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 her?  “It is more than I planned for, I know, but I do not see how I could use less without losing precious time.  We started into this thing with the theory that the more we put into it, without waste, the more we would ultimately get out of it.  Our theory is just as sound to-day as it was five months ago.”

“We will win out all right in the end, Mr. Headman, for we will not put the price-mark on health, freedom, happiness, or fun, until we have seen the debit side of the ledger.”

“How much do you want to spend for the house?” said I.

“Do you mean the house alone?”

“No; the house and carriage barn.  I’ll pay for the trees, shrubs, and kickshaws in the gardens and lawns.”

“You started out with a plan for a $10,000 house, didn’t you?  Well, I don’t think that’s enough.  You ought to give me $15,000 for the house and barn and let me see what I can do with it; and you ought to give it to me right away, so that you cannot spend it for pigs and foolish farm things.”

“I’ll do it within ten days, Polly; and I won’t meddle in your affairs if you will agree to keep within the limit.”

“It’s a bargain,” said Polly, “and the house will be much more livable than this one.  What do you think we could sell this one for?”

“About $33,000 or $34,000, I think.”

“And will you sell it?”

“Of course, if you don’t object.”

“Sell, to be sure; it would be foolish to keep it, for we’ll be country folk in a year.”