Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-08-22
amt you gYao?"
9TH yUu 6IdU
Keziah looked at him graYely

have a talk. I've been countin' on it
ever since we set topsls off Surinam."
The housekeepcr took the other
chair.
II beg your pardon, Keziah," he
said. "I'm a dough head, that's fact.
hadn't forgot about Sol, but was so
glad to be home again and to see dad
and Grace and the old town and you
that everything else flew out of my
mind. Poor Sol! liked him"
"He liked you, too. No wonder, con-
siderin' what YOU did to-"
Delay! Never mind that. Poor
chap! Well, he's rid of his sufferin's
at last. Tell me about it, if you can
without bringin' all the trouble back
too plain
So she told him of her brothers.
sickness and death, of having to give
up the old home, and, finally, of her
acceptance of the housekeeper's posi-
ton. He listened, at first with sym.
pathy and then with suppressed indig-
nation.
by the jumpin' Moses!" he ex-
claimed. "And Elkanah was goin' to
turn you out of house and home. Tho
mean, pompous old"
Hush! hush, he's in there with Mr..
Ellery."
who? Elkanah?"
Eyes; they're in the study"
$50 he's talkin' to the new parson,
hey? Bossin' him, too, I'll bet"
II amt so sure. Mr.. Ellery's young,
but he's got a mind of his own
Captain Hammond chuckled and
slapped his knee.
"Ho, hot" he laughed. give been
hearin' somethin about that mind.
Went to the chapel last night, UNDER
stand, and he and dad had set-to. Oh,
heard about it! Wish 1 might have
been there"
"How does your father act about
it,"
"'Bout the way red-hot stove acts
when you spill water on it; every time
he thinks of the minister he sizzles.
Ho, no! do wish / could have been
there
What does Grace say?"
ooh, she doesn't say much. l
wouldn't wonder if she felt the way
do, though we both keep quiet. I'll
tell you, between ourselves and the
ships pump. that l sort of glory in
the young chaps spunk.'
Good! So do l. like him."
Her friend leaned forward.
"Keziah," he said earnestly, there's
no sense in your slavin' yourself to
death here. can think of good deal
pleasanter berth than that. Pleasant
er for me. anyhow, and I'd do my best
to make it pleasant for you. You've
only got to say the word and No?
Well, then all can do is hope through
another voyage"
please don't, Nat. You know
mo, don't know"
| well, perhaps you don't. But ]
know. like you. Nat. count on you
as the straightest, truest friend I've
got; and 1 want to keep on countin'
on you just that way. Mayn't II"
"'Course you can, Keziah. But
Then don't say another word,
please"
"Keziah. when you set your foot
down you're pretty stubborn; but I've
got somethin' of a foot myself. You re.
member you said so few minutes
ago. Hi. hum! Well, speakin' of dad
reminds me that I'm kind of worried
about him."
you are? Why? Isn't he well?"
pretty well, but he amt strong, and
he gets too excited over things like
last nights foolishness. Grace tells
me that the doctor says he must be
careful or he'll drop off some of these
days. He had a shock five or six years
ago, a little one, and I've been anxious
about him ever since"
You mustn't worry. How did Grace
look to you?"
Like the harbor light on a stormy
night. She's brick. that girl, and
gets prettier every minute Wonder
to me some Of the young chaps down
here don't carry her off by main
strength. She'll make somebody 9
good wife"
"Um-hm. Have-have you eve,
! thought of her that way yourself?"
"Keziah. that's enough of that. Are
you and dad in partnership to get me
spliced and out of the way? He was
at me this mornin' along the same
line. Don't say anything like that
again. even in fun. You know why"
"All right, all right Now tell ms
about yourself. Have you had a good
voyage? How do you like your own
ers? How did Zach Foster ever gel
the packet in through yesterday