The old cowpoke was splendidly dressed in a maroon satin shirt and white whipcord breeches tucked into shiny new boots. But instead of his usual sombrero, a chef’s cap was perched on his head.
“Chowl You look marvelous!” Sandy said.
SQUARE-DANCE HOAX 105
The cook blushed with pleasure. “You gals look purty enough to charm a hoot owl right off’n his perch 1” he shot back. Both Phyl and Sandy were wearing gay calico dresses that had full swirling skirts.
The room was decked out with colored bunting and twisted crepe-paper streamers. And at one end of the dance room, Chow had rigged up a model of a Western chuck wagon.
“Real atmosphere!” Tom said admiringly. “Chow, you’ve done us proud!”
“Thanks, boss.” The cook, who had asked especially to take charge of the decorations, glowed at the praise. Then he became serious. “But what’s keepin’
that dad-blamed fiddler?”
The guests soon began to stream in, but half an hour went by, and Lester Morris and his fellow musicians had not arrived.
“I’d better phone his house,” Tom decided worriedly.
Mrs. Morris answered. She seemed surprised at Tom’s call. “Why, my husband’s playing at a party over in Carterton this evening,” she said. “Are you sure you engaged him for tonight?”
“I’m positive,” Tom replied.
“Just a moment, please. I’ll look in his date book to see if there’s been a mistake.”
A minute later her voice came over the line again. “I’m terribly sorry, Mr.
Swift, but your
106 THE ELECTRONIC HYDROLUNG
name isn’t listed anywhere on Lester’s schedule.”
The others saw from Tom’s face as he hung up that something was wrong.