96 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



the wrong; nor, arguing how I might, could I 

 find aught but good in my labors. I devoutly 

 hoped to be able to put the matter in the same 

 light when I stood at the bar in Polly's judgment 

 hall. 



The day was clear, cool, and stimulating. A 

 fair fall of snow lay on the ground, clean and 

 wholesome, as country snow always is. I wished 

 that the house was finished (it was not begun), 

 and that the family was with me in it. " Another 

 Christmas time will find us here, God willing, 

 and many a one thereafter." 



I spent three hours at the farm, doing a little 

 business and a lot of mooning, and then returned 

 to town. The children were off directly after 

 dinner, intent on holiday festivities, so that Polly 

 and I had the house to ourselves. I felt that we 

 needed it. I invited my partner into the den, 

 lighted a pipe for consolation, unlocked the 

 drawer in which the farm ledger is kept, gave a 

 small deprecatory cough, and said : 



" My dear, I am afraid I have spent an awful 

 lot of money in the last five months. You see 

 there is such a quantity of things to do at once, 

 and they run into no end of money. You know, 

 I " 



" Of course I know it, and I know that you 

 have got the worth of it, too." 



Wouldn't that console you! How was I to 

 know that Polly would hail from that quarter ? 

 I would have kissed her hand, if she would have 



