unobtrusive Vital seemed to be entirely forgotten, except by the
neighbor whom he had so cruelly crowded. Had it not been for this
kindly, unrevengeful soul, Vital's inner man would have been in as
beggarly a condition at the conclusion of the meal as at the
beginning. As it was, it received but scant attention. Seeing the
poverty of his plate, without asking leave, the farmer generously
filled it.

This act of kindness brought Vital's thoughts to a sudden halt, and
made him feel ashamed of the interest he had been displaying in all
the young woman, seated at his brother's side, had been doing and
saying. With a firm determination no longer to slight his plate, he
turned his attention to it, but had scarcely eaten two mouthfuls when
his treacherous thoughts stole off to Katie again. Absently laying his
knife and fork down, he was soon unconscious of all that was going on
around him.

His friendly neighbor decided it would be a most opportune time to
pass the salt, and thus give him another hint that he was losing much
valuable time.

"Oh, thank you," said Vital, absently, as he took the salt and
proceeded to distribute it over his meat in such reckless quantities
as to completely entomb the latter. For a space the farmer looked
aghast, and then, with a mystified shake of his head, turned his
attention to his own affairs, and did not look at him again till the
time for speech-making had arrived. Then, to his consternation, he saw
Vital had not made the slightest effort to extricate the hapless meat
from its strange covering. Besides the farmer, another person had
witnessed the adventures of Vital's plate!