the irrevocable past, the past that is called back by various carefully entered items in Marion's account book, prominent among which looms payment of three hundred dollars for Emperor mining shares. It was one evening while I was engaged in preparing my weekly agricultural page for the Observer, and Marion was poring over her account book that she suddenly[Pg 105] dropped her pencil and exclaimed: "Henry!" [Pg 105] "Well?" I asked, with meek resignation, my brain beginning to stiffen, for I judged from her tone that she had arrived at some miraculous result in figures. "We've been living in the country four months," she said impressively, "and what do you think I find? We've actually paid more for butter and milk and vegetables than in any four months while we lived in the city." "How strange," I commented, trying to look interested. My wife smiled slightly, in a way that I find peculiarly irritating. "You're only pretending to listen," she said, "and you couldn't possibly understand while you look like that." My weariness vanished; I started up indignantly. "While I look like what?" I demanded. Marion laughed. "That's better," she said. "I'd rather see you look angry than stupid. Now I'll try again to get your attention. Do you remember what you said[Pg 106] when I gave you the choice of a lawn-mower or a hammock for your birthday?" [Pg 106] I did remember. I had made a swift calculation at the time that a hammock would be easier to run, so I had urged Marion not to go to the expense of a lawn-mower, reminding her also that it might properly be ranked among the tabooed farm implements. "Certainly," I answered, at a loss to know what was coming, "I said I would prefer a hammock." "And do you remember that you promised to hire or borrow one of Peter's cows to crop the grass on the lawn?" "Well, I didn't exactly promise. I said it would be easy enough to get one." "And now the grass is as long as hay. Why didn't you do it?" I frowned, for I hate insistent, unnecessary questions,—questions that are bound to lead up to some unpleasant climax that it would be better to avoid. I could stand
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