Linton. "The whole place is upset. I really wanted some work
done, but the men who should have been sinking a well were tacking up
ferns, and those whose mission in life is--or ought to be--hoeing out
ragwort were putting French chalk on the floor of my loft! Judging from
my brief inspection, it seemed to me that the latter occupation was far
more strenuous than the ragwort job; but they seemed much happier than
usual, and were working overtime without a struggle!"
"To hear you talk so patiently," quoth Norah, "no one would imagine
that you'd bought the French chalk yourself!" She perched on the arm of
his chair, and looked at him severely, while the boys laughed.
"The men are like a lot of kids to-day," Jim said. "Did you hear about
old Lee Wing, Dad? He was standing under the block and pulley after
they'd hoisted up the piano, and I expect the sight of the hook on the
end of the dangling rope was too much for the men, for they slipped it
through Wing's leather belt and hauled him up too! You should have seen
him, with his pigtail dangling, kicking at the end of the rope like the
spider in 'Little Miss Muffet!' They landed him in the loft, and Fred
Anderson insisted on waltzing with him, while one of the musicians
hammered out The Merry Widow on the piano.
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