"
Supper was in readiness, having been ordered in advance by Mrs.
Endicott, a sweet woman who looked like Laura, and as soon as the girls
and boys had had a chance to brush up and wash, all sat down to partake
of the good things provided. Jessie was much astonished by the things
spread before her.
"Why, I thought we were going to live in regular camping style!" she
declared. "This is as good as what we had at the hotel in Chicago, if
not better."
"The Wild West of to-day is not the Wild West of years ago," explained
Mrs. Endicott. "People from the East have a wrong impression of many
things. Of course some things are still crude, but others are as
up-to-date as any one could wish."
"What I like best of all is the general open-heartedness of the people
you meet," declared Dave. "They are not quite so frozen-up as in some
places in the East."
"That is true, and it is readily explained," answered the ranch owner.
"In the pioneer days everybody had to depend upon everybody else, and
consequently all were more or less sociable. The feeling has not yet
worn off. But I am afraid it will wear off, as we become more and more
what is called civilized," added Mr. Endicott, with something of a sigh.
Everybody was hungry, and all did full justice to the repast.
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