Zeke was always in straits where money was concerned. No matter how hard he worked or how little money he spent upon himself he never could make both ends meet. One night he came home after a hard day's work in the hay-field. He found his wife sitting in the kitchen engaged in knitting, but she made no efforts at all to get supper for her husband. Zeke thought she looked a little paler than usual, but then he was used to that. The patient little woman never had a word of fault to find with him. She believed that Zeke was doing his best, and with that she was satisfied.
"Sick?" asked Zeke.
"No, I am not ill," answered his wife. "I feel as well as usual."
"Something is the matter with you and I know it," said Zeke. "I guess I will have to go to work and get my own supper. I am hungry."
"You will not find a crust of bread in the house," said his wife.
"You don't tell me!" exclaimed Zeke.
"I have looked the house over and I cannot find anything. You ate the last this morning."
"Bussin' on it!" gasped Zeke, backing toward the nearest chair. "And you did not have any?"
"I thought you were at work in the field and would need it more than I. So I let you take it all."
"Whew!" whistled Zeke. "And I thought there was not more than enough to keep a hen from starving when I ate it. Mr. Howard owes me five shillings, but I don't like to ask him for it."