The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-03-06
CHAPTER |.
In Which Keziah Hears Two Fro
posaIs and the Beginning
of q Third.


of a Third.
Trumet in q fog; a fog blown IN
during the night by the wind from the
wide Atlantic So wet anl 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 evi'
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, a gilded whale, present
ed to the Regular" church by Captain
Zebediah Mayo, retired whaler, swan
in a sea OF cloud. The lichened caves
Of the little ome-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
muttered growl Of 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 fc%gteen years had
been tenanted by Mrs. KeZiah Coffin
and Der brother, Solomon Hall, the
shoemaker But Solofcon 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 rrecarious earnings as seam
stress would warrant, and, having bar
gained with the furniture dealer in
Wellmouth for the sale Of her house
hold effects, was now busy getting
them ready for the morrow when the
dealers wagon was to call She was
going to Boston, where q distant and
condescending rich relative had in
teTested himself to the extent Of find
ing her place as sewing woman in
a large tailoring establishment
The fog hung like wet blanket
over the house and it's small yard
where a few venerable pear trees, toe
conservative in their old age to ven
ture bud even though it was almost
May, stood bare and forlorn. The day
was dismal. The disfnantled dining
room, It's 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 ail outward appearances, she
was not. A large portion OF hel
thiTty-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
absolutely clean, rolled back, uncover
ing pair of plump, strong arms, a
saucer of tacks before her, and tack
hammer with claw head in her hand
She was taking up the carpet. Grace
Van Horne, Captain Eben Hammond's
-
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
for three weeks, namely, the calling
to the pastorate 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 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 M Van Horne soberly, but
with mischievous glance under her
dark lashes at Keziah. The lady adj
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 saw theater show
up to Boston. Don't be shocked:
those circumstances we hear so much
tell of-the kind you can't control
have kept me from goin' to theaters
much. sy'sA if l wanted to. But did
see this entertainment, and fool one
twas, too, all singin' instead of talkin'
Opera, believe they called it. Well.
as started to say, one Of the leadin'
folks In 1t 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 t2st mentioned With minister"
'Oh wacp,t coYnnaTir, ,oyn. i T,,,