[pg 114]Rollo was not much alarmed, for he thought he should have ample time to do it before the three days should have expired.
It was just at night that Rollo received his notice. He worked a little the next morning; but his heart was not in it much, and he left it before he had made much progress. The weeds were well rooted and strong, and he found it much harder to get them up than he expected. The next day, he did a little more, and, near the latter part of the afternoon, Jonas saw him running about after butterflies in the yard, and asked him if he had got his work all done.
“No,” said he; “but I think I have got more than half done, and I can finish it very early to-morrow.”
“To-morrow!” said Jonas. “To-morrow is Sunday, and you cannot work then.”
“Is it?” said Rollo, with much surprise and alarm; “I didn't know that. What shall I do? Do you suppose my father will count Sunday?”
“Yes,” said Jonas, “I presume he will. He said, three days, without mentioning any thing about Sunday.”
[pg 115]Rollo ran for his hoe. He had become much attached to his ground, and was very unwilling to lose it; but he knew that his father would rigorously insist on his forfeiting it, if he failed to keep the conditions. So he went to work as hard as he could.
It was then almost sundown. He hoed away, and pulled up the weeds, as industriously as possible, until the sun went down. He then kept on until it was so dark that he could not see any longer, and then, finding that there was considerable more to be done, and that he could not work any longer, he sat down on the side of his little wheelbarrow, and burst into tears.
He knew, however, that it would do no good to cry, and so, after a time, he dried his eyes, and went in. He could not help hoping that his father would not count the Sunday; and “If I can only have Monday,” said he to himself, “it will all be well.”
He went in to ask his father, but found that he had gone away, and would not come home until quite late. He begged his mother to let him sit up until he came [pg 116]home, so that he could ask him, and, as she saw that he was so anxious and unhappy about it, she consented. Rollo sat at the window watching, and, as soon as he heard his father drive up to the door, he went out, and, while he was getting out of the chaise, he said to him, in a trembling, faltering voice,