? I thought I was goin' to have a
little peace and comfort; I thought that same as you, Mr. Ellery. I've
had my suspicions as to her and him for some time. That day when I
cal'lated I'd locked her up and come back to find she'd gone buggy
ridin', I thought 'twas queer. When she went to conference and left
me alone I smelt a rat. When she took to letter writin' the smell got
stronger; until the last few weeks I've been sartin of the game she was
up to. And I never complained, no sir! Some brothers would have ripped
up the eternal foundations afore they'd have let their sister break
up their home and desert 'em for a stiff-necked, bald-headed old shoe
peddler like--"

"Hush! hush! Mr. Pepper. You forget--"

"No, I don't forget, nuther. Mr. Ellery, you don't know it all. When
Laviny come to me and told me what she was goin' to do, was I obstinate?
Did I stand on my rights as head of the family and tell her she couldn't
do it? No, sir-ee, I didn't! I was resigned. I says to her, 'Laviny,'
I says, 'I won't say that I shan't be turrible lonesome without you. I
won't say that I ain't sort of shocked and grieved at our partin' after
all these years. But what's my personal feelin's when I compare 'em with
your happiness? Nothin', nothin' at all!' I says. 'Bless you, Laviny,'
says I. 'When you goin' to go away?' And what do you s'pose she says to
me? Why, that she wa'n't goin' away at all. That--that Pratt thing
has sold out his shoe store up to Sandwich and is comin' here to live.
Comin' to live at our HOUSE, mind you, with her and with ME! ''Twill be
so nice for you, 'Bishy dear,' she says, 'to have a man in the house
to keep you comp'ny and look out for you when I ain't round.' Godfreys
mighty!"

This portion of Kyan's disclosure was surprising, if the announcement of
his sister's engagement was not.

"Mr. Pratt is coming to Trumet?" the minister repeated. "What for? What
is he going to do here?"

"Keep shoe store, I s'pose likely. Laviny says there's a good openin'
for one in this town. I told her the best openin' I could think of for
him was the well and I hoped to the nation he'd fall into it. Then she
went for me like a dogfish after a herrin' and I never had a taste of
vittles till I'd took it all back and said I was glad he was goin' to
live with us. Free! Don't talk to me about freedom! Godfreys mighty!"

Ellery smothered his desire to laugh and expressed sympathy. Abishai
listened in sullen silence.

"Well," h