ular hours like
other people; but here he is now. Hester, bring in some hot cakes. Mrs.
Cristie, allow me to introduce Mr. Tippengray."

[Illustration: MR. TIPPENGRAY.]

The appearance of the Greek scholar surprised Mrs. Cristie. She had
expected to see a man in threadbare black, with a reserved and bowed
demeanor. Instead of this, she saw a bright little gentleman in neat
summer clothes, with a large blue cravat tied sailor fashion. He was not
a young man, although his hair being light the few portions of it which
had turned gray were not conspicuous. He was a man who was inclined to
listen and to observe rather than to talk, but when he had anything to
say he popped it out very briskly.

Mr. Petter, having finished his breakfast, excused himself and retired,
and Mrs. Petter remarked to Mr. Tippengray that she was sorry he had not
taken his evening meal with them the day before.

"I took such a long walk," said the Greek scholar, "that I concluded to
sup in Lethbury."

"Those Lethbury people usually take tea at five," said his hostess.

"But I'm not a Lethbury person," said he, "and I took my tea at seven."

Mrs. Petter looked at him with twinkles in her eyes.

"Of course you went to the hotel," she said.

Mr. Tippengray looked at her with twinkles in his eyes.

"Madam," said he, "have you noticed that those large blue-jays that were
here in the spring have almost entirely disappeared. I remember you used
to object to their shrill pipes."

"Which is as much as to say," said Mrs. Petter, "you don't care to
mention where you took tea yesterday."

"Madam," said Mr. Tippengray, "the pleasure of taking breakfast here
to-day effaces the memory of all former meals."

"The truth of it is," said Mrs. Petter to Mrs. Cristie, when they had
left the table, "Calthea Rose gave him his tea, and he don't want to say
so. She's mightily taken with him, for he is a fine-minded man, and it
isn't often she gets the chance of keeping company with that kind of a
man. I don't know whether he likes her liking or not, but he don't care
to talk about it."

Her first day at the Squirrel Inn was not altogether a pleasant one for
Bertha Cristie. In spite of the much-proffered service of Mrs. Petter
the care of her baby hampered her a good deal; and notwithstanding the
delights of her surroundings her mind was entirely too much occupied
with wondering when Mr. Lodloe would arrive with his wagon-load of
girls, and what she would have