rnent that the girl suggested . Pulling up beside her he asked , " How does he work with boots on ? These chains are going to work on him if I push him much . Nancy turned without a word and , bending over , she picked up a pair of boots . Lonny wondered to himself how she got into her Levis — they were so tight .
It was three in the afternoon when Lonny got back to the motel . He slowly opened the door to the darkened room and slipped inside . As he shut the door quietly , a voice said , " It ’ s about time you got back . Where have you been all this time ?” Lonny rubbed his eyes and said , " Uh ... I been working horses
and talking . Just talking .” " Since six forty-five this morning ?” Helen snapped , as she rolled over to take a nap . " 1 had to eat lunch all by myself ,” she mumbled , " and you said you would be back by ten this morning .” Lonny lay down beside her after taking off his shirt and , putting his hand on her shoulder , he said , " How do you feel , sugar ?” " Like I ’ m six months pregnant ,” she snapped . " Now leave me alone .” Lonny drifted off into a deep sleep as his mind whirled with a multitude of problems . As the events of the day flashed across his sleep-dulled memory he kept getting fleeting glimpses of a pretty young face and long blond hair blowing in the breeze .
Lonny awoke with a start as the phone rang beside the bed . Nothing could startle him like the rank jangling of a telephone when he was asleep . Trying to remember where he was , he sat up and reached for the phone , knocking it off the hook . Helen picked up the receiver and answered it as Lonny lay back down and rubbed his eyes . When he opened them he could tell by the look in Helen ’ s eyes that he was in trouble . " Who is this ?” she demanded , as she glared at Lonny . He sat up and said , " What ’ s the matter now ?” as Helen pitched the phone in his lap . Lonny answered and tried quickly to end the conversation , saying , " Uh , well . . . I ’ ve got a couple of horses going tonight and just can ’ t help you . Well , yes , but . . . OK , OK .” And he hung up . Helen was having a fit . " Who was that little flit ? She ’ s got a nerve , whoever she is : calling your motel room wanting to know if you ’ ve left for the showgrounds yet . I ’ ve got enough problems without you fooling around with every trim skirt that comes along . . . and you ...” Helen broke up , crying , and went into the bathroom . Lonny looked at his watch and almost had heart failure . It was twenty minutes until seven and he had a horse in the first class . As he drove up to the gate of the showgrounds the gatekeeper said , " Sorry , fellow . . . only exhibitors allowed in this gate . You ’ ll have to go around to the
front .” Lonny got mad and said , " Look , dammit . . . I am a trainer and I ’ ve got a horse in the first class .” The man shifted his Civitan Club hat to the back oi his head and , turning to his partner , said , " It ’ s amazing what some people will do to save a buck .” Slamcar reverse , he almost rammed the car behind him . A voice called , " Hey , Barnes . . . watch Jj '* Lonny looked up to see an old friend and said . Tell that nut that I ’ m a horse trainer and haven ’ t had a chance to put my exhibitor ’ s sticker on yet .” The man smiled and walked over to the gatekeepei who immediately waved Lonny through .
After paiking his car Lonny scrambled out with hi4 tie and his coat in his hand . He had gotten almosl halfway to the barn when he remembered his hat " I ’ ll just have to ride without one tonight ,” he saic to himself . When he got to his stable there were a lo of disturbed people waiting for him . Lonny musteret a smile and tried to act casual . " Good evening , folk ' . . . how is everybody ?” Roger Lane , who ownei
BANJO , the two-year-old colt that was to g0 in ih * first class , said , " Where in the hell have you been ? The show starts in exactly six minutes and you have * n ’ t even braided my horse . And M . L . tells me that you didn ’ t work him at all today eight . I got half a
notion to scratch him right now if you can ’ t do anv better than this .” Lonny wheeled around and said " I ’ ll tell you what , fella ... if you don ’ t like the wav I run things you get that nickel jug-headed s . o . b . out of here . . . NOW !” Several ladies in the group slowly turned around and walked together toward the other end of the stable . Mr . Lane said , " That might not be such a bad idea .” Looking at M . L ., who had remained silent throughout the conversation , the man said , " Where is my horse , boy ?” The boy looked at Lonny , who pointed toward the stall . " Get him out and let him have ' im .”
Lonny felt a lump in his throat and a hollow in his stomach as he saw BANJO being led away . The man leading him stopped , turned around , and said , " You
sure I got everything and we ’ re all squared away ? I don ’ t want to owe you one red cent .” Lonny laughed through a sick smile and said , " Yeah , man - you got it all . Including a horse that ’ s nothing but trouble .”
A week had passed and Lonny had decided not to try to make another show the coming weekend . Don Hill had come over to get it " straight from the horse ’ s mouth ,” as he put it . Lonny leaned back against the car and said , " Aw ... I guess everything just went wrong . I didn ’ t take but one good horse because I just didn ’ t like the judging set-up and then they ended up tying a pretty good horse show .” Without pausing
for a comment , Lonny took advantage of his opportunity to talk and added , " And then Helen blew her stack over nothing and we both overslept and I missed the first class and Roger Lane got mad and took BANJO to another trainer and then I got the gate on my mare and tied fifth in the aged gelding class and . . . well , you know the rest of it .” Don looked him
right in the eye and said , " Well . . . it ’ s tough going sometimes . When is Helen coming home from her mother ’ s ?”
( Next month — One Month To Go )
YEARLINGS FOR SALE !
SHOW PROSPECTS-FUTURITY COLTS ★
One black stud colt , outstanding in every way . This could be the one you have been looking for . ★ One beautiful roan filly with faultless conformation — and she can walk !
ic
EXCELLENT PEDIGREES These colts will please the most discriminating horseman .
WEANLINGS ALSO FOR SALE ★
MILLARD FARM Route 2 , Box 389 Tullahoma , Tennessee
__________ Phone ( 615 ) 455-2989
60 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse