Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1912-11-29


and no more. What makes you say
that?"
ooh, nuthin'. Only I thought maybe.
long as ElEanah was feelin' that Mr.
Ellery want orthodox enough. he
might be gcin' to make a change.
didn't mean TO stir you up, Zebedee.
But from things Cap'n Daniels has
said l gathered that he was runnin,
the committee. And, as I'm friend
Of NJ Ellery, it"
Friend! Well, som I, amt |? If
you ever hear of Daniels irwin any
tricl-s against the minister, YOU send
for o, that's all. I'll show him. Boss!
HumP1!"
The vily Ke-iah aligh.ed ct the per-
sonage safe with the feeling that she
had sown seed in fertile ground. She
was quite aware of Captain Zeb's jeal-
ousy of the great Daniels And the
time might come when her parson
needed an influential friend on the
committee and in the Regular society.
The news of the engagement be-
tween Captain Nat Hammond and
Grace Van Horne, told by Dr. Parker
to one or two of his patients, spread
through Trumet like measles through
6 family of small children. Annabel
Daniels and her father had not expect
ed it. They were. however, greatly
pleased. In their discussion. which
lasted far into the night. Captain Elk
anah expressed the opinion that the
unexpected denouement was the result
of his interview with Eben.
q think, pa she said, that it's our
duty, yours and mine, to treat him just
as we always have. He doesn't know
that we know, and We viii keep the
secret. And, as Christians, We should
forget and forgive
Ryan Pepper was another whom the
news of the engagement surprised
greatly. When LaVinia told him of it,
at the dinner table, he dropped the
knife he was holding and the greasy
section Of fishball balanced upon it.
Remembering what he had seen in the
grove he could not understand; but
he also remembered, even more vivid
~ what KeZiah Coffin had promised
to do if he ever breathed a word And
he vowed again that that word should
not be breathed.
Keziah was the life of the gloomy
parsonage. Without her the mir
would have broken down. He .ef
her Aunt Keziah' at her reques
she continued to call him John
x1TOH in r1rfx 20 ~ in
he was mr.. Ellery" and she -
Coffin"
hts walks about town he saw
.. She and Mrs. Pound
Nat were stiH at
no one save them
their plans might
ough, Ellery was the
first q. learn these plans and
that from Nat himself.
He met the captain at the corner
OF the "Turnoff'' one day late IN Au-
gust He tried to make his bow seem
cordial, but was painfully aware that
il was not. Nat, however, seemed not
held out his hand.
Well, Mr.. Ellery," said Captain
Nat, 81 won't keep you. / see you're
in hurry. just thought I'd run along
side a minute and say good-by- Don't
knows I'll see you again afore sail
Before you sail? You-you are go
ing away?"
"Yup. My owners have been after
me for a good while. but | wouldn't
leave home on account of dads health
Now he's gone, I've got to be gettin
back to salt water again. My ship
been drydocked and overhauled and
she's in New York now loadin' for Ma
Mia It's a long wage. even If l
come back direct. which amt likely
So | may not see the old town again
for a couple of years, Take care OF
yourself, won't you? Good men, es-
pecially ministers, are seurse, ana
from what l hear about you l caIlate
Trumet needs YOU
When are you going?"
Last of next week, most Likely
viii you-shall you go aloneE Are
You to be-to be"
Married? No. Grace and have
talked it over and we've agreed It's
best to wait till come back. ShoA
stay in the old house with Hannah.
"Good-by, captain"
"Good-by Er-I say, Mr.. Eliery'
how's things at the parsonage? En-
Keziah-Mrs. Coffin. your housekeep-
er, is she smart?"
Yes. She's we'll"
That's good. Say, you might tell
her good-by for me, il you want To-
Tell her | wished her all the luck
there was. And-and-just say that
there amt any-well, that her frlehd
say just that, will you?-her friend
said twas all right. She'll understand
it's IA sort of joke between US.
Very good, captain; I'll tell her'
They shook hands and parted
Didama and her fellow news-yenders
the tale OF Captain Mats
sailing broadcast during the next Few
days. There was much wonderment
At the DELAYED marriage, but the gem
sral verdict was that Captain Eben
recent death and the proper respect
due to il furnished sufficient excuse.
Hannah Poundberry, delighted at De
ng so close TO the center OF interest,"
alked and talked, and thus Grace was
spared the interviews which Wouia
lave been a trouble to her. Nat ieit
own via the packet. on the following
Wednesday. Within another week
anne the news that his ship. the pea
Mist. had sailed from New YORK,
lound for Manila.
CHAPTER XIV.