the one who was responsible for all her sorrow, the one she couldnot think of without a shudder. She clung to the window sash and prayedaloud.
"Lord! Lord!" she pleaded, "don't put any more on me now. I couldn'tstand it! I couldn't!"
Ellery, too, was thinking deeply as he walked up the main road on hisway to Mrs. Prince's. Keziah's words were repeating themselves over andover in his brain. She had asked about him. She had not forgotten himaltogether. And what did the housekeeper mean by saying that she hadnot loved Captain Hammond in the way that--Not that it could make anydifference. Nothing could give him back his happiness. But what did itmean?
Mrs. Prince was very glad to see him. He found her in the big armchairwith the quilted back and the projecting "wings" at each side of herhead. She was wrapped in a "Rising Sun" quilt which was a patchworkglory of red and crimson. A young girl, a neighbor, who was apparentlyacting in the dual capacity of nurse and housekeeper, admitted him tothe old lady's presence.
"Well, well!" she exclaimed delightedly. "Then you ain't forgot mealtogether. I'm awful glad to see you. You'll excuse me for not gettin'up; my back's got more pains in it than there is bones, a good sight.Dr. Parker says it's nothin' serious, and all I had to do was set stilland take his medicine. I told him that either the aches or the medicinemade settin' still serious enough, and when your only amusement islistenin' to Emeline Berry--she's the girl that's takin' care ofme--when your only fun is listenin' to Emeline drop your best dishes inthe kitchen sink, it's pretty nigh tragic. There! there! don't mind anold woman, Mr. Ellery. Set down and let's talk. It's a comfort to beable to say somethin' besides 'Don't, Emeline!' and 'Be sure you pick upall the pieces!'"
Mrs. Prince's good spirits were of short duration. Her conversation soonshifted to the loss of her son and she wept, using the corner of thequilt to wipe away her tears. "Eddie" had been her idol and, as shesaid, it was hard to believe what folks kept tellin' her, that it wasGod's will, and therefore all for the best.
"That's so easy to say," she sobbed. "Maybe it is best for the Lord,but how about me? I needed him more than they did up there, or I think Idid. O Mr. Ellery, I don't mean to be irreverent, but WHY was it all forthe best?"
Questions like this are hard to answer. The young minister tried, butthe answers were unsatisfactory, even to him.
"And there's Nat Hammond," continued Mrs. Prince. "A fine man--no betteranywhere, even though his father was a Come-Outer--just goin' tobe married and all, now they say he's drowned--why? Why was thatnecessary?"
Ellery could not reply. The old lady did not wait for him to do so. Themention of Captain Nat's name reminded her of other things.
"Poor Gracie!" she said. "It's turrible hard on her. I went down to seeher two or three times afore I was took with this backache. She's anawful nice girl. And pretty as a pink, too. Don't you think so? Hey?don't you?"
"Yes."
"Yes. I've been kind of expectin' she might get up to see me. HannahPoundberry told the Berrys that she said she was comin'. I don't careabout her bein' a Come-Outer. I ain't proud, Mr. Ellery. And there'sCome-Outers and COME-Outers. Proud! Lord 'a' mercy! what has an oldwoman, next door to the poorhouse, got to be proud over? Yes, she toldHannah she was comin', and the Berry folks thought it might be to-day.So I've been watchin' for her. What! you ain't agoin', Mr. Ellery?"
"I think I must, Mrs. Prince."
"Oh, don't! Do stay a spell longer. Gracie might come and I'd likefor you to meet her. She needs sympathy and comfort an awful lot, andthere's no tellin', you might convert her to bein' a Reg'lar. Oh, yes,you might. You've got the most persuadin' way, everybody says so. Andyou don't know her very well, do you? Land sakes alive! talk aboutangels! I snum if she ain't comin' up the road this blessed minute."
John Ellery had risen. Now he seized his hat and moved hastily towardthe door. Mrs. Prince called to him to remain, but he would not.However, her good-bys delayed him for a minute, and before he reachedthe yard gate Grace was opening it. They were face to face for the firsttime since they had parted in the grove, so many months before.
She was thinner and paler, he saw that. And dressed very quietly inblack. She looked at him, as he stood before her in the path, and hercheeks flushed and her eyes fell. He stepped aside and raised his hat.
She bowed gravely and murmured a "Good afternoon." Then she passed on upthe path toward the door. He watched her for an instant and then steppedquickly after her. The black gown and the tired look in her eyes touchedhim to the heart. He could not let her go without a word.
She turned at the sound of his step behind her.
"Er--Miss Van Horne," he stammered, "I merely wanted to tell you howdeeply I--we all feel for you in your trouble. I--I--I am so sorry."
"Thank you," she said simply, and after a moment's hesitation.
"I mean it sincerely. I--I did not know Captain Hammond very well, butI respected and liked him the first time we met. I shall hopethat--that--it is not so serious as they fear."
"Thank you," she said again. "We are all hoping."
"Yes. I--I--" It was dreadfully hard to get words together. "I haveheard so much of the captain from--"
"From Aunt Keziah? Yes, she was Nat's warmest friend."
"I know. Er--Mrs. Coffin tells me you are going away. I hope you mayhear good news and soon. I shall think of you--of him--I want you tounderstand that I shall."
The door opened and Emeline Berry appeared on the threshold.
"Come right in, Grace," she called. "Mrs. Prince wants you to. She'sahollerin' for you to hurry up."
"Good-by," said the minister.
"Good-by. Thank you again. It was very kind of you to say this."
"No, no. I mean it."
"I know; that was why it was so kind. Good-by."
She held out her hand and he took it. He knew that his was trembling,but so, too, was hers. The hands fell apart. Grace entered the house andJohn Ellery went out at the gate.
That night Keziah, in the sitting room, trying to read, but findingit hard to keep her mind on the book, heard her parson pacing back andforth over the straw-matted floor of his chamber. She looked atthe clock; it was nearly twelve. She shut the book and sighed. Herwell-meant words of consolation had been a mistake, after all. Sheshould not have spoken Grace Van Horne's name.
CHAPTER XVI
IN WHICH THE MINISTER BOARDS THE SAN JOSE
"Hey, Mr. Ellery!"
It was Captain Zeb Mayo who was calling. The captain sat in his antiquechaise, drawn by the antique white horse, and was hailing the parsonagethrough a speaking trumpet formed by holding both his big hands beforehis mouth. The reins he had tucked between the edge of the dashboard andthe whip socket. If he had thrown them on the ground he would still havebeen perfectly safe, with that horse.
"Mr. Ellery, ahoy!" roared Captain Zeb through his hands.
The window of Zoeth Peters's house, next door to the Regular church,was thrown up and Mrs. Peters's head, bound with a blue-and-whitehandkerchief in lieu of a sweeping cap, was thrust forth into the crispMarch air.
"What is it, Cap'n Mayo?" screamed Mrs. Peters. "Hey?"
"Hey?" repeated Captain Zeb, peering round the chaise curtain. "Who'sthat?"
"It's me. Is somebody dead?"
"Who's me? Oh! No, Hettie, nobody's dead, though I'm likely to bust ablood vessel if I keep on yellin' much longer. Is the parson to home?"
"Hey?"
"Oh, heavens alive! I say is--Ha, there you be, Mr. Ellery. Mornin',Keziah."
The minister and Mrs. Coffin, the former with a napkin in his hand, hademerged from the side door of the parsonage and now came hurrying downto the gate.
"Land of Goshen!" exclaimed the captain, "you don't mean to tell meyou ain't done breakfast yet, and it after seven o'clock. Why, we'rethinkin' about dinner up to our house."
Keziah answered. "Yes," she said, "I shouldn't wonder. Your wife tellsme, Zeb, that the only time you ain't thinkin' about dinner is when youthink of breakfast or supper. We ain't so hungry
here that we get upto eat in the middle of the night. What's the matter? Hettie Peters ishollerin' at you; did you know it?"
"Did I know it? Tut! tut! tut! I'd known it if I was a mile away, 'lessI was paralyzed in my ears. Let her holler; 'twill do her good and keepher in practice for Come-Outer
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