The girl sauntered in and glanced carelessly about her. Two or three chap-clad cowboys were lounging against the counter watching another buy a suit of clothes. The wide-brimmed hats of all of them came off instantly at sight of her. The frontier was rampantly lawless, but nowhere in the world did a good woman meet with more unquestioning respect.
"What's this hyer garment?" asked the brick-red customer of the clerk, holding up the waistcoat that went with the suit.
"That's a vest," explained the salesman. "You wear it under the coat."
"You don't say!" The vaquero examined the article curiously and disdainfully. "I've heard tell of these didoes, but I never did see one before. Well, I'll take this suit. Wrap it up. You keep the vest proposition and give it to a tenderfoot."
No cowpuncher ever wore a waistcoat. The local dealers of the Southwest had been utterly unable to impress this fact upon the mind of the Eastern manufacturer. The result was that every suit came in three parts, one of which always remained upon the shelf of the store. Some of the supply merchants had several thousand of these articles de luxe in their stock. In later years they gave them away to Indians and Mexicans.
"Do you know where Jack Goodheart is?" asked Lee of the nearest youth.
"No, ma'am, but I'll go hunt him for you," answered the puncher promptly.
"Thank you."
Ten minutes later a bronzed rider swung down in front of the Snaith home.
Miss Bertie Lee was on the porch.
"You sent for me," he said simply.