Keziah Coffin

ad were but dim shapes behind its gray drapery, and only the gates and fences of the front yards were plainly in evidence to the passers-by. The beach plum and bayberry bushes o

ittle "Come-Outer" chapel dripped at sedate intervals. The brick walk leading to the door of Captain Elkanah Daniels's fine residence held undignified puddles in i

his fight with debt and illness and was sleeping quietly in Trumet's most populous center, the graveyard. And Keziah, left alone, had decided that the rent and living expenses were more than her precarious earnings as a seamstress would warrant, and, having bargained with the furniture dealer in Wellmouth

pushed into a corner, and its faded ingrain carpet partially stripped from the floor, was dismal, likewise. Considering all things, one might have expected Keziah herself to be even more dismal. But, to all outward appearances, she was not. A large portion of her thirty-nine

like from the drawers in a tall "high-boy," folding them and placing them in an old and battered trunk. The pair had been discussing the subject which all Trumet had discussed for three weeks, namely, the "calling" to the pastorate of the "Regular" church of the Rev. John Ellery, the young divinity student, who was to take the place of old Parson Langley, minister in the parish for over thirty years. Di

CHIEVOUS glance under her dark lashes at Keziah. The lady addressed paused long en

n't control-have kept me from goin' to theaters much, even if I wanted to. But I did see this entertainment, and a fool one 'twas, too, all singin' instead of

though she had bee

led her aunt, though real nephews and nieces she had none-"why, Aunt Keziah! Wh

n clinch 'em on t'other side. I haul up a chunk of the cellar floor with every one. Ah, hum!" with a sigh, "I cal'late they ain't any more anxious to leave home than I am. But, far's the minister's concerned, didn't I hear of your

s considered it wicked to laugh. Yet Grace did it, and hers was a laugh pleasant to hear and distinctly pleasant to see. It made her prettier than ev

e Eben would say if he

kely. Does your uncle know you come here to se

e Eben doesn't see the good in people simply because th

n, but I'd be glad if my own society was seasoned with a few like him. 'Twould taste better to me of a Sunday." She paused, a

ys you are as good a woman as ever lived. He thinks you're misled

errors! Land sakes! much as I can do to see the heads of these tacks. Takin'

er would have looked much as she always did-plump and matronly, with brown hair drawn back from the forehead and parted in the

nth following his death, could see the changes which the month had wrought. She saw the little wrinkles about the eyes an

st religion of anybody I know. I don't care if you don't belong to our church. Wh

e how the two societies in this little one-horse place row with each other, I declare if it doesn't look as if they'd crossed out the first word of 'Love your neighbor' and wrote in 'Fight,' instead. Yet I'm a pretty good Regular, too, a

ng, in that house at least. Grace was serious now and she voiced t

do you go away? What makes you

ould earn sewin' helped, and we lived simple. But when he was taken down and died, the doctor's bills and the undertaker's used up what little money I had put by, and the sewin' alone wouldn't keep a healthy canary in bird seed. Dear land knows I hate to leave the old house I've lived in for four

ashed indignantly. "I think it's too ba

his daughter's summer rigs. She ain't had a new dress for a month, pretty near, and here's a young and good-lookin'

," remarked Grace, a trifle malic

ls, who owned the finest house in town. She was the

h lau

ton first rate, you can't tell. Or maybe I won't. Ah, hum! 't

nd looke

make a proposal to you, and y

m Baker, the tin peddler, happened to ask her if she'd ever thought of gettin' married. 'O James! this is so sudden!' says Becky. Ji

, but quickl

here in town, if you had a little-well, ready money to help you at the start. I've got a few hundred dollars in the

in interr

k you just as much, deary, but long's I've got two hands and a mouth, I'll make the two keep t'ot

nced. Her disappointment showed in her face, ho

st thing that ever happened to me? You can't tell. No use despairin', Annab

t and ran to the window. Then s

e you, Aunt Keziah. And he's got on his very best Sunday clothes

the tack hamm

ot comin' here for? To talk about the minister, I s'pose

nia, ten years older than he, who, after the death of their parents, had undertaken the job of "bringing up" her brother, did not sympathize with these ambitions. Consequently, when Kyan ran away she followed him to Boston, stalked aboard the vessel where he had shipped, and collared him, literally and figuratively. One of the mates venturing to offer objection,

h a steady stream of language pourin' out of the Pepper stateroom that the

lk a bit herself, and her first interview with Lavinia ended with the latter's leaving the house in a rage, swearing never to set foot in it again. This oath she broke the day of her sister-in-law's funeral. Then she appea

xclaimed, turning pale.

to take care of 'em, it's you. You can tote my things right in," she added, turning to her grinning driver, "and you, 'Bishy

aking the truth unwittingly, "I couldn't t

" was the ans

that some female might again capture him, and she watched him with an eagle eye. He was the town assessor and tax collector, but wh

the walk leading to the side door of the Coffin

window. "Even his tall hat; and in this fog! I

few other little things that ain't any of his business. Laviny put him up to it, you see. She'll be along pretty quick. Well, I'll fix him so he won't talk much. He can

entered d

he stammered. "I thought I'

! it's pretty wet. How did Laviny come to let you-I mea

hat and inspected its

ne up to Sarah B.'s to talk church doin's. I-I-well, I kind of wanted to speak

In fact, he reddened perceptibly and backed toward the door

she said. "I was only helping Aunt Keziah

e goin' to stay right here and help us get that stove

e perpendicularly for a few feet and then extended horizontally, over the high-bo

bious enthusiasm. "But I don't know's I'll have time.

s she don't know you're out. Better take your coat off, hadn't you

as helping the reluctant Abishai remove the long-tailed blue coat which had been his wedding garm

hat pipe's been up so long that I wouldn't wonder if 'twas chock-full of soot. If you're careful, thou

suffered himself to be led to the chair. He

first," advised Keziah. "What was it

he hasty response. "Nothin' o

the pipe. It loosened at its lower end an

move that chest of drawers out so's you can get behind it. G

ion between the high-boy and the wall. Then he remounted an

eried Keziah. "Wiggle it back and forth; that ought

s ears, which, always noticeable because of their size and spread, were no

he faltered. "I-I just run in

lancing from Kyan's embarrassed face to that of the

occupant of the chai

they'll be expecting me

don't it? Tell you what you can do, Grace; you can go in the woodshed and

one more glance at the couple, Grace departed from the kitchen, biting her lips. Sh

mer," advised Keziah. "Might's well talk while yo

of blacking on his perspiring countenance. He choked, swallowed, and th

rriedly, "you've known me

er since you were born,

n you, you know. Fact is

everybody in Trumet know everybod

ou're a si

hair, which she had been hold

d sharply. "What do you mean by t

you're a widow, so you B

e gone crazy. I thought so when I saw that beaver. Either that or you'v

e was no sound from the kitchen. Kyan, steadying hims

e single and so am I. You ain't got nobody to take care of you and I ain't, neithe

ther step in the dir

e exclaimed under

rry me. I'm sick of Laviny. Let's you and me settle down together. I could have some pe

d now, and growing r

d in amazed incredulity

agitated impatience. "Say yes qu

ES! Wh

her bureau, but you could get it from her. I own my house. I'm a man of good character. You're poor, but I don't

kitchen. Instead, she strode toward the rickety chair a

able-impudent-"

entered his mind. "I cal'lated you'd be glad. You wouldn't have to go away then, nor-M

eded not. Neither did she heed the knock at the doo

othin' sand-peep like you! You sassy-GET down off th

on'ble, Keziah. Do-don't you touch me! I'll fall if y

lapse they struck the chair back; the rickety leg wabbled. Kyan grasped at the pipe to save himself and, the next moment, chair, se

mmer in hand, leaned against the jamb, her handkerchief at her mouth and tears in her eyes. Lavinia, majest

was the fi

commanded, "come out

Then from the dusky cloud by the wal

gan poor Kyan, "I

r me? Come

wling on his hands and knees. His hair was streaked with black; his shirt front and collar and shirt sleeves were spotted and

ver was so surprised and u

ughed hysterically. Even the wrathful Keziah smiled. But Lav

I see you're upsot. Get up, and try to

rubbed his back. He glanced reproachful

e down her stovepipe," he explained.

Now you go out to the sink and wash your fac

eziah. Then, as remembrance of what had led to the upset came to her,

whirle

'twas his own fault comin' here, too, wa'n't it? Nobody led him on, I s'pose. Nobody put him up to riggin' out

riskly. "And you may know what

erybody knows that-oh, yes! And they never talk of such a thing-oh, no! Folks don't say that-that-Well," with a snarl

ammed the tall hat down upon his head, and,

d! ha! ha!-I hope you'll have better luck with him. Though I don't know who 'twould be; there ain't no

the step; but Mrs. Coffin did not in

other's money, you're mistaken-'cause I don't. And I don't want your brother either-Lord help him, poor thing! And I tell you right now that there's nobody

As for her brother, but one remark of his re

ed Kyan, "just

hat night he was

he door she had clos

e ejaculat

was still gazing out of the window

ed her su

sed. "'Twas fun

ly!" was the

took an awful long tim

n the drawer. I did

d what that-that THING said to me, I'd-I'd-G

ame a "Hum-ha!" a portentous combination of cough and grunt. Grace do

eems to be your busy morning, Aunt Keziah. I"-here she

n the village, retired shipowner, pillar of the Regular church and leading member of its parish committee, Captain Elkana

perfunctory salutation like this, the captain differentiated between Regul

els," explained the girl. The

see you on a somewhat important matter

re of paralyzed amazement. As for Miss Van Horne, that young lady gave vent to what her friend descr