VICTORIA DAY 175 



Good Friday we sowed, and Arbour Day I never 

 reckon to count for much. A man may as well sow 

 oats for work as plant trees an' call it holiday. But 

 I guess Victoria Day is gettin' to be something pretty 

 good." 



" Of course," I said. " You keep her birthday for 

 one of your holidays, don't you ? I remember 

 passing through Toronto last year on Victoria 

 Day." 



" We don't set much store by kings and queens 

 in this country, but I guess that Queen Victoria 

 was a real good woman," observed the Good 

 Samaritan. 



" So they tell," agreed the teamster. " And not a 

 bit stuck up on herself neither, for all she was the 

 first woman in the world, an' dollars enough to 

 buy out the whole outfit ! Victoria Day is gettin' 

 to be pretty middlin' good holiday all right ! If it 

 wasn't for the breakin' I guess I'd be going down to 

 the picnic myself." 



" Well, I guess it ain't often you've missed a 

 holiday or a picnic neither. My, you bet there'll 

 be a crowd ! Dave and Danny've got up a horse- 

 racin' match — ten dollars aside. Twenty dollars 

 collected up to yesterday four o'clock for the kids' 

 sports ! And the Indians bringin' in their ponies 

 for the races this three days. They are all camped 

 out by the lake side." 



" Is Danny going to run his sorrel mare 'gainst 

 Dave's pinto ? I guess my Charley horse could 

 knock 'em both out," said Roddy, with his heart 

 in his eyes, and eyes and heart many miles away 

 from my upturned acres. 



*' You had better go," I suggested. " A holiday 



