INTRODUCTION. 33 



face the bank book, where on the right side of the 

 page was a credit balance of $800. The debt was paid. 

 The tiles were laid, or a lot of them were laid at any 

 rate, the barns were built, the home was paid for 

 and there was actually money in the bank! The 

 writer feels that there are many happy days ahead 

 of him, but never again expects to experience the 

 relief, the thankfulness, the joy that came to him 

 when his first victory was won for Woodland Farm, 

 and the brothers fully shared the feeling. 



The writer jumped into his old buggy and drove 

 home, his face wreathed in smiles and his heart 

 singing a joyous song. As he neared his home the 

 thought came : ' ' Why, I will have some fun with 

 the sweetheart. I will make believe the thing has 

 ended badly. I will tell her some sort of story to 

 deceive her, just at first ; afterward I will undeceive 

 her." But when he drew near the little cottage she 

 stood there in the open door waiting for him to come, 

 looking out at him, all unconscious, yet on her face 

 was revealed all that the thing meant to her, and his 

 heart became suddenly very tender and it came over 

 him with a shock of understanding. "Why, I never 

 dreamed that the girl cared like this. Did she per- 

 haps wonder whether the home would be sold, the 

 place where she, had planted flowers and vines, the 

 place where her babies were born? Where she had 

 been so brave, so strong, so patient and helpful all 

 these years, and yet cared so much as this!" So 

 all his foolish stories were put aside and he told her 

 the glad truth. 



