"Killin' time," he told Dade.
But it was plain to Dade, as it was to Betty, who had spoken but little
to him in a week, that Calumet was filled with speculation and
impatience over the temporary inaction. The work of repairing the
buildings was all done. There was nothing now to do except to await
the appearance of some cattle. The repair work had all been done to
that end, and it was inevitable that Betty must be considering some
arrangement for the procuring of cattle, but for a week she had said
nothing and Calumet did not question her.
But on the Monday morning following the period of inaction, Calumet
noted at the breakfast table that Betty seemed unusually eager to have
the meal over. As he was leaving the table she told him she wanted to
speak to him after her housework was done, and he went outside, where
he lingered, watching Dade and Malcolm and Bob.
About an hour or so later Betty came out. Calumet was standing at the
corral fence near the stable when she stepped down from the porch, and
he gave a gasp of astonishment and then stood perfectly still, looking
at her.
For the Betty that he saw was not the Betty he had grown accustomed to
seeing. Not once during the time he had been at the Lazy Y had he seen
her except in a house dress and her appearance now was in the nature of
a transformation.
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