Player Piano

Paul stops by the farm and tells Mr. Haycox to make special preparations for he and Anita’s visit to the farmhouse. Mr. Haycox will only do it as a favor for a friend, not as an order. Paul tells Anita to wear some old-fashioned barn dance clothes. She’s skeptical, but relents.

Paul picks her up for their anniversary celebration, which Anita wishes they would skip so Paul was prepared for work-related competition. They get into the old car, and shortly they spot Shepherd running along the side of the road, preparing for the competition:“‘That man’s got a lot of get up and go,’ said Anita. ‘He fills me full of lie down and die,’ said Paul” (172).

They drive into Homestead, near the saloon. Anita wants to go home. Paul tells her that he feels bad for these people, given all that Paul himself has in his life. Anita dismisses him. He reminds her that she would have been in Homestead, if not for marrying him. “You’re cruel, that’s what you are—just plain cruel” she tells him (177). Paul feels bad.

They pull up to the new farmhouse, which has been cleaned nicely and prepared by Mr. Haycox. Anita loves the new house, and immediately she begins to tell Paul all the ways she plans to renovate it.