Putnam patriot., 1912-09-20

l The pair had been discussing the sub ] feet which all Trumet had discussed
 for three weeks, namely, the Calling" i to the pastorate of the Regular" i 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. Discussion in the village had i now reached critical point. for the Reverend John was expected by all most any coach. In those days the days of the late ffties. the railroad down the Cape extended only as far as Sandwich; passengers made the
 rest of their journey by stage. Many came direct from the city by the packet, the little schooner, but Mir. Ellery had written that he should
 probably come on the coach.
 'They say he's very nice-looking,"
 remarked Mi. Van Horne soberly, but with a misch.evous glance under her
 dark lashes at Keziah. The lady ad-
 dressed paused long enough to trans
 fer several tacks from the floor to the
 saucer, and then made answer.
 "Humph," she observed "A good
 many years ago I saw a theater show
 up to Boston. Don't be shocked;
 those circumstances we hear so much
 tell of-the kind you cant control
 have kept me from goin' to theaters
 much, even if l wanted to- But I did
 see this entertainment, and a fool one
 twas, too, all singh instead of talkin'
 opera, I believe they called it. Well,
 as started to say, one of the leadin'
 folks in it was the Old Harry himself,
 and he was pretty good-lookin'."
 Grace laughed, even though she had been somewhat shocked.
 Why, Aunt Keziah!" she exclaimed those who knew Keziah Coffin best usually called her aunt. though real nephews and nieces she had none
 why, Aunt Keziah! What do you
 mean by comparing the-the person you just mentioned with a minister"
 "Oh, I wasn't comparin' 'em; I'll leave that for you Come-Outers to do. Drat this carpet Seems's if I never
 saw such long tacks; do believe who- ever put 'em down drove 'em clean through the center of the earth and let the Chinymen clinch 'em on t'other side. I haul up chunk of the cellar floor with every one. An. hum! with a sigh. 'T callate they ain't any more anxious to leave home than l am. But, far's the minister's concerned, didn't I hear of your Uncle Eben sayin' in prayer meetin' only a fortnit or so ago that all hands who want Come Cutters were oSn children to Satan? MT. Ellery must take after his father some Surprisin'. ain't it. what fam fly the old critters got"
 The girl laughed again. For one brought up, since her seventh year. in the strictest of Come-Outer families. she laughed a good deal Many Come Cutters considered 1t wicked to laugh. Yet Grace did it. and hers was laugh pleasant to hear and distinctly pleas | ant to see.
 Aunt Keziah," she said. why do | you 20 away? What makes you? Is it absolutely necessary"
 "Why do I go? Why, for the same reason that the feller that was hove overheard left the ship-'cause can't | stay"
 q don't care," The girls dark eyes 1 flashed indignantly. "I think it's too bad of Capn Elkanah to turn you out | when"
 Don't talk that way. He ain't turn in me out. He ain't lettin' houses for | his health and he'll need the money to buy his daughters summer rigs. l She ain't had a new dress for month, pretty near. and here's a young and good-lookin' parson heavin' in sight. Maybe Cap'n Elkanah would think minister was high-toned enough even 1 for Annabel 10 marry.
 Hes only twenty-three. they say.