society will hold back when we ask them to come to old Dick Buck's
granddaughter's ball," suggested one. "Don't tell 'em whose
ball it is until they get there. That's the way to catch the snippy
ones. Let's don't even tell Miss Judy. It might make
her kind of shy. Just let 'em all get to dancin' an' kinder warmed up
an' then when
we got 'em where they can't back out without bein' mighty rude we'll up
an' make speeches an' let the county know how we stand for that girl an'
what she is an' how
proud we are of her," suggested Judge Middleton. "We'll get all the old
boys in town
to come in on it. I mean our crowd, and there won't be one who will give
the secret
away. And we'll give that gal a rush that would turn her pretty red head
if it belonged to anybody else--but there is no turning a wise head like
hers." "We won't
let any women in on it either," said Pete. "Not even the Widow Simco?"
asked Major Fitch. "The women oughter have looked after the gal long
ago, and now we men folks will take it on us. What'll we call the ball?"
asked Mr. Barnes, ignoring the Major's thrust. "Call it a dayboo party,
but jes' don't say whose it is," suggested Colonel Crutcher. "There'll
be plenty of jokes about it an' the smart
Alecks will try to get the laugh on us because they'll be a thinkin' we
don't
know what dayboo means an' we'll take the laugh an' keep it 'til we need
it. Lets go get the invites
struck off over to the Ryeville Courier right now." The old
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