But she's a Come-Outer and--there's the church.Well,I know it.But he never was so popular as he is now.And she isn't by any means a steady-going Come-Outer.Why,Zeke Bassett and the rest have been finding fault with her and calling her a backslider.That'll help.Then you trust me to whoop up her heroism and the fact that without her he would have died.We can do it,Keziah.Come on!I've tackled a good many jobs,but matchmaking isn't one of 'em.Here goes to tackle that.Keziah was delighted;here was work after her own heart.But she still hesitated.
Doctor,she said,you've forgot one thing,that's Gracie herself.Would she marry him now,knowing it may mean the loss of his ministry and all,any more than she would at first?I don't believe it.That's your part,Keziah.You've got to show her she MUST marry him or he'll die;see?Call on me to back you up in any fairy yarn you spin.You prove to her it's her duty to marry him.You'll have to stay,here and help nurse,of course,and that's easy because his disease isn't contagious.You convince her and I'll take care of the congregation.He'll live to be minister here for the rest of his life,if he wants to,and she'll be a minister's wife and sit in the front pew.I'll guarantee the church if you'll guarantee the girl.Why,it's your duty!Come,now,what do you say?Keziah's hesitation was at an end.Her face lit up.
I say good!she cried.And I'll be thankful to you all the rest of my life.But for the dear mercy sakes,don't say 'duty'to me again.Oh,doctor,if you only knew what it means to me to be fightin'at last for somethin'that ain't just duty,but what Ireally want!I do honestly believe we can win.Glory,hallelujah!
And now I want to give you a piece of advice,your course for the first leg,as you might say:you see Cap'n Zebedee Mayo.Humph!Cap'n Zeb is the first man I mean to see.Captain Zeb listened with his mouth and eyes and ears open.Mrs.
Mayo was with him when the doctor called,and she,too,listened.
Well!exclaimed the captain,when the plea for support was ended.
Well,by the flukes of Jonah's whale!Talk about surprises!Old lady,what do you say?I say go ahead,Zebedee.Go ahead!If Mr.Ellery wanted to marry Jezebel's sister,and I knew he really wanted to,I'd--I do believe I'd help him get her.And Grace Van Horne is a good girl.Go ahead.Of course,put in Parker,profiting by a hint of Mrs.Coffin's,of course Daniels will fight tooth and nail against us.He'll be for discharging Ellery at once.And he really runs the parish committee.He does,hey?Well,I cal'late he don't.Not if I'm on deck,he don't.All right,doctor,I'm with you.He,he,he!he chuckled.
Say,doc,do you know I sort of love a good lively row.That's been the only trouble with our society sence Mr.Ellery took command of it--there ain't been any rows.He,he,he!Well,there'll be one now.There was,and it was lively enough to suit even Captain Zeb.Dr.
Parker,on his calls that day,was assailed with a multitude of questions concerning Grace's presence at the shanty.He answered them cheerfully,dilating upon the girl's bravery,her good sense,and the fact that she had saved Mr.Ellery's life.Then he confided,as a strict secret,the fact that the two were engaged.
Before his hearers had recovered from the shock of this explosion,he was justifying the engagement.Why shouldn't they marry if they wanted to?It was a free country.The girl wasn't a Come-Outer any longer,and,besides--and this carried weight in a good many households--what a black eye the marriage would be for that no-account crowd at the chapel.
Captain Zebedee,having shipped with the insurgents,worked for them from sunrise to sunset and after.Zeb was something of a politician and knew whom to get at.He sought his fellows on the parish committee and labored with them.Mrs.Mayo and the doctor's wife championed the cause at sewing circle.They were lively,those sewing meetings,and the fur flew.Didama Rogers and Lavinia Pepper were everywhere and ready to agree with whichever side seemed likely to win.Lavinia was so deeply interested that she forgot to catechise Abishai further about his untimely reference to Peters's grove.And Kyan,puzzled but thankful,kept silence.
It was by no means a one-sided struggle.Captain Elkanah,spurred on by the furious Annabel,marshaled his forces and proclaimed that Ellery,having disgraced the Regular Society,should no longer occupy its pulpit.
If he does,thundered Elkanah,I shall never cross the threshold of that church.And I've worshiped there for fifty years.Hum--ha!I should like to know whose money has gone more liberal for that meeting house than mine!But not another cent--no,sir!not one--if that licentious young scamp continues to blaspheme there.He hinted concerning a good-sized contribution toward a parish house,something the society needed.If Ellery was discharged,the contribution would probably be made,not otherwise.And this was a point worth considering.
Daniels also wrote to his influential friends of the National Regular Society.But Captain Zebedee had forestalled him there and both letters were laid on the table to await further developments.
As for the Come-Outers,they were wild with rage and Grace was formally read out of their communion.
I wonder,shrieked Ezekiel Bassett,in prayer meeting,what the sperrit of the good and great man who used to lead us from this 'ere platform would say if he was here now?Hey?what would he say?Josiah Badger upreared his lanky person.I dreamed about Cap'n Eben t'other n-nin-nun-night,he stammered.I see him just as--p-pup-pup-plain as you hear me n-n-now.And he says to me,he says,Josiah,'he says,'I-I-I-I--'Ki yi!broke in Thoph Baker,from the shadow of the rear seat.
Josiah turned to berate Thoph,who,being in disgrace because of his defense of Ellery,was reckless,and the communication from the dead leader of the Come-Outers was lost in the squabble which followed.
