Gilpin observer., 1913-03-27

"All right. And mine is John
Captain-Nat, mean-how can I
ever thank your"
THANK me? What do you want to
thank me fort I only handed over
somethin' that wasn't mine in the first
place and belonged to you all along.
didn't know it. that was the only
trouble"
But your promise to your father.
I feel"
"You needn't I'm doin' the right
thing and l know 1t. And don't pity
me, neither. made up my mind
not to marry Grace-unless, of course,
she was set on it-months ago. I'm
tickled to death to know she's goin'
to have as good man as you are.
She'll tell you SO. Grace! Hello!
she's gone" fs
"Yes. I told her wanted to talk
with you alone. for few minutes.
Nat, Grace tells me that Aunt Kesiah
was the one who"
"she was. She met me at the Co
hasset Narrows depot. was settin'
in the car, lookin' out of the window
at the sand and snifin' the Cape air,
somebody tapped me on the shoulder.
looked up and twas her. was sur
prised enough to see her, I tell you.
Way up there at the Narrows!
couldn't have said word, anyway.
and she never gave me chance.
Nat she says, don't talk now. Come
with me. quick afore the train starts.
I've come here on purpose to meet
you. ] must talk with you; it's i'm
portant You can go to Trumet on
the next train. tonight. But now
must talk with you. must. Won't
you please come, Nat?
We'll. went The engine bell was
beginnin' to ring and we had to move
lively, tell you. swung her OF the
step just as the car begun to move.
So into the waitin' room We went and
come to anchor on the settee. And
then, John, we had our talk. Seems
she left Trumet Wednesday afternoon.
Got the livery stable man to drive her
as fur as Bayport, hired another team
there and come on to Sandwich. Stay
ed overnight there and took the morn
In train which got to Cohasset Mar
rows just ahead Of the one / was
comm on. She'd been 30 fraid of be
in late. she said. She must see me
afore 1 got to Trumet
well, she saw me and told me the
whole yarn about you and Grace. She
tried to break 1t to me gently. SO
wouldn't feel too bad. She knew It
would be shock to me, she said. It
was a shock, in a way, but as for
feelin' bad, didn't. think the world
Of Grace I'd do anything she wanted
me to do; but most the way down on
the train-yes, and long afore that
I'd been dreadin' my comm home on
one account. dreaded tellin' her
that, unless she was real set on 1t,
she'd better not marry me-"
NAT. want to tell you something.
Something that only one other per-
son knows. Grace doesn't know 1t
yet. Neither does Aunt Keziah-the
whole Of it. And II she knew l told
you even part I'm afraid she would,
as she would say. Skin me alive
But I owe her-and you-more than
| could repay II lived a thousand
years. So I'm going to tell and take
the consequences.
Nat, when-that morning after
your father died and after you and
Grace had agreed toto"
ITO do somethin' neither Of us
wanted to- do? Yes, know. Go
ahead"
That morning Aunt Keziah came
home to the parsonage and broke the
news to me. She did 1t as only size
could do such thing. kindly and pity
ingly and I made a fool of myself.
expect; refused to believe her. be-
haved disgracefully. and at last. when
l had to believe 1t, threatened to run
away and leave my work and Trumet
forever. like coward. She made me
stay"
Did, hey?"
Yes. She showed me 1t was my
duty to face the music. When
whimpered about my troubles she
told me her own story. Then