by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER IV PRESSING DIFFICULTIES
After Jo Ann had finished talking to Lucile, Florence and Peggy askedtogether, "Is it a real party she's having? Will we have to dress up?"
"Yes, we'll have to wear dinner dresses, of course. We'll have to speed,too, if we're to be ready when she gets here."
"Oh, I'm afraid my blue crepe'll be a mass of wrinkles," Peggy exclaimedas she hurried over and began unpacking her clothes.
"Get my dress--the pink taffeta--out, too," Jo Ann called out on her wayto the bathroom. "It's in your suitcase. I'll have my bath in two jiffiesand be in my dress in another one."
When she reappeared in the room a few minutes later, garbed in a negligeewhose rose color matched her fresh glowing cheeks, she found that MissPrudence and Carlitos had gone to the dining room and that Florence andPeggy were standing lamenting over the wrinkled state of their dinnerdresses.
"Our dresses are terribly rumpled, and yours is the worst of the three,"Peggy remarked with a worried frown. "I hate for us to disgrace Lucile bycoming to her party looking like wrecks of the Hesperus."
"We won't have time to send them out to a pressing shop or even to themaid here in the hotel--we'd never get them back in time to wear," addedFlorence.
"Oh, stop worrying!" Jo Ann sang out, as she ran the comb through hercurls. "I'll press all three dresses while you're getting your baths. Youhave a small electric iron in your bag, didn't you say, Florence?"
"Yes. It's really a toy that I'm taking as a present to one of the littlegirls in my neighborhood. The cord's so short--I doubt if you can use theiron."
"Get it out and I'll use it all right." Jo Ann's voice was confident.
When Florence handed the iron to her and she saw how short the cord was,she began to feel dubious, though her determination did not waver. She'dmanage some way. After a hasty look about the room she saw there was onlyone usable light socket in the room--the high ceiling one above the bed.
"I'll have to attach the iron to that socket." She pointed to the ceilinglight.
Florence looked at the diminutive cord and laughed. "You can't do it."
"If you'll hold me steady, you'll see." Jo Ann climbed up on the foot ofthe bed. "Hold my legs, now." She stood tiptoe on this perch and aftermany efforts succeeded in putting the plug into one of the centersockets.
That done, she stepped down on a newspaper on the bed, but to herdisappointment she saw that the cord lacked at least four feet.
Peggy and Florence burst into giggles at the funny sight of Jo Annholding the iron in midair.
"Stop giggling, sillies, and do something, quick. This iron's gettinghot, and I'm getting tired holding it. Get that table over there and putit up here on the bed. Hurry!"
The two girls rushed over to the table, jerked off the water pitcher andglasses, and then carried it over and lifted it on top of the bed. Theiron still hung at least two feet above the table.
"Oh gee!" wailed Jo Ann. "Get something else to put on top of the table.Step on it! Don't run around in circles like a puppy after its tail,Peg."
"Thanks for the beautiful comparison," Peggy grinned. "You're equallyfunny looking yourself, springing up and down on that bed every time youmove."
"Can't help springing. It's the springiest bed in all Texas."
By that time Florence had brought over the low luggage stool and placedit on top of the table. But even with its added height there were severalinches between it and the iron.
"There's nothing else to put on top of that--except the dresser," calledout Peggy between giggles. "Oh yes, maybe the telephone book'll help."She ran over with it and several magazines and piled them on top of theluggage stand.
"Attaboy!" Jo Ann ejaculated triumphantly as she set the iron down on themagazines. "Now bring me something for an ironing-board cover and thedresses."
In a few more minutes she was ironing away energetically, swaying backand forth in her efforts to keep her balance on the springy bed. "Stopstaring at me and giggling and get dressed, you sillies. What's so funnynow?"
"I was just wondering what the manager'd say if he'd come in and catchyou ironing," grinned Peggy. "It's against the rules to iron in aroom--at least, it is in all the hotels I've ever heard of."
Jo Ann flushed guiltily. Noticing that the sliding wood panel of the doorwas down and that someone might be able to peer between the slats of theblinds at the screened top, she implored Peggy to slide the panel up.Peggy obediently pushed the panel up as commanded, but no sooner had sheturned away than it slipped down with a crash like a pistol shot.
Both girls jumped in alarm, and Jo Ann almost tumbled off the bed.
"Now we're in for it!" Jo Ann gasped. "Someone'll think we're shooting inhere and will come to investigate. Shove that panel up again--quick. Pusha chair against it to hold it in place."
After a few minutes had passed and no one had come to investigate, Jo Annbreathed more freely. Just as she was complimenting herself on coming tothe finishing touches of her pressing, there came a sudden knocking atthe door. Jo Ann was petrified. Was it the manager? She shook her headvigorously at Peggy, who was starting to open the door.
The next moment the door was rattled violently. Simultaneously the panelbanged down again.
From the hall there sounded a woman's shrill voice.
"Miss Prudence!" the girls gasped.
"Open the door this instant, Peg, and get her inside before someone elsecomes," Jo Ann ordered.
The moment Miss Prudence stepped inside and saw Jo Ann perched on top ofthe bed, ironing, she stared in amazement. As soon as she had recoveredfrom her first surprise, she burst out, "What does this mean? Don't youknow it's against the rules to iron in your room? I've never stayed in ahotel anywhere that allowed ironing in the rooms. We'll get in troubleyet--besides having to pay extra money. You'd better stop this instant."
"But I'm most through now," Jo Ann replied meekly. "In a few minutes I'llhave my dress finished."
"But just suppose the manager should knock on the door and catch you ontop of the bed like this?"
As Miss Prudence was still worrying when Florence had finished dressing,she decided to see for herself what the hotel rules said about ironing.She walked over and began glancing at the printed rules hanging on thewall by the telephone.
A few moments later she stopped reading and burst into peals of laughter."Oh, girls!" she exclaimed after she had checked her mirth a little."This is rich! Funniest thing I've ever heard. The rules say----" Shestopped and broke into uncontrollable laughter again.
Peggy ran over to read the rule that was causing Florence so muchamusement. Then she too began to laugh, stopping only long enough toexclaim, "Oh--this is killing!"
"What's the joke? What on earth does that say?" Jo Ann demanded.
Peggy checked her laughter long enough to answer, "It says when aguest--wishes to iron--to call the office, and ironing board--and iron'llbe sent up immediately."
Jo Ann's jaw dropped, as did Miss Prudence's. Their expressions were soridiculous that Florence and Peggy continued laughing till the tearsrolled down their cheeks.
After an amazed, "And to think I could've had a real iron and board forthe asking!" Jo Ann began laughing equally merrily.
They were all still smiling broadly several minutes later when they wentdown to the lobby to meet Lucile and her mother, who were waiting forthem there.
The dinner party turned out to be a great success, and the girls did notreturn to the hotel till almost eleven o'clock.
"It's my turn to sleep with Miss Prudence," Peggy remarked on enteringthe other girls' room, "but I'm scared to go in there and wake her upthis late. She'd think it an unearthly hour." She stopped talking andsmiled over at the girls. "Aren't you going to be polite and ask me tosleep with you? You'd better, because I'm going to, invitation or noinvitation."
With a mock groan Jo Ann looked at the double bed and then at Peggy."Say, Florence," she remarked finally,
"I feel sorry for ourselves, don'tyou?"
"Put her in the middle where she can take the consequences," suggestedFlorence, her eyes twinkling.
Jo Ann grimaced. "The consequences'll probably be that you and I'll beout on the floor before the night's over."
After much subdued giggling and chatter the three girls finally climbedinto bed and drifted off to sleep.
About five o'clock the next morning they were aroused by someone knockingat the door.
Peggy waked with a start. "Someone knocking! Maybe the hotel's afire andthey're trying to rouse us!" darted through her mind.
She flung off the covers, tumbled over the sleeping Jo Ann, and rushed tothe door to find an anxious-faced Miss Prudence.
"Thank goodness you're here, Peggy," Miss Prudence exclaimed. "I justwoke up and found you weren't in my room, and I was so alarmed! Are theother girls here?" She snapped on the light and stood blinking at thefrightened Florence and Jo Ann, who by this time were sitting up in bed,trying to figure out what had happened.
"Now that you're all awake you might as well dress, so we can get anearly start," Miss Prudence announced crisply.
Jo Ann groaned audibly and sank back in the bed.
"Isn't it only about two or three o'clock?" Florence asked hesitatingly.
"Mercy, no! It's after five. It takes you girls so long to dress thatit'll be six or half past before you'll be ready."
"Oh, but I'm so--so sleepy!" Peggy yawned. "Five o'clock's an awful hourto get up."
Miss Prudence eyed her severely. "You stayed up too late last night,probably. Just dash some cold water in your face--that'll wake you." Sheadded with a whimsical note in her voice, "Perhaps I'd better do it foryou--and sprinkle some on Florence and Jo Ann, too."
"Oh, have a heart, Miss Prudence!" Jo Ann begged, burrowing her headunder the covers.
Seeing that Miss Prudence was in earnest about the early start and wasgoing to stay there to see that they did get up and dress, Florence andJo Ann reluctantly slipped out of bed.
"When we reach the mine, I'm going to sleep and sleep to make up for allthis lost time," Jo Ann murmured to the girls between yawns as she wasdressing.
"Maybe you'll even sleep through the siesta hour--you couldn't learn thattrick last summer, it seemed," Peggy replied. "I take to sleeping the wayMiss Prudence does to getting up with the chickens. Maybe the tropicalheat'll make her more sleepy-headed down there."
Florence smiled. "Here's hoping it will."
