Keziah Coffin
Page 59
finest sermon ever preached in that church, andperhaps it was. When it was over, before the benediction was pronounced,Ellery stepped out from behind the pulpit to the edge of the platform.He looked over the friendly faces upturned to his and, for an instant,it seemed that he could not trust himself to speak.
"My friends," he said, "I cannot let you go without a personal word. Iowe you so much, all of you, that nothing I can say will convey to youmy feeling of gratitude and love for this congregation and this church.You have stood by me all through. You trusted me and believed in me. Icame to Trumet a stranger. I have found here the truest friends a mancould hope to find--yes, and more than friends. If I live, and whileI live, I shall hope to prove by the best effort that is in me myrealization of the great debt I owe you and my desire to repay it, eventhough the payment must, of necessity, be so inadequate. God bless youall--and thank you."
"Wa'n't it lovely!" gushed Didama. "And when he said that about truefriends he was lookin' straight at Gracie all the time."
"Didn't seem to me so," declared Gaius Winslow. "I thought he waslookin' at Cap'n Hammond."
"Well, now, that's queer," put in Mrs. Parker, the doctor's wife. "Iwould have sworn he was looking at Keziah Coffin."
Captain Zebedee grinned. "I cal'late you're all right," he observed. "Iwouldn't wonder if he was lookin' at all of 'em."
There was much hand shaking and congratulation and the church emptiedslowly. Among the last to leave were the Peppers and Mr. Pratt. Laviniatook the minister aside.
"Mr. Ellery," she simpered, "I've--that is, Caleb and me--will prob'lywant you to--That is, we want you to be the one--"
"Yes, Miss Pepper?"
"Oh, my sakes! you see--'Bishy dear, come here a minute, won't you?"
Kyan approached, the picture of desolation.
"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.
"Heavens to Betsy! Don't look so sour. A body'd think you was goin'to be hung, to look at you. 'Bishy, you tell Mr. Ellery all about it,there's a dear. He'll tell you, Mr. Ellery; and remember we count onyou. Neither me nor Caleb wont have nobody else."
She seized Mr. Pratt by the arm and led him hastily away. Kyan lookedafter them.
"Hung?" he muttered. "I wish, by godfreys mighty, I had the hangin' ofSOME folks! I'd put a tighter collar on 'em than they've got now, I betyou!"
The minister's lips twitched. He knew what was coming. Hints of asurprising nature had been circulating about Trumet.
"What's the matter, Mr. Pepper?" he asked.
"Matter? Matter enough! You know what she's goin' to do? She's goin' tomarry THAT!"
The last word was emphasized by a furious gesticulation toward the backof the gentleman from Sandwich.
"Who? Mr. Pratt? Is your sister to marry him? Indeed! I congratulatethem both--and you."
"Me? What in tunket--I ask your pardon, Mr. Ellery, for talkin' so inthe meetin' house--but what are you congratulatin' me for?"
"Why, because your sister is to have a good husband; at least peoplespeak highly of him."
"Ugh!"
"And because--well, Mr. Pepper, you have been quite confidential withme; we have shared secrets, you know; and I thought possibly the newarrangement might make it a bit more pleasant for you."
"Pleasant? How?"
"I suppose Mr. Pratt will take his bride home to Sandwich, and you,being here alone, will be more free."
"Free?" Kyan repeated the word wrathfully. "Free! I'll be about as freeas a settin' hen under a barrel, I will. Is a feller free when he'sgot two pickin' at him instead of one? I thought I was goin' to have alittle peace and comfort; I thought that same as you, Mr. Ellery. I'vehad my suspicions as to her and him for some time. That day when Ical'lated I'd locked her up and come back to find she'd gone buggyridin', I thought 'twas queer. When she went to conference and leftme alone I smelt a rat. When she took to letter writin' the smell gotstronger; until the last few weeks I've been sartin of the game she wasup to. And I never complained, no sir! Some brothers would have rippedup the eternal foundations afore they'd have let their sister breakup their home and desert 'em for a stiff-necked, bald-headed old shoepeddler like--"
"Hush! hush! Mr. Pepper. You forget--"
"No, I don't forget, nuther. Mr. Ellery, you don't know it all. WhenLaviny come to me and told me what she was goin' to do, was I obstinate?Did I stand on my rights as head of the family and tell her she couldn'tdo it? No, sir-ee, I didn't! I was resigned. I says to her, 'Laviny,'I says, 'I won't say that I shan't be turrible lonesome without you. Iwon't say that I ain't sort of shocked and grieved at our partin' afterall these years. But what's my personal feelin's when I compare 'em withyour happiness? Nothin', nothin' at all!' I says. 'Bless you, Laviny,'says I. 'When you goin' to go away?' And what do you s'pose she says tome? Why, that she wa'n't goin' away at all. That--that Pratt thinghas sold out his shoe store up to Sandwich and is comin' here to live.Comin' to live at our HOUSE, mind you, with her and with ME! ''Twill beso nice for you, 'Bishy dear,' she says, 'to have a man in the houseto keep you comp'ny and look out for you when I ain't round.' Godfreysmighty!"
This portion of Kyan's disclosure was surprising, if the announcement ofhis sister's engagement was not.
"Mr. Pratt is coming to Trumet?" the minister repeated. "What for? Whatis he going to do here?"
"Keep shoe store, I s'pose likely. Laviny says there's a good openin'for one in this town. I told her the best openin' I could think of forhim was the well and I hoped to the nation he'd fall into it. Then shewent for me like a dogfish after a herrin' and I never had a taste ofvittles till I'd took it all back and said I was glad he was goin' tolive with us. Free! Don't talk to me about freedom! Godfreys mighty!"
Ellery smothered his desire to laugh and expressed sympathy. Abishailistened in sullen silence.
"Well," he said, turning to go, "I ain't goin' to stand it, if I canhelp it. I've been doin' some thinkin' on my own account and there'stwo ways of gettin' even. That Caleb critter is marryin' into our family'cause he knows I'm well off. I'll cheat him, by godfreys! I'll willevery cent of my fifteen hundred dollars to the poor or the heathen orsomethin'. I will, sure's taxes."
The minister was obliged to laugh, then.
"I wouldn't do that," he said. "From what I hear, Mr. Pratt is worthseveral times fifteen hundred."
"I know it; but he's so dum mean that 'twould break his heart to seeeven ten cents gettin' away from him. However, that ain't my only plan.He and Laviny ain't got any mortgage on the marryin' business.Other folks can do it as well as them. What do you think of HannahPoundberry?"
"What do I think of her? What do you mean?"
"Never mind what I mean. Just you keep that in your head, Mr. Ellery.You remember that I asked you, as man to man, 'What do you think ofHannah Poundberry?'--Yes, yes, Laviny, I'm a-comin'. They want me toask you to marry 'em," he added. "I s'pose you'll have to. But say, Mr.Ellery, when you do, just tell Pratt that your usual price for thejob is ten dollars. That'll spile his honeymoon for him, or I miss myguess."
He turned away and moved sulkily toward his beckoning sister and herescort; but wheeled once more to add, in a mysterious whisper, "Don'tyou forget now, Mr. Ellery. Remember that question I put to you: 'Whatdo you think of'--Yes, yes, La-viny, I hear you!--of you know who?'"
That evening, at the parsonage, Keziah was clearing the table andCaptain Nat was helping her. A happy party of four had enjoyed the meal,John and Mrs. Coffin acting as hosts and Grace and the captain being theinvited guests. Now the younger couple had gone over to the church, thebell of which was ringing for evening service.
"Hurry up, Keziah," urged Nat. "If you and me don't get decks clearedpretty soon we'll be late for meetin', and I'd hate to do that,considerin' I'm such a brand-new disciple, as you might say. What do wedo next, shorten sail? Like this, hey?"
He pulled the cloth from the table, sending the crumbs flying in alldirections, and proceeded to fold it, after a fashion.
"There!" he exclaimed with satisfaction;
"there she is, canvas furledand under bare poles. Now we can clear out, can't we?