I wished that
the house was finished (it was not begun), and that the family was with
me in it. "Another Christmas time will find us here, God willing, and
many a one thereafter."
I spent three hours at the farm, doing a little business and a lot of
mooning, and then returned to town. The children were off directly after
dinner, intent on holiday festivities, so that Polly and I had the house
to ourselves. I felt that we needed it. I invited my partner into the
den, lighted a pipe for consolation, unlocked the drawer in which the
farm ledger is kept, gave a small deprecatory cough, and said:--
"My dear, I am afraid I have spent an awful lot of money in the last
five months. You see there is such a quantity of things to do at once,
and they run into no end of money. You know, I--"
"Of course I know it, and I know that you have got the worth of it,
too."
Wouldn't that console you! How was I to know that Polly would hail from
that quarter? I would have kissed her hand, if she would have permitted
such liberty; I kissed her lips, and was ready to defend any sum total
which the ledger dare show.
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