The cake was distributed, and the vexed but vanquished morning caller
jabbed a hat-pin through her rusty toque and pulled her jet-trimmed
shoulder cape tightly over her back, before bowing haughtily to Mrs.
Brewster.
Not until the ranch-wagon turned the edge of Rainbow Cliffs did Mrs.
Brewster permit herself to leave the post of watching and slump down
into the porch rocker with a sigh of gratitude.
Half an hour later the sound of wheels caused her to spring up in
dread, but her husband's cheery laugh relieved her fears.
"Ah saw your difficulty and did the only sensible thing; but we-all
must keep this trick a secret. If Sary gets hold of it, my reputation
in Bear Forks, or Yellow Jacket Pass, is gone," confided Sam Brewster
to his wife, as he glanced fearfully about for Sary.
The horn for dinner sounded shortly after the master's return and, at
the table, the girls were told of the visitor and her invitation to the
dance, but no word of her form of departure was mentioned.
"It's lucky we have evening-dresses," remarked Barbara.
"Do folks dress up at these parties?" asked Eleanor.
"I should say we do!" declared Polly.
Mrs. Brewster and Anne were talking in low tones and did not hear the
question and answer, so they did not explain what Polly meant by
"dressing up."
The days intervening between the Tuesday and the Friday set down for
the hop passed quickly. Polly and her mother washed and renovated the
dotted swiss dress made for the school-commencement, and to Polly's
delight Anne added a blue sash and hair ribbons.
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