"First fair you and me have missed in five years."
The boar sighed gustily and lay down in his consoling bath of mud.
Stud helped Gus give the bull and stallion their final beauty treatments, loaded the big bull into the wagon, and hitched the Percheron on behind. Early Ann gave the bow of blue ribbon on the stallion's tail a final twist and pat. Stud slipped Gus a twenty dollar bill. And off went the shining green wagon, its bright yellow wheels looking like huge sunflowers as they flashed in the sunlight. The tug links played a merry tune, the stallion whinnied gently, while Stud and Early Ann cheered the debonair farm hand on his way.
"You better bring home some cups and ribbons," Early Ann called after the retreating cavalcade.
"Trust me," shouted Gus, waving his derby.
The girl and man stood as if entranced until they could no longer hear the rattle of the wagon, and until the dust had settled on the roadway.
4
Sarah continued to feel ailing despite pink powders, herb tea, and a highly advertised variety of vegetable compound.
The work was thrown completely upon the shoulders of Early Ann. Stud would have been blind not to have noticed how well she bore up under this burden and how gladly she cared for Sarah. The girl could cook as fine a meal as he had ever tasted, and be as gay and fresh after hours over the cook stove as when she came clicking down the stairs with the chamber pots at four in the morning.