attend to the house and the meals during thefollowing day, longer if the troublesome "spine" needed company. Mrs.Poundberry sighed, groaned, and shook her head.
"I shan't stay no longer," she affirmed; "not if Betsy's all overspines, like one of them Mexican cactus plants. No, marm, my place isright here and I know it. Your Uncle Eben's mighty feeble and peakedlately. He ain't long for this world, I'm afraid. You'd ought to beawful good to him, Gracie."
"I know it," was the hurried reply. "Where's Nat?"
"I don't know. Can't keep track of HIM. Might's well try to put yourfinger on a flea. He's here to-day and gone yesterday, as the Scriptur'says. He ate a little mite of supper, but not much, and then off heputs. Says he's goin' to walk the fog out'n his head. I told him, s' I,'You'll walk a plaguey sight more in than you do out, THIS night,'but he went just the same. He was dreadful kind of dumpy and blue thisevenin'. Seemed to be sort of soggy in his mind. And why he never wentto meetin' with his dad and why his dad never asked him TO go is more'nI can tell. Land of livin', how I do gabble! My grandmarm used to saymy tongue was loose at both ends and hung in the middle, and I guess shewa'n't fur off the course. Good-by. Take care of yourself. You can putwhat's left of that mock mince pie on the top shelf in the butt'ry andyou'd better heave a dish towel or sunthin' over it to keep the antsout. There's more ants in this house than there is dollars, a goodsight. Betsy B., she's got a plan for keepin' of 'em out by puttin'sassers of brimstone round the shelves, but I told her, s' I, 'THEM antsdon't care for no brimstone. They're used to it. Sometimes I b'lievethey're sent by the everlastin' father of brimstone,' and she--"
She had reached the gate by this time, and Grace shut off the flow ofconversation by closing the door. Then she took a candle from the rowon the dining-room mantel, lighted it, and went up to her own room.Standing before the old-fashioned bureau with its little oval mirror,she hastily arranged her hair. She did not wish to go to the prayermeeting at the chapel, but she felt that she must. The Come-Outergatherings, with their noisy singing and shouting, had grown more andmore repugnant to her.
And to-night, of all nights! How could she meet those people who hadknown her since she was a child, who boasted of her as one of theirstaunchest adherents, who believed in her and trusted her? How could shemeet them and talk with them, knowing what she knew and realizing thatthey, too, would know it on the morrow? But her uncle would miss her andbe worried about her if she did not come. She could not bear to troublehim now; she never loved him so dearly, was never so anxious to humorhis every wish as on this, perhaps the last evening they would spendtogether. For, though she would not yet admit it, even to herself, herdecision was made, had really been made the first time John Ellery askedher weeks before. Only the thought of what might happen to him if sheconsented had caused her to hesitate so long.
She blew out the candle and came out into the hall at the head of thestairs. She was about to descend when she heard voices. The door of thedining room opened and closed. She felt certain that Nat had returnedand wondered who was with him. Then she heard her uncle's voice,speaking sharply and with unwonted sternness.
"I don't know what 'tis you want to see me about," said Captain Eben."You say it's important; well, it's got to be to keep me from mymeetin'. I ought to be on the Lord's business this minute and nothin'worldly's goin' to keep me from servin' Him. So speak quick. What isit?"
The voice that answered was one that Grace recognized, though shehad never before heard in it the note of agitation and undignifiedexcitement. There were no ponderous pauses and "Hum--ha's" now.
"Don't be a fool, Hammond!" it said. "And don't stand there preaching.Lock that door! Get a lamp! Are you sure there's nobody but us in thehouse?"
Captain Elkanah Daniels! Captain Elkanah visiting a Come-Outer! andthe leader of the Come-Outers!! Grace caught her breath. What in theworld--She started to descend and then a thought flashed to her mind.She stopped short.
"I ain't the fool, Elkanah," she heard her uncle retort sternly. "Thefools are them who are deef to the call from on high. My foot was on thethreshold of His house when you led me astray. It's never halted thereafore. I warn you--"
"Hush! Shut up! Can't you forget that--that Come-Outer circus of yoursfor a minute?"
"Elkanah Daniels, I'll have no blasphemy here. Another word like thatand--"
"WILL you be still and hear me? The Lord's business! I guess you'llthink it's the Lord's business when you understand what I'm going totell you! The Lord's business! The devil's business, you better say!Will you lock that door?"
"My church is waitin' for me and--"
"Let it wait. What's a parcel of yelling Come-Outers compared to thedecency of this town? Stop! Shut up! Eben Hammond, I tell you that yourprecious church--yes and mine, the Regular church of Trumet--will go torack and ruin if you and me don't pull together this night."
"And I tell you, Elkanah Daniels, I'll have no blasphemy here. Thatlittle sanctuary up the road is founded on a rock and neither younor any of your Phariseein' priest-worshipin' crew can shake it. TheAlmighty'll protect His own. As for the Reg'lar church, that's noconcern of mine."
"But I tell you 'tis your concern. Or if the church isn't, your ownfamily is."
"My--my family?"
"Yes, your own family. Huh! that makes you listen, don't it?"
There was an instant of silence. Grace, crouching on the stairs, noticedthe change in her uncle's voice as he answered.
"My own family?" he repeated slowly. "My own--And the Reg'larchurch--What do you mean? Has Nat--"
"No, he ain't. But that cussed girl of yours--"
"Stop!" Eben's shout rang through the house. The listener heard it,rose, and then sank slowly to her knees.
"Stop!" shouted Captain Hammond. "Elkanah Daniels, for your own sakenow, be careful. If you dast to say a word, another word like that,I'll--"
"If I dast! The hussy! But there's no use talkin' to you. You're ascrazy as a Bedlamite. Either that, or you're in the game with her. Ifyou are, I warn you--"
"Stop! What game? What do you mean? Gracie! My Grace! What is it? Formercy sakes, Elkanah--"
"Humph! I wondered if I couldn't get some sense into you, finally. Lockthat door!"
"I will! I will! But Elkanah--"
"Lock it! Give me the key!"
The click of the lock sounded sharply.
"Where's the lamp?" demanded Daniels. "And the matches? Don't standthere shaking."
A smell of sulphur floated out into the hall. Then the sickly glow ofthe "fluid" lamp shone through the doorway.
"What ails you?" asked Elkanah. "Are you struck dumb? Now go and see ifthere's anybody else in the house."
"But--but there ain't. I know there ain't. Hannah's gone and Gracie's atmeetin' by this time."
"She? Humph! Well, maybe she's at meeting and maybe she isn't. Maybeshe's over in Peters's pines, hugging and kissing that man she's metthere every Sunday for I don't know how long--Here! let go, you oldfool! Let go, I tell you!"
A chair fell to the floor with a bang. There was the sound of hardbreathing and rapid footsteps.
"Let go!" panted Daniels. "Are you crazy? Take your hands off me!"
"You liar!" snarled Captain Eben. "You low-lived liar! By the Almighty,Elkanah Daniels! I'll--You take that back or I'll choke the everlastin'soul out of you. I will--"
"Let go, you lunatic! You'll kill yourself. Listen! I'm not lying. It'sthe truth. She's met a man, I tell you. Been meeting him for months, Iguess. There! now will you listen?"
The footsteps had ceased, but the heavy breathing continued.
"A man!" gasped Eben. "A man! Gracie! It's a--Who is he? What's hisname?"
"His name's John Ellery, and he's minister of the Regular church in thistown; that's who he is! Here! hold up! Good Lord! are you dying? Holdup!"
The girl on the stairs sprang to her feet. Her head was reeling and shecould scarcely stand, but she blindly began the descent. She must go toher uncle. She must. But Captain Daniels's voice caused her t
o halt oncemore.
"There! there!" it said in a tone of relief. "That's better. Set stillnow. Be quiet, that's it. Shall I get some water?"
"No, no! let me be. Just let me be. I ain't what I used to be andthis--I'm all right, I tell you. Grace! And--and--What was it you justsaid? I--I don't b'lieve I heard it right."
"I said that daughter of yours, or niece, or whatever she is, this GraceVan Horne, has been meeting young Ellery, our minister, in Peters'sgrove. Been meeting him and walking with him, and kissing him, and--"
"It's a lie! It ain't so, Elkanah! Prove it or--It--it CAN'T be so, canit? Please--"
"It is so. She's met him in those pines every Sunday afternoon for along time. She was seen there with him this afternoon."
"Who--who saw her?"
"Never mind. The one that did'll never tell--unless it's necessary.They're fixing to be married, and--"
"MARRIED! She marry a Reg'lar minister! Oh--"
"Hush! Listen! They ain't married yet. We can stop 'em, you and I, if weget right to work. It isn't too late. Will you help?"
"Will I--I--Go on! tell me more."
"We can stop 'em. I know it would be a good catch for her, the sneaking,designing--Well, never mind. But it can't be. It shan't be. You've gotto tell her so, Hammond. We folks of the Regular church have pride inour society; we won't have it disgraced. And we have been proud of ourminister, the young, rattle-headed fool! We'll save him if we can. Ifwe can't"--the speaker's teeth grated--"then we'll send him to eternalsmash or die trying."
"But I can't believe it's true. It's a mistake; some other girl and notGracie. Why, she don't even know him. She wouldn't--But she HAS been outevery Sunday afternoon for weeks. If it SHOULD be!"
"It is. I tell you it is. Don't waste time rolling your eyes and talkingstuff. We've got to work and you've got to work first. I don't knowwhether you're only making believe or not. I realize that 'twould bea good thing for your girl to marry a promising young chap like him,but--Hush! let me go on. I tell you, Hammond, it can't be. We won't lether. I won't let her. I'm a man of influence in this town, and outsideof it, too. I'm head of the parish committee and a member of theNational Regular Society. I can't reach your precious ward, maybe, but Ican reach the fellow she's after, and if he marries her, I'll drive 'emboth to the poorhouse.
"Here's where you come in, Hammond. It may be she does really care forhim. Or maybe she's after position and money. Well, you talk to her. Youtell her that if she keeps on going with him, if she doesn't break offthis damnable business now, tomorrow, I'll ruin John Ellery as sure asI'm a living man. He'll be ruined in Trumet, anyhow. He'll be thrown outby the parish committee. I'm not sure that his church people won'ttar and feather him. Marrying a low-down Come-Outer hussy! As if therewa'n't decent girls of good families he might have had! But losing thischurch won't be the only thing that'll happen to him. The committee'llsee that he doesn't get another one. I'll use my influence and have himthrown out of the Regular ministry. Think I can't? What sort of yarnsdo you suppose will be told about him and her, meeting the way they did?Won't the county papers print some fine tales? Won't the Boston onesenjoy such a scandal? I tell you, Eben Hammond, that young chap's namewill be dragged so deep in the mud it'll never get clean again."
He stopped for breath. His companion was silent. After a moment, hecontinued:
"You tell her that, Hammond," he went on. "If she really cares for him,it'll be enough. She won't let him ruin his life. And I'll keep quiettill I hear from you. If she's sensible and really decent, then she cangive him his clearance papers without his knowing why she did it andeverything will be a secret and kept so. Nobody else'll ever know. Ifshe won't do that, then you tell me and I'll have a session with HIM.If THAT'S no good, then out he goes and she with him; and it's ruinationfor both of 'em, reputations and all. Why am I doing this? I'll tellyou. I like him. He isn't orthodox enough to suit me, but I have likedhim mighty well. And Annab--Humph! that's neither here nor there. WhatI'm fighting for is the Trumet Regular church. That's MY church andI'll have no dirty scandal with Come-Outers dragging it down. Now youunderstand. Will you tell her what I've said?"
The chair creaked. Evidently, Captain Eben was rising slowly to hisfeet.
"Well?" repeated Elkanah.
"Elkanah Daniels," said Eben slowly, his voice shaking from nervousexhaustion and weakness, but with a fine ring of determination in everyword, "Elkanah Daniels, you listen to me. I've heard you through. Ifyour yarn is true, then my heart is broke, and I wish I might have diedafore I heard it. But I didn't die and I have heard it. Now listen tome. I love that girl of mine better'n the whole wide world and yetI'd ruther see her dead afore me than married to a Reg'lar minister.Disgrace to HIM! Disgrace to your miser'ble church! What about thedisgrace to MINE? And the disgrace to HER? Ruin to your minister! Ruinto my girl here and hereafter is what I'm thinkin' of; that and mypeople who worship God with me. I'll talk to Grace. I'll talk toher. But not of what'll happen to him or you--or any of your cantin',lip-servin' crew. I'll tell her to choose between him and me. And if shechooses him, I'll send her out of that door. I'll do my duty and readher out of my congregation. And I'll know she's gone to everlastin'hell, and that's worse'n the poorhouse. That's all to-night, Elkanah.Now you better go."
"Humph! Well, I declare! you ARE a bigoted--"
"Stop it! I've kept my hands off you so fur, because I'm the Lord'sservant. But I'm fightin' hard to keep down my old salt-water temper.You go! There's the door."
"All right, all right! I don't care what you say, so long as it's saidso as to stop her from getting him--and said soon."
"It'll be said to-night. Now go! My people are waitin' at the chapel."
"You're not going to that prayer meeting after THIS?"
"Where else should I go? 'Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavyladen.' And--and"--his voice broke--"He knows that I AM heavy laden.Lord! Lord! do help me, for this is more'n I can bear alone."
The lock turned; the door opened and closed. Grace, clinging to thebalusters, heard Captain Hammond cross the room, slowly and feebly.She heard him enter the sitting room. Then she heard nothing more,not another sound, though the minutes dragged on and on, endlessly,eternally, and each with a message, a sentence repeated over and overagain in her brain. "If she really cares for him, she won't let him ruinhis life."
By and by, pale, but more composed, and with her mind made up, she camedown into the hall. Drawing a long breath, she turned into the sittingroom to face her uncle. By the light shining through the dining-roomdoor she saw him on his knees by the haircloth sofa. She spoke his name.He did not answer nor look up. Alarmed, she touched him on the shoulder.At her touch his arm slid from the couch and he fell gently over uponhis side on the carpet.
CHAPTER XII
IN WHICH CAPTAIN EBEN MAKES PORT
Half past eight. In the vestry of the Regular church John Ellery wasconducting his prayer meeting. The attendance was as large as usual.Three seats, however, were vacant, and along the settees people werewondering where Captain Elkanah Daniels and his daughter might be. Theyhad not missed a service for many a day. And where was Keziah Coffin?
At the Come-Outer chapel the testifying and singing were in full blast.But Ezekiel Bassett was leading, for Captain Eben Hammond had notmade his appearance. Neither had Grace Van Horne, for that matter, butCaptain Eben's absence was the most astonishing.
"Somethin's the matter," whispered Josiah Badger to his right-handneighbor. "Somethin's wrong d-d-d-down to the tavern, sartin' sure.I'm goin' down there just soon's meetin's over and f-f-f-find out.Eben wouldn't no more miss leadin' his meetin' from choice than I'd gowithout a meal's v-v-vi-vittles. Somethin's happened and I'm goin' toknow what 'tis. You'll go along with me, won't ye, Lot?"
The answer was an affirmative. In fact, almost every worshiper in thatchapel had determined to visit the Hammond tavern as soon as the servicewas at an end.
In the Regular parsonage Keziah sat alone by the sitting-room table.Praye
r meeting and supper she had forgotten entirely. The ministerhad not come home for his evening meal, and food was furthest from thehousekeeper's thoughts. What should she do? What ought she to do? Howcould she avert the disaster so certain to overwhelm those two youngpeople the moment their secret became known?
It was in vain that she tried to encourage herself
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