“Honestly, Maurice?” inquired Ann. “I did not know that.”
“He is going to get one for this trip. I heard him tell Father that he sold his car that he had last summer and would buy a new one here.”
“Of all things! Dear me,--that was such a good car!”
“But not a particle of use for it until next summer, Ann.”
“True enough. It is sensible, I will admit. He will enjoy getting another. Men like such things.”
“We like them, too, don’t we, Ann?” Madge queried.
At Jacksonville the separation of the parties occurred. The Sterling party made headquarters at one of the hotels, while Mr. Sterling enjoyed the thrills, or anxieties of selecting a new car. In this Maurice, too, took an interest and accompanied him to give him the benefit of his young judgment. Yet Maurice could not waste all the time in even this interesting employment, but took the girls and Mrs. Sterling to see the sights in taxis. “It would not do for you to miss the alligator farm, Ann,” said he, “such a romantic spot!”
Ann found it far from romantic, but very interesting, with its alligators of all sizes and ages. “Funny place to call a ‘farm’,” said she.
“It is a place where they raise stock, Ann,” said Suzanne.
“If you call alligators stock,” Ann replied, looking at the big pen where the larger ones were kept together. “Imagine any one’s wanting to go in there! Look at that sign, Maurice!”
“There,” pointed her brother, “telling you that you enter at your own risk.”
“Do you suppose that we shall really see any alligators in the wild?”
“We shall, indeed, though we may have to go to special places, Ann.”
From Jacksonville they went on down the coast, staying several days at St Augustine, where the girls were especially interested in the old fort, Fort Marion. They began to feel that their vacation was flying and hoped that they would get to Palm Beach early enough to give Maurice some time with them, and Ronald’s fascinating yacht. But it was not possible to hurry Mr. Sterling, nor would they let him know that they were anxious to speed on their way. However, after they left St Augustine, Mr. Sterling himself came to the conclusion that he had planned too much to be accomplished in the limited time. He decided to take them on down the East Coast to Palm Beach with no delay. From that point he could make short excursions, with the girls and Maurice, for their entertainment. The general trips over the state could wait until the young folks had gone back to school. It was his judgment that this should happen, so far as Ann was concerned. Ann, too, felt better content, to know that her work would not have to be made up to so great an extent. What Suzanne did was not for them to decide.