time of my life" in the spending, and I would
not whine. I felt a little nervous when I thought of going over the
figures with Polly,--she was such a judicious spender of money. But I
knew her criticism would not be severe, for she was hand-in-glove with
me in the project. I tried to find fault with myself for wastefulness,
but some excellent excuse would always crop up. "Your water tower is
unnecessary." "Yes, but it adds to the landscape, and it has its use."
"You have put up too much fencing." "True, but I wanted to feel secure,
and the old fences were such nests of weeds and rubbish." "You have
spent too much money on the farm-house." "I think not, for the laborer
is worthy of his hire, and also of all reasonable creature comforts."
And thus it went on. I would not acknowledge myself in the wrong; nor,
arguing how I might, could I find aught but good in my labors. I
devoutly hoped to be able to put the matter in the same light when I
stood at the bar in Polly's judgment hall.

The day was clear, cool, and stimulating. A fair fall of snow lay on the
ground, clean and wholesome, as country snow always is. 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.

"Do you know how much it is?" said Polly.

"Not within a million!" I was reckless then, and hoped the total would
be great, for had not Polly said that she knew I had got the worth of my
money? And who was to gainsay