Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1912-11-08

well, I'm glad OF that" she said.
Il amt got any grudge against Anna
bel, but neither have got any against
you. I'll say this. though. for a body
that amt in love you certainly stay
with the Danielses long time. You
went there right after meetin' this
noon and now it's seven O'Clock and
you've just got home. And twas the
same last Sunday and the one before.
Been there all the time. have your"
NO." he said slowly. mot all the
time. I-I-er-went for a short
walk"
Before she could inquire concerning
that walk he had entered the study
and closed the door after him,
Sunday was a cloudy. warm day.
-muggy," so Captain Zeb described II.
After the morning service Mr.. Ellery.
as usual, went home with Captain
Daniels and Annabel. Keziah returned
to the parsonage. ate a lonely dinner,
and went upstairs to her own ROOM
Her trunk was in one corner of this
room and she unlocked 1t, taking from
a compartment of the tray a rosewood
writing case. inlaid with mother-or-
pearl, a present from her father, who
had brought it home from sea when
she was a girl.
From the case she took a packet of
letters and a daguerreotype. The lat
ter was the portrait of a young man,
in high-collared coat, stock and fancy
waistcoat. Mrs Coffin looked at the
daguerreotype, sighed, shuddered, and
laid it aside. Then she opened the
packet of letters. Selecting one from
the top of the pile, she read it slowly.
And, as she read. she sighed again.
She did not hear the back door of
the parsonage open and close softly.
Nor did she hear the cautious foot
steps in the rooms below. What
aroused her from reading was her
own name, spoken at the foot of the
stairs.
"Keziah! Keziah, are you there?"
She started. sprang up, and ran out
into the hall. the letter still in her
hand.
"Who Is it," she asked sharply.
"Mr Ellery, is that your"
NO." was the answer. Its me-
Nat. Are you busy, Keziah? want
TO see you for minute"
The housekeeper hurriedlv thrust
the letter into her waist.
'1'll be right down, Nat" she an
swered. I'm comm"
He was in the sitting room when
she entered He was wearing his Sun
day suit of blue and his soft hat was
on the center table. She held out her
hand and he shook 1t heartily
Before he could speak she caught a
glimpse OF his face.
What is it?" he asked. What Is
the matter?"-
well. Keziah, it's trouble enough.
Dad and | had a fallin' out. We had
what was next door to a real quarrel
after dinner to-day It would have been
a real one if I hadn't walked off and
left him. Keziah, he's dead set on my
marryin' Grace. Says if | don't he'll
know that / don't really care a tin
nickel for him, or for his wishes. or
what becomes of the girl after he's
gone"
Keziah was silent for a moment.
Then he said slowly:
and Grace herself? How does she
feel about it? Has he spoken to her."
81 don't know. 1 guess likely he
has. Perhaps that's why she's been so
sort of mournful lately. But never
mind whether he has or not; | won't
do it and ! told him so. He got red
hot in a jiffy. l was ungrateful and
stubborn and all sorts of things. And
I, bein' a Hammond, with some of the
Hammond balkiness in me, / set my
foot down as hard as his. And We had
it untfl-until-well until | saw him
stagger and tremble so that actually
got scared and feared he was goin' TO