For once he had failed to see the stone in his way, until the plow was thrown clean from the furrow.

And when he came to the shade of the butternut-tree by which she must pass, it had seemed to him imperative that the horses should rest.

Besides, the hames-string wanted tightening on the bay, and old Dick's throat-latch must need a little fixing.

He was not sure that the clevis-pin had not been loosened by the collision with the stone just now.

And so, upon one pretext and another, he managed to delay starting his plow until Julia came by, and then, though his heart had counted all her steps from the door-stone to the tree, then he looked up surprised.