Ben and Joe were often at odds. Joe was never on time to the breakfast table, constantly late for work, and shirking his duties for the schemes he devised. And Ben was always losing his temper with him.
So Joseph bet his father that he could keep from being late longer than Ben could keep from losing his temper. Ben agreed and it was decided that they would try it for thirty days, the stakes being if Joe won, Pa would double his month’s salary. But if he lost, he would lose an entire month’s pay.
The deal would start at noon that very day and before the clocked chimed the hour, Ben let Joe have one last bellow and demanded he get his feet “OFF THE SETTEE!!!”