"Let me see; I chopped wood, this morning; and I'd bought some corn of Perry--that is, of your uncle--and went over with the wagon to get it; and this afternoon I brought the wood I had chopped to the woodshed; and then I went out to look at my wheatfield, and almost bought a cow of another neighbor--but didn't quite make a bargain. And then I began to get ready to come to your party." "You must have worked awfully hard to get ready," said Phil, "for you were late getting here." "Well, I loafed around outside for an hour or so before I came in," and he smiled ruefully. "I'm not used to parties." "You seem to get on pretty well," said Phil reassuringly. One of the waiters had brought them ice-cream and cake, and after she had tasted the cake Phil caught Rose Bartlett's eye and expressed ecstasy and gratitude by a lifting of the head, a closing of the eyes, a swift folding of the hands. "How are you going to amuse yourself out there by yourself all winter?" she remarked to Fred; "I shouldn't think there would be much to do!" "Oh, there won't be any trouble about that! I've got plenty to do and then I want to do some studying, too. I'm going up to the University in January to hear lectures--farming and stock-raising and things like that. Perry has put me up to it. And then in between times I want to get acquainted with the neighbors; they're all mighty nice people and kind and friendly. That sounds pretty stupid, doesn't it?" "Well, it sounds wholesome if not wildly exciting. I've lost my job. They took my kitchen away from me just as I was getting started; and I haven't anything much to do--except being sociable." "Of course, you've come out now, and you'll be going to receptions and dances all the time." "I can't exactly cry O joy, O joy at the thought of it. There must have been gypsies in my family somewhere. You'll think I'm crazy, but I'd like to go out right now and run a mile. But there will be skating afterwhile; and snowstorms to go walking in. I like walking in snowstorms,--the blustering kind where you can't see and go plunking into fences."