Las Vegas optic., 1912-10-10

~
"Ahoy There, ElkanahIH Hailed zebs.
dee, cheerfuIIy.
put through my catechism yet .
while"
mo. you mustn't go. | want you to
meet Mr.. Ellery. You sit out on the
wash bench by the back door till I get
rid of whoever tbs that's comm
Scootl"
Nat "scooted." stopping to snatch up
his hat as he ran. Keziah went into
the dining room and admitted Captain
Zebedee Mayo, who was painting from
the exertion of his walk.
"Whewl" puffed Captain Zeb, mop
ping his forehead. "How be you, .Ke-
ziah? What? You amt all alone!
Thought you'd have a cabin full of
CAB machines by this time. Have they
been and gomez?
mo, they haven't been. r. MY
land, my pie!"
She rushed into the kitchen and
snatched the pastry from the oven.
Her new caller followed her.
$50 they amt been, hey?' he said.
That's queer"
aElkanah's here. He's in there with
the minister now"
He is? Givin' the young feller Hal
Columby, I cal'late Well, now, he
shan't. He. he! When they told ms
how the minister passed old hop-and.
go-fetch-it what was due him at the
chapel last night riz up and hoorayed
tell my wife shut the windows. She
said the neighbors all thought | was
lobny, anyhow. and needn't prove II
to EN-. He, hei But Elkanah amt
got any funny bone. He's as solemn
as a stuffed owl. and he'll Well, I'm
soin' to put my oar In. Pm parish com
mittee, too, I calIate, and I've got
somethin' to say, even il j want chris
tened Daniels. Here goes!@
He headed for the study, but before
he crossed the threshold Of the kiteh.
an Ellery and his visitor came out into
the dining room. Captain Elkanah's
face was flushed, and he fidgeted. The
minister looked determined but calm.
Alloy there, Elkanah!" hailed Zebe-
dee cheerfully. 'Mornin, Mr.. Ellery,
Been havin' officers counsel, have
you?"
Good morning, Captain Mayo"
said the minister.
Mornin'. zebedee," grunted Elka-
nah Il haye-hum -ha-been dis
eussing the regrettable affair of last
night with Mr.. Ellery have tried
mum ha to show him that respect
able people of our society don't asso-
ciate with Come-Outers, and that for
Regular minister to go to their meet
ings is something neither the congre-
cation nor the parish committee ap-
proves of. No -er-hum -ha! mol"
And explained to Captain Dan.
iels,' observed the minister, that I
went there for what seemed to me
good reasons, and, as they did seem to
me good at the time, I'm not ashamed
Of having gone. 1t was an honest mis-
take on my part and | may make
more"
But the society" began Elkanah.
Captain zeb interrupted him.
Don't worry about the society, Mr..
Ellery," he said with emphasis. Nor
about the parish committee, either
Great fishhooksl the most of us are
tickled to death over what You said to
Eben Hammond. We think it's
mighty good joke. You didn't know,
of course. and what you did was done
innocent. TIel he! he! Did you lay
him out, hey?"
= think you'll find good many Of
the society feel as do, shocked and
hum-ha sorry. I'm surprised they
haven't been here to say so"
Il expected them," remarked the
minister
$50 did I, chimed In Captain zeb.
but / cal'late to know why they ain't
been. They're all too busy CROWN
over the way Nat Hammond fetched
the packet home last night. You amt
heard, Keziah, have you? Nor you,
Mr.. Ellery? Well, must tell you.
Here's where ] gain lap on Didama
Rogers Seems the Deborah s.-that's
the packets name, Mr. Ellery-ahe
hauled out Of Boston night after last
on the ebb. with a fair wind and sky
clear as q bell. But they hadn't much
got outside OF Minot's fore the
fog shut down, thicker'n Cruel for
sick man. The wind held till long to-
ward mornin': then she tlattened to
dead calm. Bile Perry. the mate. he
spun the yarn to me. and he said
twas thick and fiat as ever he see
80 kan4 gssttin' no better fast