Pinto

Summary

On the cusp of adulthood, Pinto—an orphan raised by five affluent Arizonans—finds her future unmoored when her benefactors deem the rugged cadence of ranch life unsuitable for a lady. Their erstwhile confidante, Pop Audry, a former desert dweller now entrenched in New York's glittering society, volunteers to furnish the education they deem requisite. Thus, Pinto and her stalwart cowboy nursemaid, Looey, embark on a transcontinental odyssey to the metropolis, only to misplace the address of Audry's opulent townhouse. A fortuitous encounter with Bob De Witt, a genial neighbor, restores their bearings. Upon arrival, Audry's imperious spouse rebuffs the cowgirl's presence, vacating the premises in disdain. Unveiling the wife's clandestine liaison, Pinto stages a flamboyant Wild West spectacle, exposing the infidelity before Audry's elite circle. Moved, Pop Audry bequeaths the estate to his avaricious wife, retreats to Arizona, and returns with Pinto—still draped in the vestments of the frontier—accompanied by the steadfast Bob De Witt.

Synopsis

When Pinto reaches her eighteenth birthday, the five wealthy Arizonans who adopted her upon the death of her parents decide that ranch life will never make a lady of her. Their old friend Pop Audry, formerly of Arizona and now a member of New York society, agrees to provide Pinto with the necessary education. Accordingly, Pinto and her cowboy nursemaid Looey are dispatched to New York where they lose Audry's address. They are aided in locating the estate by Bob De Witt, a young neighbor. Audry's haughty wife objects to the cowgirl's presence and moves out of the house. Soon Pinto discovers that her detractor is carrying on an affair with another man and informs Pop Audry of his wife's deception during a Wild West show that Pinto has staged for Pop's friends. Pop decides to deed the house to his fortune-hunting wife and returns to Arizona with Pinto, who, still a cowgirl, is accompanied by Bob De Witt.