“A. has a certain contract which he is willing to offer to either B. or C. whichever has the prior right to it. He first offered it to B. but before B. accepted the offer C. made application for it. C. immediately accepted the offer, before A. decided upon B.’s application. Now the question is whose claim is best, in respect simply of priority,—the one to whom it was first offered, or the one who first signified his willingness to accept of it.”
“There,” said Beechnut, “there is a simple statement of the case.”
“I don’t understand it very well,” said Phonny.
“Don’t you?” said Beechnut; “then I’ll read it again.”
So Beechnut began again.
“A. has a certain contract——”
Here Beechnut paused and looked up at the boys.
“A. means Beechnut,” said Stuyvesant.
“Then why don’t you say Beechnut?” said Phonny.
“And the contract,” continued Stuyvesant, “is the agreement about the hens.”