238 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



fuel. Your well-being is my direct responsibility 

 up to a point, so just get back at once to the 

 bluff, and presently I will come along with the 

 hatchet, and clean for you." 



All the afternoon he sulked. He was so slow in 

 getting down the poles that he had time to muse a 

 hundred grievances. At supper-time he gave me a 

 week's notice. 



It was rather trying. Over our six months' 

 arrangement, providing he took fair care of my stock 

 and belongings as I believe he would have done, 

 both of us would score. But if he left at the moment 

 I had to pay him at an excellent rate of wages for 

 the work of an amateur, and a very slow although 

 a very promising amateur. 



In the anger of the moment I said I would not 

 pay him according to the higher, but the average 

 rate ; and, in his anger of the moment, he said it 

 was exactly the thing that every one had prophesied 

 would happen if he hired on with a woman. 



" You have been gossiping about me," I said. 

 " That concludes the argument. You leave to- 

 morrow morning." 



"Oh, but I couldn't," he protested. "I'll 

 stay on a week or until you are suited if you can't 

 easily find anyone. But you can't possibly be left 

 alone with all the winter chores to do. What would 

 every one say ! " 



" That is the last thing that matters," I replied. 

 " You leave to-morrow morning. Not to-night, 

 because of the snow." 



In the morning I paid the full extent of his claim 

 at the full rate and he left. The story probably 

 proves me arbitrary and severe ; but I was still 



