hoe, and threw it from
him. "But I've got to do it," he said, and resumed his labor. George
came across the field.

"Well, sir," said he, "I didn't go back to town this morning as I laid
out to do, and now I'm like a fish out of water. Just as I got ready to
go, my wife misunderstood something I said, and then it was all off. A
man's a fool to leave his wife with a misunderstanding in her head.
Everything ought to be smoothed over before he goes. One morning, not
long ago, I scolded the boy at the breakfast table, and he was crying
when I left the house. I got on the car and tried to read a newspaper,
but couldn't. And, sir, I hopped off the car, took another one back,
and made it up with him. He had forgotten all about it, but I hadn't. We
were all pretty well stirred up over the 'peach' last night. Got caught
out in the rain, and we thought the doctor's wife would have a fit. And
at the breakfast table this morning, she gave an account of herself. Oh,
she's straightforward. She said you entertained her with a fire."

"A flash in the pan," said Milford.

"Well, I don't know as to that, for when there's a flash in the pan
there's no report, but I guess you'll hear report enough when you meet
those women over at the house. They've made a love affair out of
it--they say you're treating a certain young woman shamefully. Oh,
they've got it all fixed up to suit themselves. They told the 'peach'
you were engaged, and that she's wrong to encourage you."

"The devil they did!" Milford shouted. "What right have they got to
presume----"

"It's not presuming on the part of a woman, my dear fellow; it's a
natural conclusion. The girl couldn't say a thing. She stammered, and
finally she stormed. She said it was nothing to her if you were engaged
to a thousand women. She threatened to leave, and then the women
apologized. And about that time I decided that I wouldn't go to town
to-day."

"I'll go over there," said Milford.

"No, don't do anything of the sort, not while you're mad. It's all right
now."

"No, it's not all right, but I want to tell you that I'll make it all
right."

"Now, don't go on getting hot. The thing was a joke, and is all smoothed
over. It arose out of pity for the other young woman."

"Confound it! there isn't any other woman."

"That's all right; that's what I told them. No other woman, of course
not. There never is. Well, I'll be off. I go at twelve forty-five."

George trudged off over the cl