All of these persons, excepting the infant, were eating
sandwiches.

At the sight of the little man and the tall horse, the former spattered
with mud, smeared with the earth of the plowed field, and crowned with a
misshapen hat with the expansive hole in the top, the sandwich-eaters
stopped eating, gazed open-eyed, and then burst out laughing. Mr.
Tippengray did not laugh; his eyes still glittered.

It was half an hour before the tale was told, order restored, and Mr.
Tippengray had washed his face and hands in the brook and taken
refreshment. Then he found himself alone with Mrs. Cristie.

"Truly you have had a hard time," said she, kindly.

"Madam," answered the Greek scholar, "you are entirely correct. This has
been an unfortunate day for me. I have been cunningly entrapped, and
heartlessly deserted; I have been nearly frightened out of my wits; have
had my soul nearly burned out of my body, and have been foully
besmirched with dirt and mud. But, worse than all, I have heard myself
made the subject of contempt and contumely."

"How is that?" exclaimed Mrs. Cristie. "I do not understand."

"I will quickly make it plain to you," said the indignant scholar, and
he related the conversation he had overheard.

"What a shameful way to speak of you, Mr. Tippengray!" cried Mrs.
Cristie. "I did not suppose that Mr. Beam would dare to say such things
to one whom he knew to be your friend. I have no doubt that if I had not
called Ida at that moment, you would have heard her resent that
disrespectful speech."

"I hope so; with all my heart, I hope so," replied the Greek scholar.

He said this with so much feeling that his companion looked at him a few
moments without speaking.

"Mr. Tippengray," she said presently, "it is time for us to go home. How
would you like to take Ida Mayberry back in your cart?"

The brightness in the eyes of the Greek scholar changed from the glitter
of indignation to gleams of joy.

"Madam," said he, "I should like it of all things. It would remove from
the anticipated pleasures of this day the enormous Alpha privative which
has so far overshadowed them."

The young widow did not exactly comprehend this answer, but it was
enough to know that he was glad to accept the opportunity she offered
him. No sooner had he spoken than Mr. Tippengray remembered the hazards
to which he was exposing himself by again taking the reins of
Hammerstein, but not for an instant did he think of drawing back.