He's
the one to say whether he's goin' to leave or not."
"But he does say it. That is, he--"
"He just says he 'cal'lates.' He never said he was GOIN' to do anything;
not for years, anyhow. It's all right, Mrs. Thankful. You just wait and
see. If worst comes to worst I've got a--"
She stopped short. "What have you got, Imogene?" asked Mrs. Barnes.
"Oh, nothin', ma'am. Only you just wait."
So Thankful waited and Kenelm, perfectly aware of the situation, and
backed by the counsel of his sister, became daily more independent.
He did only such work as he cared to do and his hours for arriving and
departing were irregular, to say the least.
On the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of August the Ostable County
Cattle Show and Fair was to be held at the county seat. The annual
Cattle Show is a big event on the Cape and practically all of East
Wellmouth was planning to attend. Most of the High Cliff boarders were
going to the Fair and, Friday being the big day, they were going
on Friday. Imogene asked for a holiday on that day. The request was
granted. Then Kenelm announced that he and Hannah were cal'latin' to
go. Thankful was somewhat reluctant; she felt that to be deprived of
the services of both her hired man and maid on the same day might be
troublesome. But as the Parker announcement was more in the nature of an
ultimatum than a request, she said yes under protest. But when Captain
Obed appeared and invited her and John Kendrick and Emily Howes to go to
the Fair with him in a hired motor car she was more troubled than ever.
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