Rock Island Argus., 1913-03-04

notebook that disconnected Bert Lyn.
wood and quite bored their fellow COM
muters. who were trying to read the
evening newspapers.
Bert Lynwood said his notebook was
home. As it was OF ledger size he
could not very well carry it to and fro
to business each day. but he was will
ing to prove that his own White Wy
andottes could not be beaten as egg
producers and that his profits at the
end Of the year would exceed those of
his neighbor.
prove it, then" challenged Preston.
smiling.
"Win you come over after supper"
asked the other. undaunted.
Yes"
To the relief of their fellow passen.
gers. the two chicken farmers changed
the subject. and no more was said
about the matter until they parted at
the Preston gate.
See you later" said Lynwood as he
went on to his own place.
BE sure to have that ledger ready"
scotfed his neighbor.
81 collected forty eggs today" an
nounced Mrs. Lynwood as they sat
down to supper.
That's doing pretty good" said her
husband. 81 don't believe Preston's
eggs are shelling out any better than
that"
Were Just even now. Mrs. Preston
counted her hens, and she has the same
number as we have. And it's the fun
niest thing. Bert-day by day we collect
the same quantity of eggs. There are
the same number Of lazy hens in each
yard" Mrs. Lynwood laughed cheer.
| fully.
"Humphr' grunted her husband. with
a doubling glance at the huge ledger
he had enthusiastically lugged home
when he went into the chicken raising
business. He wished now that he had
bought a notebook that would be more
/ in proportion to the small results he
had achieved. He was not satisfied
! with what he had accomplished. and
he had not yet balanced his book to
find out where he stood. Now he hur'
ried through his supper in order to
strike some sort Of a balance before
Preston appeared with his we'll tabu
lated facts.
"Preston's coming over after supper
TO compare his books with mine," he
explained as he took down the ledger
from its shelf beside the books on
poultry raising and stacks of govern
. on hn mn CVNh
He still believes his Rhode Island
Reds are the egg producing wonders
of the world"
"Nonsense" calculated Mrs. Lyn
wood as she cleared off the table. "Ai
If anybody would prefer those homely
orange colored creatures to our snow
white Wyandottes. They look so pret
ty against the green grass. don't they
Bert?" She leaned over her husbands
shoulder, and together they looked ou
OF the window at the flock of whit,
fowls trooping across the grass to
ward the chicken yard.
They do" agreed Lynwood, with /,
return of his old enthusiasm. "Bu
you know 1t isn't the color alone
Flora. This particular strain OF fow
is adapted for producing large quaint
ties of eggs. OF course they've onl!
been laying since March. and we can
tell just what the profit will prove L
be by the end OF the year in Septem
ber. Now. I've got to show Preston
that I'm beginning to make something
He claims he's cleared $500 SO far
and it's only July"
Did he count in the feed and tn,
cost OF the chicken houSes?" asked
Mrs Lynwood.
He says so. Let me see. Corn 70
eight months. ah-humr' Lynwood Sc
down the figures with a distrustfu
side glance at the meagre record o
egg receipts on the opposite page.
At the end of q half hour he looked
up from his ledger with a worried
frown creasing his brow. Flora. JUS
add this up will you. please 1t can
be possible that were S2.32 short ;ntc
all these eggs we've been getting"
Mrs. Lynwood came Obediently ant
verified her husbands figures. 'Tw
dollars and thirty two cents short o
what you've paid out" she said vexed
ly. Il suppose Mrs. Preston will croV
over me-"
"Cackle. you mean" said Lynwoo,
dryly as he tucked his bOOk under hi
arm and went out to the chicken yarC
It's up to Preston to do the cackIing
and here he is now"
His wife went into the house an
from a window watched the two meT
deep in discussion over Lynwood'
ledger.
Two thlrty-two. eh?" grinned Pre-
ton. Don't talk to me about Whit
Wyandottes, Bert! II you'd had m
|, sort you'd be showing some profit b
this time. How many eggs have 20
had altogether"
, Two hundred and two dozen" al
nounced Lynwood And ! guess 20
have had about the same My wit
says she and Mrs. Preston have tallie
accounts"
"Same here" returned Preston. wit
a puzzled glance at his notebOO
y Funny isn't il. old man: We've hs
about the same amount OF feed. and
} know our yards cost about the sam