. He was comin' along the depot platform just as
I got to it. And the depot-master sung out to him."

"The depot-master? Eben Foster, you mean?"

"Yup. He sung out, 'Congratulations, Heman,' says he."

"'What you congratulatin' him for?' says I.

"'Ain't you heard?' says he. 'He's engaged to be married'."

Thankful uttered an exclamation.

"Engaged!" she repeated. "Mr. Daniels engaged--to be married?"

"So Eben said. I wanted to ask a million questions, of course, but John
Kendrick was right alongside me and I couldn't. John must have heard it,
too, and it did seem to me that he looked pretty well shook up, but he
wa'n't any more shook than I was. I thought--Well, you see, I thought--"

Thankful knew what he had thought. She also was "shaken up."

"I don't believe it," she cried. "If--if--it can't he HER. Why, she
would have told me, I'm sure. Obed, you don't think--"

"I don't know what to think. Heman's been writin' her pretty reg'lar,
I know that, 'cause Chris Badger told me so a week after she'd gone. I
don't know, Thankful; one thing's sartin, Heman's kept his engagement
mighty quiet. How Eben learned of it I don't know, but nobody in East
Wellmouth knows, for I've been soundin' ever since I struck here."

Thankful was greatly troubled. "I HOPE it ain't true," she cried. "I
suppose he's all right, but--but I didn't want Emily to marry him."

"Neither did I. Perhaps she ain't goin' to. Perhaps it's just a
round-the-stove lie, like a shipload of others that's set afloat every
day. But, from somethin' John Kendrick said to me on that platform I
knew he heard what Eben said."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause he as much as told me so. 'Is it true?' says he.

"'I don't know,' says I. 'First I'd heard of it, if 'tis.'

"He just nodded his head and seemed to be thinkin'. When he did speak
'twas more to himself than to me. 'Well,' says he, 'then that settles
it. I can do it now with a clear conscience.'

"'Do what?' I asked him.

"'Oh, nothin',' he says. 'Cap'n Obed, are you goin' to be busy all day
tomorrow? I know it's Christmas, of course; but are you?'

"'Not so busy it'll wreck my nerves keepin' up with my dates,' says I.
'Why?'

"'Can you spare a half-hour or so to come 'round to my office at--well,
say two tomorrow afternoon? I've got a little business of my own and I'd
like to have you there. Will you come?'

"'Sartin,' I told him.

"'Of course, if you're afraid of the moral leprosy--'

"'I a