when she wouldn't of trusted him to any of the younger, dancing set.
And Cousin Egbert pretty near made him late for his great engagement to
auction off the strange preserves. It was on this third day of the fair,
and Genevieve May was highly excited about it.

She had her stock set up in tiers against the wall and looking right
imposing in the polished glass; and she had a box in front where the
Frenchman would stand when he did the auctioning.

That hall was hot, let me tell you, with the high sun beating down on the
thin boards. I looked in a minute before the crowd come, and it looked
like them preserves had sure had a second cooking, standing there day
after day.

And this Cousin Egbert, when he should of been leading the Frenchman back
to Horticultural Hall to the auction block, was dragging him elsewhere to
see a highly exciting sight. So he said. He was innocent enough. He
wanted to give that Frenchman a good time, he told me afterward. So he
tells him something is going to take place over at the race track that
will thrill him to the bone, and come on quick and hurry over!

The Frenchman is still using one crutch and the crowd is already surging
in that direction; but after finding out it ain't any more silos or
windmills, he relies on Cousin Egbert that it really is exciting, and
they manage to get through the crowd, though it was excited even now
and stepped on him and pushed him a lot.

Still he was game, all right. I've always said that. He was about as
excited as the crowd; and Cousin Egbert was, too, I guess, by the time
they had pushed up to the railing. I guess he was wondering what Wild
Western kind of deviltry he was going to see now. Cousin Egbert had told
him it wasn't a horse race; but he wouldn't tell him what it was, wishing
to keep it for a glad surprise when the Frenchman would see it with his
own eyes.

"Just you wait one minute now!" says Cousin Egbert. "You wait one minute
and I bet you'll be glad you got through that rough crowd with me. You'd
go through ten crowds like that, crutch or no crutch, to see what's going
to be here."

The poor man was kind of used up, but he stands there waiting for the
thrill, with Cousin Egbert beaming on him fondly, like a father that's
going in one minute to show the little tots what Santa Claus brought 'em
on the tree.

Then the Frenchman hears a familiar roar and a airplane starts up from
the lower end of the field inside the track.

"There!" s