Show COT josepha Josep hC lincoln caf C tj place alin calin C ari etc rn clotio taia eusworth towns youn SYNOPSIS mrs keelah cofrin a 0 uede w widow adow Is arranging ii to lo move fro m t to dotton following the death 0 ol 01 f her brother for whom rhe bhe had kept house kyon ayan repper pepper widower offers marriage e and and la Is indignantly refused capt capt elkanah Elkan ran dan lela leis leader of the regular church offers keziah a place us as housekeeper for the n new e w m inister and e ehe he decides to remain I 1 in n T r urn e it CHAPTER III in which keziah assumes a guardianship grace left the parsonage soon after the supposed tramp disclosed hie big identity tier her farewells were hurried ind and she firmly refused mrs coffins not too insistent appeal to return to the house up street and have supper she said she was glad to meet mr ellery the young minister affirmed his delight in meeting her its ita been something of a day for me ho he said 1 I am ahead of time and ive made a lot of trouble im afraid but yesterday afternoon I 1 was rea ready dy and to tell the truth I 1 was eager to come and see my new home and get at my work so I 1 started on the morning train then the stage broke down and I 1 began to think I 1 was stranded randd Bt at bayport dut but this kindhearted kind hearted chap from willmouth Well mouth I 1 believe belle ye where he lived happened to pull up to watch us wrestling with the smashed wheel and when he found I 1 was in a hurry hurr v to get to offered to give me a lift ills his name was was bird no that it but it was something like bird or some kind ot of a birdy bird bird repeated keziah thoughtfully theres no birds that I 1 know of in willmouth Well mouth hum hey 7 twant sparrow was it that was it sparrow good landl land emulous sparrow run considerable to whiskers and tongue ho be why yes he did wear a beard As for tongue well lie he w was conversational if what you mean what I 1 mean f you rode twelve mile with emulous emelo you roust must b have V e had bad an earache to he last six your personal affairs herland here and there between times i mr ellery laughed I 1 yes one or two between times ne admitted 1 I shant die of surprise did you tell him who you was noo no oo 00 o o to be honest I 1 lie he was so BO tory anxious to find out that well I 1 dodged I 1 think he believed I 1 was going to visit captain daniels still some one may have seen mo me come here no no they this tog fog Is as aa thick as injun meal nobody saw you well with some lome hesitation the young lady who was hero hera with you 11 oh grace van hornel chornel ashes all right she wont tell she aint that kind yon van horne home that sound like a new england name Ti ont her folks como come from jer afy y somewhere wheres a but she was adopted by old cap caan n hammond who keeps tho the tavern down dow n on the bay shore by the packet wharf and ashes lived in since she was six years old did tier her father was teutla van horne home and he was mate on caan ebens coastin coast ln schooner and was drowned oft off hatteras eben was saved just by the skin of his teeth and got gat a broken hip and religion while it happened ills his hips better except that hes heo some lame laine but his religions been more and more feverish ever since lies hes one of the head bead come coine bouters outers and built their chapel with his own money you think im sp speak eakin ln light ly of religion nor of caan eben elther either hes a dear good soul as ev ever was but he be Is the narrowest kind of come outer ills his creed Is just about as wide as the chapel door and as narrow as the way leadin to salvation it Is the way too so the come outers bouters think are new sect beet sakes alive you heard of gome come bouters outers T cats foot I 1 well hear of era en often enough from now on folks who used to go to our church the regular but left because the services was too worldly with organs and choir sing in and the road to paradise too easy no need tor for me to tell you any more learn I 1 mr ellery was interested lie he bad been in but once be before f 0 re a on n the occasion when he ha preached his bla trial sermon and rt of that memorable visit remembered little except the sera mon itself the pawa filled with captains and their families and the awe inspirit ng personality of captain elkanah daniels who had bes his host boat to a young youn man the ink upon his diploma frons from the theological school still tresh fresh a trial sermon la is a weighty matter and the preaching of it weightier still lie he had bud rehearsed it over and over in private had delivered it alnio almap ili rough clin clinched ebed teeth and bad to his room in tho the boston cording carding house bouse with the conviction tm it 1 waa tut L after tar failure allure captain d the gracious miss anui anoa bel his daughter had bad been kind enough to express gratification and their praise alone saved him from despair then to his amazement the call had come of casual conversation at the church and about the daniels table he could recall nothing so there was another religious organization in town and that made up tip ot of se ceders from his bla own church lie was surprised er this miss van home he be asked Is she a come outer gutert mrs coffin nodded yes she said ashes one be anything else and live with her uncle eben as she calls him uns has captain hammond ammond II no children of his own he asked Nezia Kez lahs hs answer was short for her yes she said eald one ahl another daughter no a son names nathaniel and hes bes a sea captain hes on hla his way from surinam to now new york now they expect him to make port most any time I 1 believe now sir mr ellery I 1 spose weve got to arrange for your supper and overnight and with this house bouse the way and all I 1 dont see eee 1 I guess ruminatively that the best thing for you to do will be to go to caan EI El kanahs bo be real glad to see you I 1 know and be in time for supper tor for elkanah and annabel have been to denbro and be late home they can keep you overnight too for its a big house with lots of rooms then after breakfast tomorrow to morrow you come right here ill have things somewhere near shipshape by then I 1 guess though the have to be mainly a lick and a promise until I 1 can really get at it your trunk trunell ll be ba here on the coach I 1 spose altose and be through early in the afternoon get on your hat and coat and ill go with you ha kanahs the young man demurred a little at thrusting himself upon the hospitality of the daniels home but keziah assured him that hla his unexpected coming would cause no trouble so he entered the now dark study and outwear ingi bat and valise la in hla his band im sure tm im ever so much obliged to you he be said paid and as we are going to be more or less together or at least I 1 guess as aa much from what you say would you mind it if I 1 suggest a mutual introduction im john ellery you know that already and you keziah stopped short on her way to the door well I 1 declare I 1 she exclaimed it that aint the very forstl fact la Is you dropped in so ahead of time and in such a irregular sort of way that I 1 I 1 never once thought of Intro introducing ducin anybody and im suro sure grace im keziah collin coffin and coan Elka elkanah nab and I 1 signed articles so to speak this mornin and im goin coln to keep heep house bouse tor for you she explained the reason for upset ilk I 1 I 1 theres your chart 11 tins ting the former arrangement by which lurania phelps was to have bavo bed bad the position at the daniels door keziah turned tier her new charge over to matilda snow the hired girl it was an indication of the fam ilys social position that they kept hired help this was unusual in in those days even among the well to do good night said maid tua the young nan man extending his bis band good night bliss alaa 0 or r Is jt it mrs coffin 1 mrs good night ashes a widow explained matilda husband died tore fore she come coma back here to live guess ho he amount to much she never mentions men tlona his name keziah in the midst of 0 her labors found time to coach her employer and companion in ways and particularly ticul arly in the ways which trum et expected expect til its clergymen to travel 0 on n tha morning following his bis first night in the parsonage pars he ha expressed him self belt as feeling the need deed of exercise ile he thought ho be ifould take tahe a walk well said eald his hi a houskeeper an fn from DIXI her station opposite him at tho the bre break fast table if 11 I 1 wu you I 1 would take too long a one better be back bach here by ten anyhow where was you th inkin of 0 golant eo loT mr ellery had n no particular destination leopould in mind 1 pie would like to see BOO something of the village and perhaps it if she could give him the names of oc a tow few of hla his parishioners he be might mako make a few calls keelah shook her head ar gracious goodness goodne sal I 1 she exclaimed 1 I 1 advise you to do that you aint been here long enough to make forenoon calls it if you should catch some of the women in this town with abrona and calico on never forgive you in this world walt wait i till afternoon be expect ex pectin ln you then and be rigged out in their best bibs and tuckers sooae pose you found annabel daniels with her hair bair done up in curl papers what do you think would happen Mor are no time for ministers calls even old mr langley never mado made calls in the forenoon and hod had been here hera thirty odd years all right you know best much obliged for the advice then ill simply take my walk and leave tho the calls until later id be back by ten though Polk Folk sll begin callin on you by that time when promptly at ten the minister returned from his walk ho he found mrs rogers waiting in tho the sitting bitting room it Is a prime qualification of an alert reporter to be first on an the scene of sensation didama was want seldom beaten mr elleris Ell erys catechism began before it was over neziah opened the door to admit miss aliss pepper and her brother kyan was nervous and embarrassed embarrass cd in the housekeepers pres presence enoe lavinia was a glacier moving majestically and freezing as it moved neziah however was not even touched by the frost she greeted the pair cordially and begged them to take off their things it was dinner time before the cate chimers departed the catechized catechizer catechi zed came to t ta i table with an impaired appetite 11 he e looked troubled dont let it worry you mr ellery cilery observed keelah calmly 1 I think I 1 can satisfy you honest and true I 1 aint halt as bad as you might think the minister looked more troubled than before also surprised why mrs Coff iril he cried could you bearman alovel im not worried why should you be e wo we were about trust just now or I 1 was well you and ill have to take each other on trust tor for a while until we see whether were coln to suit it you see anything that im coln wrong in 3 wish tell me an ill do the siame B amo by you it if agreeable hear bear a lot of things said about me but it very bad I 1 give you my word they aint true and to be real frank ill probably hear some about you which ill take tor for what worth and considering con who said eald em V h r anif R 7 ruthl fi k for both of us what do you think john ellery said with emphasis that he be thought well of it IL ile he began to realize that this woman with her blunt common sense cense was likely to be a pilot worth having in the difficult waters which he be must navigate as skipper dt df tho the regular churchin trumel mel also he be began to realize that as such a skipper he was most inexperienced and captain daniels had bad spoken highly condescendingly but highly of his housekeepers qualifications ficat ions and personality so the agreement was ratified with relief on his part the first sunday came and with it the first sermon lie he read that sermon to keelah on saturday evening and she approved of it as a whole though she criticised criticized some of its details the service began at eleven outside the spring breeze stirred tho the budding silver leafs the distant break ers era grumbled the crows in the pines near nea r captain uben hammonds tavern cawed ribald answers to the screaming gulls perched along the top of the breakwater and seated on ono one of tho the hard bard benches of the little come outer chapel grace van home beard her uncle eben who as aa usual was conducting the tha meeting speak of them who in purple and fine linen with organs and trumpets and vain shows are gathered elsewhere in this community to hear a hired priest make a mock of the gospel go spell I 1 amen A men but john ellory the hired priest knew nothing of this ile he did know however that he was the center of interest for his own congregation the people among whom he had bad been called to labor their praise or criticism meant everything to him therefore he preached tor for dear life the sermon was a success suco on monday afternoon the minister made a few calls keelah made mada out a short list for him to follow a sort of chart ot of the main channel she called it with the safe ports porto marked and the and risky places labeled dangerous you see she etc said aint a course you can navigate with your eyes abut wo we divide ourselves into about tour four sets aristocrats poor relations lat fons town folks and scum the aristocrats are the big bugs like cava elkanah and the other well off sea captains afloat and ashore the they y most all go to the regular church and the parish committee Is steered by lent cm the poor relations are mainly widows and such euch whose husbands died or were lost at sea most moat of them are ara regulars tito the town folks oro are those that stay ashore and keep store or run salt works or so methin and the scum w work ork around on odd jobs or go eo bishin so it if you really want to be safe you must call on tho the aristocrats first after that on the poor relations and so on down you wont be bothered with scum much mainly C come ome bouters outers alliry t took ook the list from her hand ad looked it over ilium hum 11 he said musingly atta ate I 1 suppo supposed to recognize sr or lass class distinctions gilt but youre not BO piously bously advising me to treat a rich man differently from a poor one cne not openly dlf different ferent no but it you want to steer a perfectly sate safe course one keep the deep water under your keel the whole voyage why theres your chart mr ellery promptly tore care tho the chart into small pieces im going out he said bald 1 I 1 shall be back by supper time mrs coffin eyed him grimly coln to run it blindfolded ari are you I 1 she ebe asked yes I 1 nm 1 her grimness disappeared and abo be smiled ill have your supper ready for you she said bald dring bring back a good appetite As a matter of fact the mini ministers calls were in the nature of a compro comero mige although an unintentional one ile ho dropped in on zebedee mayo owner of the big house on the slope of the hill captain zeb took him up into what ho he called ills his cu cuppler cupol cr the observatory atory on the top of the house and showed shoved sho wed him spread out like alko a map ellery ellary decided that lie ho should like captain zeb although it was evident that tho the old whaler had bad decided forts of his own which ho he did not hesitate to express ile he judged that the mayos were of tho the so bo called aristocracy to cracy but undoubtedly unique specimens ile ho visited visit ed four more households that afternoon the tha last call was waa at mrs thankful paynes and while there listening to the wonderful poem he saw miss van horne home pas para tho window ile he caroe came home to a cape cod supper of scalloped clams hot biscuits ble cults and baked indian pudding and neziah greeted him with a cheery smile which made him feel that it was waa 4 1 captala Cap talt elkanah |