me been such that he could
do much of it in his room if he chose; indeed, there were times--a
day, occasionally--when it was not necessary to go near the office.
Consequently when he repaired to the country with his unique wife, he
thought his affairs were admirably adapted to a dual existence.

It was in the merry month of April when they landed. I use the latter
term advisedly, for they were indeed upon a foreign shore. All about
them Nature was giving evidence of a present awakening from her long
nap. With her quickening circulation there was increased warmth, and
in this the snow speedily slipped away. A chorus of songsters came out
to greet the newly wedded pair, and sang so sweetly of love that
Steve's delicate, sensitive nature thrilled in response. Nannie
listened and looked at them askance, but to her they spoke, like our
opera singers, in a foreign tongue.

Now, this breaking Steve from off his natural tree and grafting him
upon an alien bough occasioned some changes. From being cheerful,
slow, and gentle he suddenly became anxious, hasty, and at times
dictatorial.

"You must have a garden," one of his neighbors said.

Steve went to work like a galley slave upon his spare days, and dug,
and raked, and planted.

"You must keep bees," said another of the neighbors.

Steve bought two hives at once.

"You must keep chickens," said another neighbor, a sort of two-edged
woman, who dwelt over across the swamp and whose scolding voice could
be heard for miles.

So Steve bought thirteen hens and a rooster.

"You must have a cow," said a fourth neighbor, and he promptly sold
Steve a cantankerous beast that wanted to rival him in authority, and
indeed for a time ran the place.

"You must have a cat," said an old woman who wanted to get rid of an
unamiable Thomas, and Steve brought him home in a sack caterwauling
all the way.

"You must get a dog," said a man who had a bull terrier for sale.

"I've got one!" bawled Steve--the man was deaf.

"Bull terrier?"

"No, Scotch! and he's all I want!" and Steve closed the front door
with needless vigor.

"What did you buy those nasty hens for?" asked Nannie, who did not
like chickens.

"Oh, they'll give us something good to eat. It will be so nice to go
out every morning and bring in some new-laid eggs for breakfast.
You'll like to do that, Nannie."

"I guess you'd better," she said with a peculiar look.

So the next morning Steve tiptoed out, through the w