40 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



course if you wait on people — you may. And only 

 yesterday you strongly advised me to renew his 

 engagement at higher pay ! " 



" I said he was a good man, and so he is ; but 

 who do you suppose is going to work for a woman 

 in this country without taking advantage of her 

 ignorance ? If you get rid of him, where will you 

 be ? I can't do all the work that is waitin' to be 

 done in this place. And you simply can't get labour 

 for love or money ! " 



" Can't I ? Two real workmen called to ask for 

 a job yesterday, and only asked a dollar fifty a day. 

 ' The Great Boaster ' may be a good man at his 

 work on the rare occasions when he puts his power 

 into practice ; but he is far more reliable at resting 

 from his labour. He can take twenty dollars for 

 twelve days' work if he chooses, but I shall dictate 

 the work, and shall expect him to do it, and not 

 merely bounce about what he has done for other 

 people. You can tell him that I say so." 



However, there was no need. Through the stove- 

 pipe in Canadian houses sound carries very clearly ; 

 in this way a candid opinion has often flown straight 

 home. On that morning the Great Boaster heard 

 mine. 



" Find fault with my work ! And a woman too ! 

 Not another day ! Tell her to have the dollars 

 ready. I quit — after dinner." 



I had to pay him by cheque, and in Canada the 

 cost of exchange not only between one bank and 

 another, but between branches of the same company 

 located in different cities, is twenty-five cents. In 

 drawing the cheque I naturally allowed for this 

 cost of exchange. He received it like an injured 



