CHAPTER LII 



THE THIRD BECKONING 



ON the afternoon of December 31 I called a 

 meeting of the committee of ways and means, 

 and Polly and I locked ourselves in my office. 

 It was then two and a half years since we com- 

 menced the experiment of building a factory 

 farm, which was to supply us with comforts, 

 luxuries, and pleasures of life, and yet be self- 

 supporting : a continuous experiment in eco- 

 nomics. 



The building of the factory was practically 

 completed, though not all of its machinery had 

 yet been installed. We had spent our money 

 freely, too freely, perhaps ; and we were now 

 ready to watch the returns. Polly said : 



" There are some things we are sure of : we 

 like the country, and it likes us. I have spent 

 the happiest year of my life here. WeVe enter- 

 tained more friends than ever before, and they've 

 been better entertained, so that we are all right 

 from the social standpoint. You are stronger 

 . , and better than ever before, and so am I. Credit 

 the farm with these things, Mr. Headman, and 

 you'll find that it doesn't owe us such an awful 

 amount after all." 



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