CHAPTER XXIII
A TROPICAL PARADISE
The signing of the hotel register was not an easy task, for there weremany other guests waiting to do the same thing. Mr. Mason finallymanaged it, however, and he and his rather large family were whirled upin a roomy elevator to the fifth floor and were shown to their rooms bya well-mannered and friendly bellboy.
Bess and Nan were to room together and Grace and Rhoda had a room rightoff theirs, connected by a door, so that it was really as if the girlswere all in one room.
"Come down on the porch when you are ready, girls," said Walter, justbefore he disappeared into his own room, "and we'll wander around andsee the sights."
Nan and Bess were delighted with their room, for it was large and airyand commanded a beautiful view of Lake Worth, upon which the RoyalPoinciana Hotel is situated. Grace's and Rhoda's room also faced thelake.
"Oh, girls, look at all the boats!" squealed Bess, dancing delightedlyup and down before one of the windows. "They are so thick you can hardlysee any water between them."
"The _Bargain Rush_ is down there somewhere," said Grace, as she and Nanran across the room to peek over Bess's shoulder. "Dad made an awfulfuss about having it shipped all the way, but Walter said he didn't wantto come if he couldn't have it."
"But, Grace, this is the first word you have said about the _BargainRush_," said Bess reproachfully. "And you know just how unhappy we'd beif we did not have a boat down here."
"I've heard about Lake Worth being such a beautiful harbor for thepleasure boats of the Palm Beach tourists," said Rhoda happily, "but Inever imagined it was half so beautiful."
"But where is the ocean?" asked Bess, as they turned from the window andbegan a hurried "freshening process." "I declare, I'm all mixed up."
"The ocean is in back of us, silly," Nan informed her. "Didn't younotice the beautiful beach down there as we came along? There werepeople in bathing, too. Oh, don't I wish I could go in myself this veryminute. Just think of it--surf bathing in February!"
"Br-r-r, stop it," commanded Bess with a shiver. "You make me chilly."
They were ready to see the sights in a surprisingly short time, and Bessnoticed as they stepped out into the corridor that Nan locked the doorvery carefully and slipped the key into her pocket.
"You aren't worrying about those men yet, are you?" she asked.
"No-o," said Nan a little doubtfully. "But it is always just as well tobe on the safe side."
Together with other girls and boys and men and women, all, likethemselves, on pleasure bent, the girls made their way down to the lobbyof the great hotel. Seeing nothing of Walter there, they rather timidlystepped out upon the veranda.
The size of it made them gasp, and for a moment they just stood staringstupidly at the seemingly endless vista of chairs and tables andpeople--Nan and the others were sure there were millions of people.
They might have stood there forever, had not Nan become suddenly awareof the admiring glances of several of the crowd that thronged thepiazza. For the four modishly dressed girls formed a very pretty andstriking picture.
"Let's sit down or something--everybody is staring at us," she whisperedto Rhoda, but at that moment Rhoda caught sight of Walter and waved acommanding hand.
"So here you are," said the boy, his face lighting up with pleasure atthe unexpected sight of the girls. "Right this way, ladies. Say," headded, as they started down the steps together, "you're looking great,girls. It isn't every fellow who has the chance to escort four pippinsat Palm Beach."
"Pippins!" repeated Grace emphatically, while the others giggled. "Youknow that's vulgar, Walter."
"Vulgar or not, it's the truth," said Walter cheerfully. "Isn't thissome garden?" he went on.
The Royal Poinciana Hotel was set in a tropical paradise of gorgeousflowers and shrubs and trees, the beauty of which no one who has notseen it can imagine.
One tree in particular caught Nan's eye and she pointed it out eagerly.
"Look at that gorgeous thing," she cried. "What is it, Walter--a shrubor a tree or a flower, or a mixture of all of them?"
"That's the Royal Poinciana tree," explained Walter. "It is a beauty,isn't it? The hotel is named for the tree, you know."
They wandered on again, exclaiming at every step, so happy and excitedthat more than one person in passing turned to look after them with anindulgent smile.
There were the golf links between the two hotels, and men who "lookedold enough to know better," to quote Bess, were wandering over thevelvet green sward with faithful caddies trailing along in the rear.
"I don't see what possible fun they can find in just batting a foolishlittle ball about," was Nan's comment, and Rhoda turned to her with alaugh.
"About the same pleasure that you find in batting a foolish littletennis ball about," she said, and Nan caught her up indignantly.
"But that's different!" she said, and they laughed at her.
"Look!" cried Grace, a moment later, pointing to some beautiful leveltennis courts where several animated sets of singles were in progress."You can't say we don't give you every kind of amusement here, Nan."
"It's wonderful," sighed Nan happily. "I'm glad now that I thought topack my racket before I started. My, how I would like to be out therenow." For Nan was a tennis enthusiast, and really could play the gamewell.
"I'll play you a game to-morrow morning," challenged Walter, and shetook him up eagerly.
"Any time you say," she laughed. "And I'll take the court with the sunin my eyes!"
They must have wandered on for a long time, for the sun was getting lowwhen they finally turned to go back. They had passed "cottages" whichmust have cost their owners a small fortune to build and several smallfortunes to maintain.
Walter pointed out to them a club of millionaires whose membership wassomething like two hundred, with three hundred more prospective memberson the waiting list.
"Goodness!" exclaimed Bess, "I think I shall have to break in there sometime. Think of seeing two hundred millionaires all in one place, insteadof only a dozen!"
"If you break in, Bess, you may get into trouble," said Walter, with atwinkle in his eye. "What if several of the millionaires proposed to youat once? You wouldn't know which one to take, you know you wouldn't."
"Then I wouldn't take any of them," announced the girl from Tillburypromptly.
"What, throw a real millionaire overboard?" and Walter gave a pretendedgasp.
"Of course. A millionaire might be nice to look at and very hateful tolive with," and Bess flung back her head as if that settled it.
"Oh, let's give the millionaires a rest," put in Rhoda. "I know what I'dlike."
"What?" came from several of the others.
"A horseback ride down there on the beach."
"Nothing easier," said Walter. "When do you want to go, now? If you do,I'll get you a horse--over at the stand yonder."
"Will you go?" questioned the girl from Rose Ranch, turning to herschool chums.
"Hadn't we better wait until we are a little better acquainted?"questioned Nan.
"All right. I suppose it's a bit hot to-day anyway," said Rhoda.
"I guess you miss the riding you used to do on the ranch," said Grace.
"I certainly do. Not but what this is very nice for a change."
It was late when they reached the hotel at last, and the girls began torealize for the first time that they were tired.
"See you to-night," whispered Walter to Nan, as Grace, Bess and Rhodadisappeared into the lobby. "And don't forget that tennis engagement forto-morrow. Ten o'clock sharp."