228 HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 



grin like that right in the middle of a grouch. 

 "Yes, that's some comfort," he agreed. "But 

 there's not comfort enough in it to keep me 

 from being mad. I'm mad." 



"Forget it!" I said lightly. "This is Satur- 

 day night. You'll have a good rest to-mor- 



row." 



"I don't want to rest," he snapped. "I don't 

 care if I never rest. I don't get mad because 

 I have to work hard; it's because the other 

 man don't want to. If he'd hold up his 



end And I don't seem to get ahead at it 



any faster than he does." 



"You get a steady job," I said. 



"I get a steady chance to keep right on 

 workin' my fool head off!" he retorted. "And 

 I like to loaf as well as the next man too, when 

 I can see my way to it. I ain't sure they 

 haven't got the best of it." 



Well, that's an old, old question, of course ; 

 but it's everlastingly a live, brand-new ques- 

 tion on the farm, where you can't possibly see 

 instant results of your work. The curious 

 thing about it is that the more forehanded you 

 are and the busier you keep, the less chance 

 there is of measuring effects. So many, many 

 "ifs" creep in! 



