Gathering the herd took a few days. Rolfe had returned to his usual state of health. When MacDonald and Rolfe left, they were confident that all was right in their world. The influenza epidemic he and Anna had read about in St. Louis had spared them while they were there, and the entire Schmidt family—if you didn"t count the baby"s runny nose.
Two weeks after they left, Anna was wishing she had told MacDonald about her suspicions. There was no doubt in her mind. She was with child. She went about singing while she tended her house, the cow, and the draft horses for pulling the buggy and any farm work. She cut prairie grass with her scythe and raked it into a pile. She wondered where Kasper was as he had promised to check on her every few days. The last time he came he was brimming with ne
