e long hard winter was over. The people of De Smet, South Dakota, came outdoors and began to live again. They held church socials, dances, and "literaries". In the summer, Laura took a grueling job - making shirts, through long hard hours. She wanted the money to help send Mary to the college for the blind in Vinton, Iowa. Suddenly, Laura was a young lady. And who but the dashing Almanzo Wilder escorted her home in the evenings!