Ruby frowned. ‘‘You all right?’’ Milly paused to look where Ruby was staring. ‘‘Of course.’’ Ruby glanced across the field. ‘‘He’s a right nice feller, wouldn’t you say?’’ Not usually, but today . . . Ruby mumbled something under her breath that she hoped sounded like an agreement and returned to the kitchen. Seeing that Daisy had the trays ready with sandwiches, cookies, hard-boiled eggs, and coffee for selling during the train stop, she went back to the door. ‘‘You better go tell Opal the train should be in pretty soon.’’ Taking care of the train passengers was one of Opal’s and Milly’s main chores and was a source of regular income for the hotel. Because of the good food, more than one guest had chosen to stay over in Little Missouri rather than go east to Dickinson or west to Beach. Not that many stopped in Little ‘‘Misery’’ without a definite purpose, like hunting for game or for land. The train whistled, the girls hurried out to get themselves set up, and for a few minutes peace reigned in the kitchen.
