The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1912-12-07
CHAPTER I.
In Which kezIah Hears Two Pro-
posaIs and the Beginning
NJ q Third

W WHICH NcZidn 1edre Two FTo-
posaIs and the Beginning
Of q Third.
Trumet In a fog; a fog blown In
during the night by the wind from the
wide Atlantic. So wet and heavy that
one might taste the salt in IT. So
thick that houses along the main road
were but dim shapes behind its gray
drapery. and only the gates and fences
Of the front yards were plainly In evil
dence to the passers-by.' The beach
plum and bayberry bushes on the
dunes were spangled with beady drops.
The pole on Cannon Hill, where the
beacon was hoisted when the packet
from Boston dropped anchor in the
bay, was shiny and slippery. The new
weathervane, gilded whale, present
ed to the Regular" church by Captain
Zebediah Mayo, retired whaler, swan
in a sea Of cloud. The nchened caves
of the little "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 it's hollows.
And, through the damp stiffness. the
muttered growl # the surf, three
miles away at the foot Of the sandy
bluffs by the lighthouse. sounded omi-
nously.
Directly opposite Captain Elkanah's
front gate, on the other side Of the
main road, stood the little story-and-
a-half house, also the captains prop.
erty. which for fourteen years had
been tenanted by Mrs. Keziah Coffin
and Der brother, Solomon Hall, the
shoemaker. But Solomon had, the
month before, given up his fight with
debt and illness and was sleeping qui-
city down 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 seam
stress would warrant, and, having bar
gained with the furniture dealer in
!, Wellmouth for the sale of her house
hold effects. was new busy getting
them ready for the morro~ when the
dealers wagon was to call. She was
going to Boston. where q distant and
condescending rich relative had in
terested himself to the extent Of find
Ing her . place as sewing woman In
large tailoring establishment.
The fog hung like q wet blanket
over the house and its small yard,
where few venerable pear trees, too
conservative in their old age to ven
!. tire . bud even though 1t was almost
May, stood bare and forlorn. The day
was dismal. The dismantled dining
room. its tables and chairs pushed into
q corner, and its faded ingram carpet
partially stripped from the floor. was
dismal, likewise Considering all
things. one might have expected Ke-
siah herself to be even more dismal.
But, to all outward appearances, she
was not. A large portion Of her
thirty-nine years Of life had been
passed under q wet blanket, 30 to
speak. and she had not permitted the
depressing covering to shut out more
sunshine than was absolutely neces-
sary. IL you can't get cream, you
might ~ well learn to love your sas-
ser Of skim milk" said practical Ke-
xiah.
She was on her knees, her calico
dress sleeves. patched and darned, but
absolutely clean. rolled back, uncover.
ing q pair Of plump, strong arms, a
saucer OF lacks before her. and a tack
hammer with claw head in her hand
She was taking up the carpet. Grace
Van Horne, Captain Eben Hammond's
ward, who had called to see II there
was anything she might do to help,
was removing towels, tablecloths, and
the 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 sub.
ject which all Trumet had discussed
Tor three weeks. namely. the calling
to the passionate 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. Discussion in the village had
now reached a critical point, for the
Reverend John was expected by al
most any coach. In those DAYS the
days Of the late fifties, the railroad
down the Cape extended only as fal
~ Sandwich; passengers made the
rest OF their journey by stage. Man,
came direct from the city by the
packet, the little schooner, but Mr.
Ellery had written that he shoult
probably come on the coach.
They say he's very nice-looking
remarked Nj Van Horne soberly. bu
with mischieyous glance under he
dark lashes at Keziah. The lady ad
dressed paused long enough to trans
Ter several tacks from the floor TO IN,
saucer. and then made answer.
"Humph!" she observed. "A soot
many years ago / saw a theater SHOW
up to Boston. Don't be shocked
those circumstances We hear 30 muc,
tell of-the kind you can't control
have kept me from goin' to theaser
much. even II I wanted to. But di,
see this entertainment, and q fool on,
twas. too, all singin' instead of talkin
Opera, ! believe they called It. Well
a. ] 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 hat
been somewhat shocked.
Why, Aunt Kexiah!" she exclaimed
those who knew Kexiah CONN bes,
usually called her aunt fhonrh ro.]