PREPARATION
The next few weeks were curious, puzzling weeks in Jeanette Colter's life experience. Against her stepmother she felt no less prejudice, nevertheless circumstances compelling them to spend a good deal of time together, freely Jeanette accepted such aid as she was able to receive.
After John Marshall's disclosure of the original plan, Mr. Colter was invited to become a member of the committee who were to have charge of the preparations for an open-air field day.
About twelve miles from the Rainbow Ranch was a large country club where outdoor entertainments took place. In one sense the club was not private, since the invitations were general; however, no one was admitted except by invitation and the prizes in the various contests were offered by the club.
Essentially Wyoming is an outdoor state. What might be regarded as an unusual form of entertainment in other parts of the country was here a part of the routine.
On the open-air field days there were always exhibitions of riding, throwing the lasso, mounting a bucking pony, every outdoor sport of a Western character.
Nor was it uncommon for women and girls to take part in the contests.
At first reluctant to have his wife and daughter participate, soon after Mr. Colter found himself deeply interested, not alone in the success of the entertainment, but in Jack and Jeanette's share in it.
On the day she received her father's consent to do as she wished, Jeanette would have preferred to be allowed to change her mind. But this she had not the courage to announce.
Perhaps originally she had enjoyed the thought of a certain amount of family opposition, since at present she was in a state of antagonism toward everything and everybody. Perhaps she believed that her youth finally would prove an impossible barrier. This was without counting on her father's influence or John Marshall's pleas in her behalf, as he too was a member of the Committee on Arrangements.