IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL JUNE EVENING, SWEETER BECAUSE it happened to coincide with Emaline’s twenty-sixth birthday. Charlie Naudain and Calla Plessman drove out from town, the Lindquist brothers came in their Dodge Brothers truck, Vern Schneider arrived with Cecil Narrows and Earl Beckman, Luella came with Orie Bassett still in his sheriff’s uniform. Even Dexter McGuinty turned up sporting his pistols, although he hadn’t exactly been invited. Bo Willoughby brought his harmonica, Leif Hansen his fiddle, Leif’s brother Karl and Mink Provo had their battered guitars, and Pete Southern his banjo. Kitty Perks, who could sing like an angel and was so pretty everyone said she should be in the movies, performed a dozen songs with Leif and Bo and Jake doing harmony.

After Kitty sang, someone got a square dance going, with Leif doing the call and the couples clapping and swaying through the steps. After she had finished eating, Emaline poured herself a glass of wine. She usually didn’t drink at all, but she felt that she deserved a little reward after all the hard work of the spring. She danced with Jake, but with her belly beginning to act as an uncomfortable counterweight, she didn’t mind sitting down after a couple of dances. He danced a half dozen more dances with other women, then vanished just when the square dancing was getting started.

When he had been absent for half an hour, she got up and wandered into the house. She didn’t see him in the kitchen or the parlor, so she thought he must have gone out to the corrals to check on the horses. She wandered out to look. The horses were there all right, but there was still no sign of Jake. Maudie and her foal came to the rail. Emaline scratched the mare’s nose, feeling sorry that she hadn’t brought the usual apple tucked into her apron as a treat for the horse.

She was a little peeved with Jake. He was the fun-loving character who could never resist a party. This wingding had been his idea, he should be with their friends and neighbors. She was about to head back to the house when she thought to check the barn. She saw nothing at first, but she heard a noise from up in the haymow and climbed the ladder cautiously, afraid that a rat would jump out of the dark. She was halfway up when she saw Kitty Perks kneeling in the hay with her dress carefully folded beside her and her slim hips exposed. Jake was behind her, his dark brown hands on Kitty’s rump, pulling her to him. Kitty’s long, reddish brown hair was undone. It fell down over her face, her breasts swayed in rhythm to the slap of Jake’s groin against her behind. Kitty made a high, whining sound in her throat and seemed to enjoy it much more than Emaline ever had.