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other end in petition with farmers who did not have the expense of shipping by mule train over the Rampart and across the prairie； I still subsidized our link with civilization by writing drafts on John Mage~ to be debited against my partnership in the Andy I。 and thereby brought things into the valley we would not otherwise have had。 Some I kept…Dora got inhouse running water from that first trip our own boys made； just in time to keep my promise to her； as Zack got Hilda pregnant right after they got back； and their first baby； Ingrid Dora； and the pletion of Dora's bathroom； arrived about together。 Other things I sold to other farmers for labor。 But the Buck strain of mules； strong； intelligent； and all of them capable of being taught to talk； eventually corrected our balance of trade； once those two wells were drilled on the prairie and I … could count on running a string of mules to Separation Center without losing half of them。 This meant medicines； books； and many other things for our valley。
（Omitted） …
Lazarus Long did not intend to surprise his wife。 But neither of them ever knocked on their own bedroom door。 Finding it closed； he opened it gently against the possibility that she might be napping。 …
Instead he found her standing at the window； mirror angled to the light； carefully plucking a long gray hair。
；He watched her in shocked dismay。 Then steadied himsell and said； 〃Adorable…〃
〃Oh！〃 She turned。 〃You startled me。 I didn't hear you e in； dear。〃
〃I'm sorry。 May I have that？〃…
〃Have what； Woodrow？〃
He went to her； bent down and picked up the silver hair。 〃This。 Beloved； every hair of your head is precious to me。 May I keep it？〃
She did not answer。 He saw that her eyes were filled with tears。 They started to overflow。 〃Dora。 Dora；〃 he repeated urgently； 〃why are you crying； beloved？〃
〃I'm sorry； Lazarus。 I did not intend for you to see me doing this。〃
〃But why do it at all； Dorable？ I have far more gray hair than you。〃
She answered what he had not said； rather than what he did say。 〃Dearest； I can't help it that I know wh~n someone is…well； 'fibbing' I must call it since you have never lied to me。〃
… 〃Why； Dorable！ My hair is gray。〃
〃Yes； sir。 You did not mean to surprise me； I know 。 。 and
I did not mean to snoop when I cleaned your study。 I found
your cosmetics kit； Lazarus； more than a year ago。 It's sort of
a fib； i…sn't it？…when you do something to make your crisp
red hair look gray？ Something like what I do； I suppose；
when I pluck hairs that are gray。〃
〃You've been plucking gray hairs since you learned that I have been aging myself？ Oh； dear！〃
？〃No； no； Lazarus！ I've been plucking them for ages。 Much longer than that。 Heavens； darling； I'm a great…grandmother
…and look it。 But what you do…careful as you are with it… and kind as it is for you to try…and I do appreciate it！… doesn't makeyou look my age； it just makes you look pre…maturely gray。〃
〃Possibly。 Although I'm entitled to gray hair； Dorable…my hair was snow…white not many years before you were born。 It took something much more drastic than cosmetics…or plucking hairs…to make me look young again。 But there never seemed to be any reason to mention it。〃
He stepped up to her； put an arm around her waist； took
…the mirror and tossed it on the bed； turned her toward the window。 ~'Dora； your years are an achievement； not something to hide。 Look out there。 Farmhouses right up to the hills and many more we can't see from here。 How many of our Happy Valley？people are descended from your slim body？〃
〃I've never counted。〃
… 〃I have； more than half of them…and I'm proud of you。 Your breasts are baby…chewed； your belly shows stretch marks
…your decorations of honor； Adorable One。 Of valor。 They make you ；n；ore beautiful。 So stand straight and tall； my lovely； and forget about silver hairs。 Be what you are； and be it in style！〃
〃Yes； Lazarus。 I don't mind them myself…I did it to please you。〃
〃Dorable； you can't help pleasing me； you always have。 Do you want me to let my own hair go back to natural？ It's not dangerous for me to be a …Howard…here in Happy Valley with my own kin all around me。〃
〃I don't care； darling。 Just don't do it on my account。 If it makes it easier for you…First Settler and all that…to look a little older； then do it。〃
〃It does make it easier when I deal with other people。 And it's no trouble； I know the routine …so well I could do it in my sleep。 But； Dora…listen to me； darling。 Zack Briggs will call at Top Dollar sometime in the next ten years； you saw John's …letter。 It's not too late to go to Secundus。 There they can make you look like a young girl again if that's what you want 。 and tack a good many extra years on； too。 Fifty。 Maybe a hundred。〃
She was slow in answering。 〃Lazarus； are you urging me to do this？〃 …
〃I'm offering it。 But it's your body； most dear one。 Your life。〃 …
She stared out the window。 〃'More than half of them；' you
said。〃…
〃With the percentage increasing。 Our kids breed like cats。 And so do their kids。〃 …
〃Lazarus； truly we settled this many； many years ago。 But it is even more so now。 I don't want to leave our valley even to visit the outside。 I don't want to leave our children~Nor ~ur children's children； nor their children。 And I certainly wod not want to e back looking like a young girl 。 。 to watch
the births of our great。~great…grandchiIdren。 You're right； I've earned my cray hairs。 And now I'll wear them！〃
〃That's the girl I married！ That's my durable Dora！〃 He mov~d his hand up higher； cupped a breast and tickled a nipple。 She jumped； then relaxed to it。 〃I knew your answer； but I had to ask。 My darling； age cannot wither you； nor custom stale your inhlnite variety。 Where other women satiate； you most make hungry！〃
She smiled。 〃I'm not Cleopatra； Woodrow。〃
〃Wench； that's your opinion。 But what's your opinion against mine？ Rangy Lii； I've seen thousands and thousands more women than you have…and I say that you make Cleopatra look homely。〃
〃Blarney tongue；〃 she said softly。 〃I'm sure you've never had a woman turn you down。〃
〃True only because I never risk being turned down； I wait to be asked。 Always。〃 …
〃Are you waiting to be asked？ All right； I'm asking。 Then
I'd better start dinner。〃……？
〃Don't be in such a hurry； Lil。 First I'm going to dump you on that bed。 Then I'm going to flip your skirt up。 Then I'm going to see if I can find any gray hair at that end。 If so； i'll pluck them for you。〃
〃Beast。 Scoundrel。 Lecherous old goat。〃 She smiled in delight。 〃I thought we weren't going to bother anymore with plucking gray hairs？〃
〃We were speaking of hair on your head； Great…Grandmother。 But this other end is as young as ever…and better than ever…so we'll most carefully pluck any gray from your pretty…your pretty brown curls。〃
〃Sweetest old goat。 If you can find any； you're wele。 But I've been plucking that end even more carefully than my scalp。 Let me slip this dress off。〃
〃Wups！ Hold it。 That's Rangy Lil； the horniest bitch in Happy Valley； always in a hurry。 Get your dress off if you wish； but I'm going to find Lurton and tell him to saddle up Best Boy and go~beg supper and a shakedown from his sister Marje and Lyle。 Then I'll be back to pluck。。。those disgraceful gray curls。 Supper will be late； I'm afraid。〃 …
〃I don't mind if you don't； beloved。〃
〃That's my Lil。 Darling； there isn't a man in the valley who wouldn't grab you and try to find another valley if you gave him the slightest encouragement…that includes your own sons
and your sons…in…law……every ma1~ here…？down to fourteen。〃 …
〃Oh； not true！ Blarney again。'~
〃Want td bet？ On second thought we won't waste time plucking gray hairs at either end。 When I get back