“Only in a very small way.”
“Reckon the fever’s struck everyone around here,” the storekeeper went on. “Hear your neighbor’s going to try it too.”
“My neighbor?”
“Sure, Pop Bradshaw. He’s fixing up the ranch and planning on quite a number of city folks spending the summer there. They say he’s going to build a swimming pool.”
“Things like that cost money,” Connie said gravely. “I didn’t know Pop had it to spend.”
“Oh, he’s just the front so they say. I hear that the banker is behind the deal.”
The news filled Connie with deep resentment. It seemed unjust to her that the bank, while refusing to grant an extension to her loan, would risk a large amount in trying to develop Pop Bradshaw’s run-down ranch.
She was offended, too, because Enid had told her nothing about the proposed plan.
“Sometimes I feel as if I haven’t a true friend in this community,” Connie thought bitterly. “As for Mr. Haynes, I believe he deliberately planned to get my ranch. And the worst is that he’ll undoubtedly succeed!”
Back at Rainbow Ranch the girl called Lefty and Jim Barrows to tell them about their new duties.