Among the people who alighted from the two o'clock train were Professor Blakesly and his wife and a tall, dark man whom they called Ware.
Mrs. Blakesly was plump and pretty, plainly the mother of two or three children and the sovereign of a modest suburban cottage. Blakesly was as evidently a teacher; even the casual glances of the other visitors might discover the character of these people.
Ware was not so easy to be read. His face was lean and brown, and his squarely clipped mustache gave him a stern look. His body was well rounded with muscle, and he walked alertly; his manner was direct and vigorous, manifestly of the open air.
As they entered the meadow he paused and said with humorous irresolution, "I don't know what I am out here for."
"To see the pretty girls, of course," said Mrs. Blakesly.
"They may be plain, after all," he said.
"They're always pretty at graduation time and at marriage," Blakesly interpreted.
"Then there's the ice cream and cake," Mrs. Blakesly added.
"Where do all these people come from?" Ware asked, looking about. "It's all farm land here."
"They are the fathers, mothers, and brothers of the seminary girls. They come from everywhere. See the dear creatures about the door! Let's hurry along."