptlyasked.

  "Use it to conceal that big rope I left hanging from the roof."

  "Use a string to conceal a heavy rope?" Peggy asked in amazement. "Ah,the magician!" she added mockingly.

  "Don't be silly, Peg. There's nothing mysterious about it. I've got to dosomething with that big rope before anyone sees it."

  Peggy shook her head dubiously. "Well, I hope you know what you'retalking about--I don't. Here comes Florence--she must be ready to leave."

  "And the faithful watchdog following, as usual. You know, I believe he'sgetting suspicious. Several times I've noticed him looking at me with thequeerest expression."

  "You know Florence said he never misses a thing. He's probably wonderingwhat you've done to your face."

  On reaching home the girls found breakfast waiting, but Jo Ann couldscarcely eat in her eagerness to get to the balcony before Felipe cleanedthe office.

  While Florence went to the kitchen to discuss menus with Juana, Jo Annand Peggy slipped to the balcony. The rope, they found, was hanging justas they had left it the day before, and while not very conspicuousagainst the dull gray color of the wall, Jo Ann felt that it ought to beput completely out of sight. As she studied the wall, she unwound theroll of heavy cord she had bought earlier in the morning.

  "Look down the street, Peg," she ordered. "Do you see anybody?"

  "No, it seems practically deserted right now," Peggy replied. "Why?"

  "I have to climb part way up that rope again, and I don't want anyspectators," she explained while fastening the cord to the end of therope. "If you see anybody coming, let me know."

  "All right."

  As soon as she began climbing up the rope, Jo Ann realized how sore hermuscles were from the unusual strain she had put upon them the daybefore. Would she be able to make it to the top? she wondered. "I've gotto do it," she told herself the next moment, tightening her lips into afirm line.

  Inch by inch she pulled herself up, slipping the cord through each of theloops in the rope as she went. On reaching the roof she found itextremely difficult to steady herself while passing the cord through thehighest loops, but as she was determined to pull the rope up as high aspossible, she kept on trying. Having succeeded at last in getting itthrough the loop at the roof's edge, she took the end of the cord betweenher teeth and began to slip slowly down the rope.

  When she was a little over halfway, Peggy suddenly cried, "Hurry, Jo!Here come some people! I believe they see you--they're looking this way.Hurry!"

  Instinctively Jo Ann turned her head to see the people. As she did so,her elbow scraped the rough plastered wall. A sharp pain instantly shotthrough her arm, and slightly loosening her hold on the rope, she slippedrapidly to the floor.

  "How silly of me to do that!" she grumbled, examining her arm. Hersleeve, she saw, was torn, and blood was running from a place where theskin had been scraped off. "It looks as if I'll have to be packed incotton wool to keep from getting hurt--but this is not finishing my work,and Felipe may come out here any minute."

  Hurriedly she searched for an inconspicuous place to fasten the end ofthe cord. Finally noticing the hand-wrought hinge on the door, shedecided that this offered a good hiding place.

  She began at once to wind the cord into a small tight ball, and as shepulled the end of the cord, the heavy rope attached to it started tocrawl snakelike up the wall. When at last the rope hung in several longloops at the edge of the roof, she fastened the cord to the door hingeand jammed the ball into the crack above.

  "That'll be all right as long as the door isn't closed," she said, "andit seldom is--at least, it hasn't been closed since we've been here. Itdoesn't show much from here, and it can't be seen from the inside of theoffice."

  Leaning against the balcony rail, she and Peggy surveyed the wallapprovingly. The string was almost invisible, and the loops of rope atthe top were scarcely noticeable, so high were they above the street.

  "No one would ever see that unless they were looking for it," agreedPeggy. "But how're you going to get it down? Didn't you say you weregoing back up there?"

  "Sure I am, but that's simple enough," Jo Ann replied. "When I loosen thestring the rope is heavy enough to drop down of its own accord."

  Hearing a sudden noise behind them just then, they started guiltily.There stood Felipe in the doorway. Immediately Jo Ann wondered how longhe had been there and how much he had seen.

  "I'm glad he couldn't understand what we were talking about," she said toPeggy. "He's the perfect watchdog, all right."

  Smiling now as they realized how nearly they had come to givingthemselves away, they strolled nonchalantly around the balcony andentered the room from the farther side.

  "You want to clean the room?" Jo Ann asked, pointing to the broom andmop.

  Felipe grinned and nodded his head, "_Si_, senorita." While notunderstanding the exact words, he had understood their meaning.

  Could Peggy and Jo Ann have seen him a few minutes later, they would havebeen very much amused and not a little worried. The minute they were outof sight he stepped out on the balcony and stood gazing up and down thestreet, then turned and searched the balcony, but in vain.

  "_Muy curioso, las Americanas_ [Very curious, these Americans]," hemuttered, shaking his head.

  After the injured arm had been bandaged with Peggy's assistance, thegirls wandered to the back of the house in search of Florence. Findingher in the kitchen in the middle of baking a cake, they stayed to helpher.

  To Jo Ann's relief Dr. Blackwell did not appear at lunch, but when hecame in an hour later, she happened to be passing through the hall. Onseeing her Dr. Blackwell stopped to call to her that he had met SenorRodriguez and that the Senor had sent a special invitation to her and theother girls to visit his library that afternoon. "Does that conflict withyour plans?" he asked.

  "Not at all," Jo Ann answered quickly, forgetting all about her sunburnedface. "I've wanted to meet Senor Rodriguez and talk to him ever since youtold me about his library. Maybe I can find out more about your house andthe old church this afternoon."

  The moment Dr. Blackwell left she remembered her previous anxiety abouthis seeing her sunburned face. "I forgot all about my face," she smiledto herself. "Well, I'm going to Senor Rodriguez's this afternoon, sunburnor no sunburn. Surely in such a fine library as his I can get someinformation that'll help me find out more about this house, especiallyabout that mysterious window."

  When, after the siesta, the girls began getting ready to go to SenorRodriguez's, Peggy applied cream and powder to Jo Ann's face with themost painstaking care.

  "I believe I'll start a beauty shop," she declared as she stood back andgazed approvingly at Jo Ann's face. "Y
ou actually look pretty now."

  Jo Ann grinned. "Only a real artist could have performed that miracle. Idon't care much about the pretty part, though. All I want is to passmuster under Dr. Blackwell's inspection."

  "You will--don't worry."

  Dressed in fresh dainty frocks, the three girls were waiting on thebalcony when Dr. Blackwell drove up in the car to take them to SenorRodriguez's.

  Since Florence had told her about the Senor's beautiful patio, Jo Anngazed eagerly about when they entered the cool, spacious corridor of hishouse. The mosaic tiles of the floor seemed to her to reflect all thebright colors of the flowers in the beds beyond and of the potted plantsclustered about the stone pillars which supported the graceful arches ofthe court.

  The servant immediately ushered them into the _sala_ or drawing room, aroom of immense size and well-proportioned lines. Several large mirrorsin heavy, gold-leaf frames, she noted, filled much of the wall space andgave the room the appearance of even greater size. The full-length doublewindows next caught and held her attention, curtained as they were withexquisite hand-made lace, which contrasted strangely with the iron bars.

  The next moment their host and his wife entered: Senora Rodriguez, short,plump, and motherly, and the Senor, tall and distinguished-looking.

  At first glance Jo Ann's hopes sank. How could she ask this austere,dignified gentleman all of the questions which had been uppermost in hermind? Was the visit she had looked forward to with so much pleasure goingto be in vain? Since the introductions were in Spanish, she felt a littleill at ease--all the more so when she saw Senora Rodriguez kiss Florence,first on one cheek, then on the other, and pat her on the back.

  "If she kisses and pats me that enthusiastically on my sunburned skin,I'll be sure to flinch," she told herself.

  The next moment Senor Rodriguez turned to her and, smiling, asked inbroken English, "Are you de young lady who speak de Spanish?"

  "Oh, no, senor, I can't speak Spanish," she answered timidly.

  "_El doctor_ say you have study de Spanish," he insisted.

  "_Si_, senor, I studied Spanish two years," she replied, "but I speakvery little."

  "Ah, my dear young lady," he said pleasantly, "if you do not try, how canyou learn? You must speak to me in de Spanish. You see, my Ingles ver'bad. I am too old to learn de Ingles now."

  "Oh, no, senor," quickly replied Jo Ann. "You speak very good English.Much better English than I do Spanish."

  "_Gracias_, senorita," he replied, smiling. "But how can I know?--youhave not speak de Spanish. My son, Joaquin, speak de Ingles perfect-ly. Isend him to college in de States. You know--Harvard--I t'ink you callit?" he asked, pronouncing it Arvard, since the h is always silent inSpanish.

  "Oh, yes, indeed! I know Harvard. It is a college of very high standing.Does he like it there?"

  "_Si_, he likes it ver' much. Dis year he finis, den he come home, and Itake him in de office wid me. If he vas here now he could help you. Dedoctor say you are interes' in de history of my city."

  "_Si_, senor, I am," she answered quickly. "I want to find out all I canabout that old church across the street from Dr. Blackwell's house. Bothit and the house are so old, I feel sure there must be some veryinteresting things connected with them."

  "I t'ink you are right, and I shall be ver' happy to assist you," heoffered. "We feel proud to t'ink you are interes' in our city. Did younot want some books?"

  "I'd like to see some that contain old records and accounts of the earlyhistory of the city, about the time that church was built."

  "If you come dis way, please," he said, bowing, "we shall see what we canfind."

  By this time Jo Ann had completely forgotten the feeling of doubt and aweshe had felt at first. The Senor was a very gracious host and had notlaughed at her strange idea. Eagerly she followed him across the hall toa room only slightly smaller than the drawing room. Bookshelves linedmost of the wall space, and a long table and several chairs were the onlyfurniture.

  "It's decidedly a man's room," she thought: "restful--quiet--just thekind of a room in which to study."

  Soon she and the Senor were oblivious of everything. They had somethingin common--books--even if they were in Spanish. In a short time they werechatting pleasantly, unconsciously using a mixture of English andSpanish. Together they searched old books and records, laying asideseveral for her to take home so that she might study them at her leisure.

  In the meantime, Senora Rodriguez had taken the other guests to the patioto see her flowers, and after about half an hour she came to the librarydoor and called softly to her husband, "Papa, you must not keep the younglady here so long--she will get tired." Addressing Jo Ann she asked,"Perhaps you like to see my flowers, eh?"

  "I'd love to," replied Jo Ann, unconscious of having spoken in Spanish.

  "We have the _merienda_ first, then I show you the flowers," she said,leading Jo Ann to where the girls and Dr. Blackwell were seated in thecool pleasant court beside the flower garden.

  "What could be more beautiful and restful?" Jo Ann thought as she gazedacross the patio with its stuccoed wall overhung with flowering vines,its fountain tossing sparkling sprays of water into the sunshine, and itsroses, jasmine, and orange blossoms filling the air with their mingledfragrance.

  By this time the servants had noiselessly brought in the refreshments andplaced them on an exquisitely inlaid tea table. While Senora Rodriguezpassed rich little cakes and sweet buns with squares of _jalea_, a stiffjelly, the servants served thick black coffee and delicious, richchocolate beaten to a froth.

  "Jo, isn't this simply gorgeous!" sighed Peggy happily. "I've neverenjoyed anything more in my life."

  Jo Ann nodded an emphatic assent, adding, "And I've never seen such abeautiful patio before."

  After Senora Rodriguez had proudly shown Jo Ann her flowers, Dr.Blackwell announced that he had several calls yet to make and that theywould have to leave. Silently the girls rose to go. With true Mexicancourtesy Senora Rodriguez loaded them down with flowers and kissed eachgirl on both cheeks, but to Jo Ann's relief there was no patting on theback.

  Laden with books and flowers, they drove home through the soft, tropicaltwilight, Peggy and Jo Ann completely charmed by the dignity andfriendliness of the Rodriguez family.

  "I've never met finer people," declared Jo Ann enthusiastically toFlorence on their way home. "I admit I was a little afraid of the Senorat first. He was so tall and dignified, but I forgot all about that whenI'd talked to him a few minutes. It's easy to understand why he's such agood lawyer, isn't it?"

  "Yes, he's a very remarkable man," agreed Florence. "I was sure you wouldenjoy meeting him and his wife. By the way, Jo, did you get anyinformation this afternoon that will help you?"

  "Yes, I found out several things," she replied. "From the old records wefound that the city was founded in 1560. The Senor said that the oldMexican towns were always built around the church. That and the Plazaformed the hub around which the city grew. If that is the case, then itis possible that the church was built even earlier than 1560, before thefounding of the city."

  "You mean that the church is three--no, four hundred years old!"exclaimed Peggy.

  "Yes, and since Florence's house is between it and the Plaza, it wasbuilt at the same time or before. It seems to be the very center of thehub. I'm more convinced than ever that its history is in some wayconnected with that of the church."

  After Dr. Blackwell had gone on his calls and Florence and Peggy werechatting together, Jo Ann studied the books she had brought home. Pageafter page she read, slowly and with much difficulty, about the Aztecsand the coming of Cortez; of the growth of the Spanish territory until itreached from ocean to ocean, and from Panama to Vancouver Island on thenorth; about Hidalgo, Morelos, and General Iturbide; of rebellions andcivil wars. The wars might explain the reason for these thick walls, shemused. They always used the church as a place of refuge. Perhaps thishouse was used for the same purpose.

  To her disappointment, however,
she could find no reference to either thehouse or the church in the books. She threw down the books at last,exclaiming, "It'll take me ages to get much help from these! It's worsethan hunting a needle in a haystack. In Spanish they go all around thebush before coming to the point, and while it's beautiful to read, it'sdifficult to find what you want."

  "Calm yourself, my dear--calm yourself," said the astonished Peggy."You've been talking for days about these books, and now that you havethem, you go all up in the air. What a changeable person you are!"

  "I'm not changeable. I'm glad I have the books, and I'm going to studythem--very carefully, too, but I can't stand this suspense any longer. Iwant to find out something definite about this house _right now_. I knowexactly how to get the information I want, and I'm going to get it--maybetomorrow. I'm almost tempted to do it this very night."

  "What are you talking about?" cried Florence, alarmed by the determinedexpression on Jo Ann's face. "What wild thing are you planning to do?"