I didn’t like Mr. Gardner’s sarcastic tone; it did not bode well for our chances. And I was becoming more and more certain that it had to be Rudolph Valentino in the stable courtyard – just a few yards away! I was trying to will the sweatered figure to turn around and look our way, but he still seemed intent on the horse.

     “I don’t think we need to call the cops. Your boss shouldn’t need to worry about any more disturbances during his visit today. I’ll just escort them off the property.”

     “Thank you sir, that would be most kind of you, wouldn’t it Jane? Oh what a beautiful horse, you don’t mind if I go closer to take a look at him, my Papa raises racehorses you know…” Margaret-Ann raised her lips in the most simpering smile I’d ever seen.

     “Hold it right there, I said you are to be removed from the property, and not to go and disturb our important guests.”

     Margaret-Ann started her noisy sobbing again, her chest heaved, and I was impressed to see that she was even able to generate a few tears. It appeared to be a most heart-wrenching scene.

     “I’m s-s-sorry, I told you that we are lost and didn’t mean to cause any harm, but we’re so tired and thirsty that I just don’t know what happened to my manners. Could I just have a drink of water before we go?”

     By now Margaret-Ann’s commotion had caught the attention of the entire group of horsemen. All had turned to look, and a spectacled man left the group to walk our way.

     “What’s all this crying about?,” said the man with an air of authority. He reminded me so much of a younger, thinner version of the newspaper picture I’d seen of the millionaire. I knew this had to be his son

     “Dr. Kellogg, these two girls were just caught snooping around the grounds. I’m going to remove them right away.”

     Margaret-Ann wailed into action once more. “But sir, I explained to him earlier. My maid and I got lost during our picnic on the other side of the hills, and only came down here to ask for directions as this was the first sign of civilization we saw. I’m very sorry if it disturbed you and your guests, but we came here purely by accident. But we are very thirsty and would love a cool drink of water.”

     With her curly reddish hair, pale blue dress and matching blue eyes, Margaret-Ann looked like the embodiment of female innocence. Even I almost believed her.

     The young Dr. Kellogg looked perplexed.

     “You walked here alone over the hills?” His eyes studied the green hillside above us as he spoke.

     “Yes sir, all by ourselves. It was only because we were very much frightened by the rattlesnake – from whose deadly bite I barely saved my maid – that we panicked and ran, lucky to have escaped bodily injury. Now all I ask is a cool drink before someone kindly points us in the direction of home. We are so exceedingly thirsty, I’m sure that isn’t too much to ask? Is it sir?”

     Dr. Kellogg pushed his glasses further up his nose. “Hmmm, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have someone fetch you a drink before you leave. Mr. Gardner, will you see to that please?” It was really an order, not a question.

     Mr. Gardner had grown red in the face, and looked like he’d rather shove Margaret-Ann in the stable’s ornamental fountain. (I could empathize with that feeling as I’ve often felt that same way toward Margaret-Ann.) Abruptly he let go of her arm, and strode away, muttering an oath.

     For only a second I watched him go. Then I turned back in the directions of the gray horse, and suddenly I stood there thunderstruck, my mouth shaping a frozen ‘oooh’. Not ten feet away, listening to Margaret-Ann’s speech stood the reason for our whole journey. None other than Rudolph Valentino himself! The most unbelievably handsome actor ever to be in a movie, standing right smack-dab in front of us.

     He had a slight smile on his face, and for a fleeting second, I though I glimpsed a quick wink in Margaret-Ann’s direction.

     “Good morning, my dears.” He gave a slight, but absolutely perfect bow. “I hear you have met with some mishap during your outing this fine day. How fortunate you have wandered here to enjoy the hospitality of the Kellogg Ranch. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Rudolph Valentino.”

     His voice was soft and pleasant. I was surprised to hear his accent. It sounded just like old Giuseppe’s. I’d already know he’d come from Italy of course, but I was still surprised to hear my hero from The Sheik speak with an accent.

     I watched Margaret-Ann smile a large and genuine smile as she wriggled the toe of her shoe, remarkably shiny considering its travels, into the ground. I would have bet at that moment no one else in the world existed for her except Valentino, but she surprised me.

     “I hate to bother such a distinguished personage as yourself Mr. Valentino, but could I be so bold as to request an autograph? For my maid here, you see. Not really for myself.” 

     For a marvelous instant his deep brown eyes turned to mine, as I stood immobile and speechless. All too soon though, he turned back to Margaret-Ann.

     “For both you and your maid, no problem. For such a fine recounting of your story, you should be given a reward.”

     At the snap of his fingers, a strong-looking young man left the group and trotted over to the sportiest car, promptly returning with two large photographs. Valentino took out a shiny gold pen and dramatically paused with it in the air, ready to write.

     “And to whom should I dedicate these?”

     “My maid’s name is Jane.”

     Margaret-Ann spoke quickly; long before my feeble attempts at making my real name audible could have worked, she made sure I did not say anything to blow our story. There was no chance of getting my own name on the autographed picture.

     His beautiful pen flashed in the spring sunlight as it moved gracefully across the bottom of the photograph. With a courtly gesture, just like in his movies, he handed it over to me. Me! How could I not be happy even if I had been temporarily turned into plain Jane the maid.

     With a shaking hand I reached out and took possession of the most wonderful memento I could have ever imagined.

     “Thank you …. very much,” I whispered back.

     Impatiently Margaret-Ann was waiting for her turn. With her chin held high into the air, she proudly announced, “My name is Margann. It’s spelled M-A-R-G-A-N-N.”

     It was her moment of triumph.

     Everything she had worked toward all the long, tiring day was now worth it a dozen times over. Her entire plan had worked, even down to getting her glamorous new name on the autographed photo.

     But alas, it was not to be a long-lived moment of glory. Mr. Gardner, looking more fierce than ever was already on his was back, gun in one hand, the glass of water in the other, and certainly not taking any care to keep it from spilling. I wondered if there would be any water left by the time he reached us.

     The gold pen flashed once again.

     “Here, this is for you Margann, the most charming lost picnicker I will ever encounter. May you keep it as a reminder of what I hope has turned out not be too calamitous a day for you. But now I must return to business. Making movies can be hard work, and I must finish my negotiations over using this beautiful stallion in my next movie, The Son of the Sheik.”

     “I know that already,” piped up Margaret-Ann, almost giving us away. “Umm, I mean I know that you must be very busy.”

     “Farewell.” Valentino gave on last dashing bow, and left us.

     Margaret-Ann sighed so loudly I turned to see if some thing had happened to her, but she was just standing there staring glazed-eyed toward his retreating figure. Our encounter had lasted only a few minutes, and it was almost too unbelievable to have ever happened. If it hadn’t been for the autographed photo I carefully held against my chest, I would have thought I was back in my bed dreaming the whole day.

       Dr. Kellogg broke into my thoughts with his politely authoritarian voice.

     “Mr. Gardner has returned with your water girls. Please drink it and be on your way. We simply don’t have the time to spend with you today. Perhaps you could return sometime to see our Sunday open house horse show after the building of the Ranch is completed – but please use the front entrance.”

     “Thank you sir. Thank you very much! A Sunday open house horse show. How wonderful.” Margaret-Ann babbled on although Dr. Kellogg was now well beyond earshot.

     “Drink this and be quick, the both of you girls. Then it’s out you go.”

     Mr. Gardner thrust the glass of water at Margaret-Ann. She drank up as she was told, a little too well since I watched her swallow more than her fair share. I was powerfully thirsty too, but was afraid to say anything about it in front of Mr. Gardner since a maid wouldn’t have dared to say the things to her mistress that I wanted to say to Margaret-Ann.

     As soon as I’d finished the little water left to me, Mr. Gardner once again took Margaret-Ann by the arm, and we silently began the long march to leave the Kellogg Ranch. I saw for the first time just how big Mr. Kellogg’s property really was, and how lucky we were that the horse stables had been built close to the hills.

     When we finally emerged at the exit gate, Mr. Gardner wordlessly took his leave after pointing out (with his gun) the road that would easily take us back to Covina.

     But first, Margaret-Ann and I saw down at the edge of the road, our precious autographed photographs still carefully clutched to our hearts. This was my first chance to really look at it.

     “Let me see your photo Elora, and you can see mine.” Margaret-Ann had an extra inquisitive note in her voice.

     “Wait until I’ve seen it a minute, Margaret-Ann.”

     I carefully turned it over. It was a gorgeous picture of Valentino in his sheik’s costume, holding a curved, bejeweled knife. He looked incredibly fierce and handsome all at once. My heart raced, even if the inscription read, ‘To Jane, always your friend, R. Valentino’. I could have sat there staring at it for hours, but Margaret-Ann anxiously said, “Let’s trade now, I need to see yours.”

     Reluctantly I handed over my photo, and even more slowly Margaret-Ann handed hers to me. She had the same picture as mine, but her inscription was longer, and very different.

     “To Margann, who has shown me her active appreciation for dramatic acting, Affectionately, R. Valentino.”

     I started to laugh. And pretty soon, so did Margaret-Ann.