old--"
"Hush! hush! he's in there with Mr. Ellery."
"Who? Elkanah?"
"Yes; they're in the study."
"By the jumpin'--Let me talk to him for a few minutes. I'LL tell himwhat's good for his health. You just listen."
He rose from the chair, but she made him sit down again.
"No, no," she protested. "He wasn't to blame. He had to have his rentand I didn't feel that I could afford to keep up a whole house, just formyself. And, besides, I ought to be thankful to him, I suppose. He gotme this place."
"He did?"
"Yes, he did. I rather guess Zeb Mayo or somebody may have suggested itto him first, but--"
"Humph! I rather guess so, too."
"Well, you can't always tell. Sometimes when you really get inside of aperson you find a generous streak that--"
"Not in a Daniels. Anybody that got inside of Elkanah would find nothin'but Elkanah there, and 'twould be crowded at that. So he's talkin' tothe new parson, hey? Bossin' him, too, I'll bet."
"I ain't so sure. Mr. Ellery's young, but he's got a mind of his own."
Captain Hammond chuckled and slapped his knee.
"Ho, ho!" he laughed. "I've been hearin' somethin' about that mind. Wentto the chapel last night, I understand, and he and dad had a set-to. Oh,I heard about it! Wish I might have been there."
"How does your father act about it?"
"'Bout the way a red-hot stove acts when you spill water on it; everytime he thinks of the minister he sizzles. Ho, ho! I do wish I couldhave been there."
"What does Grace say?"
"Oh, she doesn't say much. I wouldn't wonder if she felt the way I do,though we both keep quiet. I'll tell you, between ourselves and theship's pump, that I sort of glory in the young chap's spunk."
"Good! So do I. I like him."
"See here, Keziah! I'm gettin' frightened. You ain't settin' your cap tobe a parson's wife, are you? Because--"
"Don't be silly. I might adopt him, but that's all, I guess."
Her friend leaned forward.
"Keziah," he said earnestly, "there's no sense in your slavin' yourselfto death here. I can think of a good deal pleasanter berth than that.Pleasanter for me, anyhow, and I'd do my best to make it pleasant foryou. You've only got to say the word and--No? Well, then all I can do ishope through another voyage."
"Please don't, Nat. You know."
"No, I don't know."
"Well, perhaps you don't. But I know. I like you, Nat. I count on you asthe straightest, truest friend I've got; and I want to keep on countin'on you just that way. Mayn't I?"
"'Course you can, Keziah. But--"
"Then don't say another word, please."
He sighed and looked out at the open door. The kitchen clock ticked loudin the silence.
"All right," he said at last. "All right, but I'm goin' to keep onhopin'."
"You mustn't, Nat."
"Keziah, when you set your foot down you're pretty stubborn; but I'vegot somethin' of a foot myself. You remember you said so a few minutesago. Hi, hum! Well, speakin' of dad reminds me that I'm kind of worriedabout him."
"You are? Why? Isn't he well?"
"Pretty well, but he ain't strong, and he gets too excited over thingslike last night's foolishness. Grace tells me that the doctor says hemust be careful or he'll drop off sudden some of these days. He had ashock five or six years ago, a little one, and I've been anxious abouthim ever since. I've got to go to New York off and on for the nextmonth; after that I hope to be home for a spell and I can keep an eye onhim. Keziah, if you'll listen I'll whisper somethin' to you--religion'sa good thing and so's a mustard plaster, but both of 'em can be put ontoo strong. Dad is just a little mite crazy on Come-Outers, I'm afraid."
"Oh, no, I guess not! You mustn't worry. How did Grace look to you?"
"Like the harbor light on a stormy night. She's a brick, that girl, andgets prettier every minute. Wonder to me some of the young chaps downhere don't carry her off by main strength. She'll make somebody a goodwife."
"Um-hm. Have--have you ever thought of her that way yourself?"
"Keziah!"
"Well, don't get mad. I think a lot of Grace, and I don't know anyoneI'd rather see you marry."
"I do. Keziah, that's enough of that. Are you and dad in partnership toget me spliced and out of the way? He was at me this mornin' along thesame line. Don't say anything like that again, even in fun. YOU knowwhy."
"All right, all right. Now tell me about yourself. Have you had a goodvoyage? How do you like your owners? How did Zach Foster ever get thepacket in through yesterday's fog?"
"Voyage was all right. Some rugged weather on the trip out, but homewardbound we slid along like a slush bucket on a greased plank. Ownersare all right. Good people as ever I sailed for. As for Zach and thepacket--Ho, ho!"
He laughed, rocking back and forth on the chair, which creaked insympathy.
"What's the joke?" demanded the housekeeper. "Don't do that! That chairwasn't made for elephants to use."
"Hey? 'Tis pretty weak in the knees, ain't it? Dad would say 'twas apiece with the creed of those that owned it. I--What's that? Somebody'scomin'. I'm goin' to clear out. I don't want to be put through mycatechism yet a while."
"No, you mustn't go. I want you to meet Mr. Ellery. You sit out onthe wash bench by the back door till I get rid of whoever 'tis that'scomin'. Scoot!"
Nat "scooted," stopping to snatch up his hat as he ran. Keziah went intothe dining room and admitted Captain Zebedee Mayo, who was panting fromthe exertion of his walk.
"Whew!" puffed Captain Zeb, mopping his forehead. "How be you, Keziah?What? You ain't all alone! Thought you'd have a cabin full of gabmachines by this time. Have they been and gone?"
"No, they haven't been. I--My land, my pie!"
She rushed into the kitchen and snatched the pastry from the oven. Hernew caller followed her.
"So they ain't been, hey?" he said. "That's queer."
"Elkanah's here. He's in there with the minister now."
"He is? Givin' the young feller Hail Columby, I cal'late. Well, now,he shan't. He, he! When they told me how the minister passed oldhop-and-go-fetch-it what was due him at the chapel last night I riz upand hoorayed till my wife shut the windows. She said the neighbors allthought I was loony, anyhow, and I needn't prove it to 'em. He, he! ButElkanah ain't got any funny bone. He's as solemn as a stuffed owl, andhe'll--Well, I'm goin' to put MY oar in. I'm parish committee, too, Ical'late, and I've got somethin' to say, even if I wa'n't christenedDaniels. Here goes!"
He headed for the study, but before he crossed the threshold of thekitchen Ellery and his visitor came out into the dining room. CaptainElkanah's face was flushed, and he fidgeted. The minister lookeddetermined but calm.
"Ahoy there, Elkanah!" hailed Zebedee cheerfully. "'Mornin', Mr. Ellery.Been havin' officers' counsel, have you?"
"Good morning, Captain Mayo," said the minister.
"'Mornin', Zebedee," grunted Elkanah. "I have--hum--ha!--beendiscussing the regrettable affair of last night with Mr. Ellery. I havetried--hum--ha! to show him that respectable people of our society don'tassociate with Come-Outers, and that for a Regular minister to go totheir meetings is something neither the congregation nor the parishcommittee approves of. No--er--hum--ha! no!"
"And I explained to Captain Daniels," observed the minister, "that Iwent there for what seemed to me good reasons, and, as they did seem tome good at the time, I'm not ashamed of having gone. It was an honestmistake on my part and I may make more."
"But the society--" began Elkanah. Captain Zeb interrupted him.
"Don't worry about the society, Mr. Ellery," he said with emphasis. "Norabout the parish committee, either. Great fishhooks! the most of us aretickled to death over what you said to Eben Hammond. We think it's amighty good joke. YOU didn't know, of course, and what you did was doneinnocent. He! he! he! Did you lay him out, hey?"
"Zebedee," began Captain Daniels, "I must say I can't see anythin
g tolaugh at."
"You never could,
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