cle."

"I agree with you. Well, now I know why he acted the way he did whenever
Uncle Abner's name was mentioned. I have a feelin'--at least I imagine
there may have been somethin' else, somethin' we don't know and never
will know, between Solomon and my uncle. There may be some paper, some
agreement, hid around somewheres that is legally bindin' on the old
sinner. I can't hardly believe just breakin' a promise would make him
give anybody fifteen hundred dollars."

"Maybe, but I don't know; he's always been superstitious and a great
feller for Spiritu'list camp-meetin's and so on. And he was always
regular at prayer-meetin'. Sometimes that sort of a swab, knowin' how
mean he actually is, tries to square his meanness with the Almighty by
bein' prominent in the church. There may be the kind of paper you say,
but I shouldn't wonder if 'twas just scare and a bad conscience."

"Well, I'm grateful to him, anyhow. And, as for John's kindness, I--I
don't know what to say. Last night I thought this might be the blackest
Christmas ever I had; but now it looks as if it might be one of the
brightest. And it's all so strange, so strange it should have come on
Christmas. It seems as if the Lord had planned it so."

"Maybe He did. But it ain't so strange when you come to think of
it. Your brother came home on Christmas Eve because he thought--or I
shouldn't wonder if he did--that you'd be more likely to forgive him
and take him in then. Solomon came over when he did on account of his
hearin' that Holliday Kendrick was comin'. All days, Christmas or any
other, are alike to Sol when there's a dollar to be sighted with a
spyglass. And as for John's givin' you the deed today, I presume likely
that was a sort of Christmas present; probably he meant to give it to
you for that. So the Christmas part ain't so wonderful, after all."

"Yes, it is. It's all wonderful. I ought to be a very, very happy woman.
If John and Emily only come together again I shall be, sure and sartin'.
Of course, though," she added, with emphasis, "I shan't let him give me
that land. I'll make some arrangement to pay him for it, a little at a
time, if no other way."

The captain opened his mouth to protest, but there was an air of
finality in Thankful's tone which caused him to defer the protest until
another time.

"Well--well, all right," he said. "That can be talked about later
on. But how about yourself? I suppose you'll keep right on with the
boardin'-hous