thing at
all.

He must have seen how excited we were. By the time he was inside the
veranda door he'd reached into his wallet and pulled out a long
envelope.

"Here's your schedule," he said. "Your tickets are all made out for
next week's flight."

Martha's hand crept into mine. "You've been so kind," she whispered.

* * * * *

We went into the house and smiled at each other while Duane admired
the furniture and the farming district in general and our place in
particular. We hardly heard what he was saying.

When the doorbell rang we stared at each other. For a minute I
couldn't think who it might be. I'd forgotten our guests and their
surprise party, even the anniversary itself had slipped my mind.

"Hello in there," John Emery called. "Come on out, you two."

Martha pressed my hand once more. Then she stepped to the door and
opened it.

"Happy anniversary!"

We stood frozen. We'd expected only a few visitors, some of our
nearest neighbors. But the yard was full of people. They crowded up
our walk and in the road and more of them were still piling out of
cars. It looked as if everyone in the district was along.

"Come on out," Emery called. "You too, Duane."

The two men smiled at each other knowingly, and for just a moment I
had time to wonder why.

Then Martha clutched my arm. "You tell him, Lewis."

"John," I said. "We have a surprise for you too--"

He wouldn't let me finish. He took hold of my arm with one hand and
Martha's with the other and drew us outside where everyone could see
us.

"You can tell us later, Lewis," he said, "First we have a surprise for
you!"

"But wait--"

They crowded in around us, laughing and waving and calling "Happy
anniversary". We couldn't resist them. They swept us along with them
down the walk and into one of the cars.

I looked around for Duane. He was in the back seat, smiling somewhat
nervously. Perhaps he thought that this was normal farm life.

"Lewis," Martha said, "where are they taking us?"

"I don't know...."

The cars started, ours leading the way. It was a regular procession
back to the village, with everyone laughing and calling to us and
telling us how happy we were going to be with our surprise. Every time
we tried to ask questions, John Emery interrupted.

"Just wait and see," he kept saying. "Wait and see...."

* * * * *

At the end of the village square they'd put up a pl