d slowly, wagging his
tail in placid contentment and ruminating upon his experiences.

At last the old man said cheerfully, "Shall I take you around by the
inn?"

Hawker started and seemed to wince at the question. Perhaps he was about
to interrupt, but the girl cried: "Oh, will you? Take us right to the
door? Oh, that will be awfully good of you!"

"Why," began Hawker, "you don't want--you don't want to ride to the inn
on an--on an ox wagon, do you?"

"Why, of course I do," she retorted, directing a withering glance at
him.

"Well----" he protested.

"Let 'er be, William," interrupted the old man. "Let 'er do what she
wants to. I guess everybody in th' world ain't even got an ox wagon to
ride in. Have they?"

"No, indeed," she returned, while withering Hawker again.

"Gee! Gee! Whoa! Haw! Git-ap! Haw! Whoa! Back!"

After these two attacks Hawker became silent.

"Gee! Gee! Gee there, blast--s'cuse me. Gee! Whoa! Git-ap!"

All the boarders of the inn were upon its porches waiting for the dinner
gong. There was a surge toward the railing as a middle-aged woman passed
the word along her middle-aged friends that Miss Fanhall, accompanied
by Mr. Hawker, had arrived on the ox cart of Mr. Hawker's father.

"Whoa! Ha! Git-ap!" said the old man in more subdued tones. "Whoa there,
Red! Whoa, now! Wh-o-a!"

Hawker helped the girl to alight, and she paused for a moment conversing
with the old man about the oxen. Then she ran smiling up the steps to
meet the Worcester girls.

"Oh, such a lovely time! Those dear old oxen--you should have been with
us!"

CHAPTER XV.

"Oh, Miss Fanhall!"

"What is it, Mrs. Truscot?"

"That was a great prank of yours last night, my dear. We all enjoyed the
joke so much."

"Prank?"

"Yes, your riding on the ox cart with that old farmer and that young Mr.
What's-his-name, you know. We all thought it delicious. Ah, my dear,
after all--don't be offended--if we had your people's wealth and
position we might do that sort of unconventional thing, too; but, ah, my
dear, we can't, we can't! Isn't the young painter a charming man?"

Out on the porch Hollanden was haranguing his friends. He heard a step
and glanced over his shoulder to see who was about to interrupt him. He
suddenly ceased his oration, and said, "Hello! what's the matter with
Grace?" The heads turned promptly.

As the girl came toward them it could be seen that her cheeks were very
pink and her eyes were flas