Never has anything to say about himself but
whatever you start, that's what he wants to know about. And from the
friendly look in the mild gray eyes behind the thick panes, and the
earnest way he has of stretchin' his ear you'd think that what you was
tellin' him was the very thing he'd been livin' all these years to hear.
Then he has that trick of throwin' in "My word!" and "Just fancy that!"
sort of admirin' and enthusiastic, until you almost believe that you're
a lot cleverer and smarter than you'd suspected.

So when I gets on the subject of how we ducked payin' war prices for
vegetables to the local profiteers by raisin' our own he wants to know
all about it. With the help of Vee's set of books and a little promptin'
from her I gives him an earful. I even tows him down cellar and points
out the various bins and barrels full of stuff we've got stowed away for
winter. And next I has to drag him out and exhibit the poultry side
line.

"Oh, I say!" exclaims Basil. "Isn't that perfectly rippin'! You have
fresh eggs right along?"

"All we can use," says I. "And we're eatin' the he--hens whenever we
want 'em. Ducks, too."

"How clever!" says Basil. "But you Americans are always so good at
whatever you take up. And you such a hard drivin' business man, too! I
don't see how you manage it."

"Oh, it comes easy enough once you get the hang of it," says I. "As a
matter of fact, I'm only just startin' in. Next thing I mean to have is
a lot of turkeys. Might as well live high."

"Turkeys!" says Basil. "And I've heard they were so difficult to raise.
But I've no doubt you will make a huge success with them."

"Guess I'll just have to show you," says I, waggin' my head.

I was for gettin' some turkey eggs right away and rushin' along a flock
so they'd be ready by Christmas, but both Vee and Leon insists that it
can't be done. Seems it's too late in the season or something. They want
to wait until next spring.

"Not me," says I. "I've promised your Auntie I'd raise turkeys and I
gotta deliver the goods. If we can't start 'em from the seed what's the
matter with gettin' some sprouts? Ain't anybody got any young turkeys
that need bringin' up scientific?"

Well, I set Joe Cirollo to scoutin' around and inside of a week he has
connected with half a dozen. They comes in a crate as big as a piano box
and we turns 'em loose in the chicken yard. When I paid the bill I was
sure Joe had been stuck about two prices, but after I'v