The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1913-01-03
CHAPTER |.
In Which kezIah Hears Two Pro
posaIs and the Beginning
of Third.

of Third.
Trumet In a fog; fog blown ID
during the night by the wind from the
wide Atlantic. So wet and heavy thai
one might taste the salt in 1t. Sc
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 Hin, 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 sea Of cloud. The llchened 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 Its hollows.
And, through the damp stiffness, the
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 eS.nings as seam
stress would warrant, and, having bar
gained with the furniture dealer In
Wellmouth for the sale of her house
hold effects, was n v busy getting
them ready for the morr0- when the
dealers wagon was to call. She was
going to Boston, where a distant and
understanding rich relative had IN
terested himself to the extent OF find
ing her a place as sewing woman in
a large tailoring establishment
The fog hung like a wet blanket
over the house and Its small yard,
where a few venerable pear trees, too
conservative in their old age to ven
ture a bud even though it was almost
May, stood bare and forlorn. The day
was dismal. The dismantled dining
room, its tables and chairs pushed into
a corner, and its faded ingram carpet
partially stripped from the floor, was
dismal, likewise. Considering all
things, one might have expected Ke-
ziah herself to be even more dismal
But. to all outward appearances, she
was not A arge portion of her
thirty-nine years of life had been
passed. under a wet blanket, so to
speak, and she had not permitted the
depressing covering to shut out more
sunshine than was absolutely neces-
sary. "If you can't get cream, you
might as well learn to love your sas-
ser Of skim milk" said practical Ke-
ziah.
She was on her knees, her calico
dress sleeves, patched and darned, but
s absolutely clean, rolled back, uncover
i ing a pair of plump, strong arms,
\ ssaucer of tacks before her, and tack
hammer with claw head in her hand
the was taking up the carpet Grace
"Fan dorne, Captain Eben Hammond's
romarl, who had called to see II there
ousHs anything she might do to help
1g" S removing towels, tablecloths, and
Tea like from the drawers in a tall
Dntair;h-boy," folding them and placing
/, CORN in an old and battered trunk
"Tbo, rair had been discussing the sub
bod (which all Trumet had discussed
weeks, namely, the calling"
GO M, the pastorate Of the Regular"
nAulrch of the Rev. John Ellery, the
no. Dung 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 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 Mr..
Ellery had written that he should
probably come on the coach.
They say he's very nice-looking, ."
remarked NJ Van Horne soberly. but
with a mischievous 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.
"Humphi" she observed. "a good
many years ago saw theater show
M to Boston. Don't be shocked;
those circumstance we hear so much
tell of-the kind you can't control
have kept me from goin' to theaters
much, even II wanted to. But did
see this entertainment, and q fool one
twas, too, all singin' instead Of talkin'
opera, I believe they called It Well,
.4,r4ad "a aav one OF the leadin'