El Tovar, where they occupy easy chairs, leaving
them several times a day to array themselves in still more gorgeous
raiment.

Of course, out of the hundreds of thousands that come to Grand Canyon,
only a stray one now and then causes any anxiety or trouble. It is human
nature to remember those that make trouble while thousands of the finest
in the land pass unnoticed. Any mother can tell you that gentle,
obedient Mary is not mentioned once, whereas naughty, turbulent Jane
pops into the conversation continually. Rangers feel the same way about
their charges.

Perhaps a hundred people got on the train leaving the Canyon one snowy
zero night. Those people were forgotten instantly, but not so the
bellicose dame found wandering around the station asking when _her_
train would go. She had a ticket to New York, and stood on the platform
like Andy Gump while the train with her baggage aboard pulled out.

"It was headed the wrong way!" she explained tearfully, and stuck to her
story, even when the sorely tried superintendent led her to the tracks
and showed her that said track absolutely and finally ended there,
without argument or compromise. And she was furious. Her former
outburst was a mild prelude to what poured forth now. She would _not_
stay there until morning when the next train left. She demanded a
special train; she ordered a handcar with which to overtake the recreant
train; she called for a taxi to chase across to Williams with her, a
mere eighty miles of ten-foot snowdrifts. Only shortage of breath
occasioned by altitude and outraged sensibilities prevented her
commandeering an airplane! None of these vehicles being forthcoming, she
would stop in Washington if she ever made her escape from this
God-forsaken hole, and have every Park employee fired. The
Superintendent took her to the hotel, then came to me for help.

"Please lend her a comb and a nightgown," he begged.

"All right." I was used to anything by now. "Silk or flannel?"

"Well," he said thoughtfully. "She acts like red flannel but probably
expects crepe de chine."

I sent both over, and never saw either again.

My heart went out to a poor little lady, sent by heartless relatives,
traveling with only a maid. She was not mentally able to care for
herself and certainly should not have been allowed to visit Grand
Canyon. However, she and the maid arrived, with other visitors, and the
maid seated her charge on a bench near the Rim, then went away ab