“There，dad，“saidthelatter，“don’tyouworryaboutZekeBassett，noranythingelse。YoujustlayindrydockandletParkerhereoverhaulyourrunnin’riggin’andgetyoufitforsea。That’swhatyou’vegottodo。“
“I’mfitandreadyfortheseaI’mgoin’tosail，“wastheanswer。
HiseyeswanderedfromhissontoMrs。Coffin。Foraninstantheseemedpuzzled。Thenhesaid：
“’Evenin’，Keziah。Idon’tknowwhyyou’rehere，but——“
“IheardthatGracewasaloneandthatyouwassick，Eben。SoI
comerightdown，tohelpifIcould。“
“Thankye。You’reagood-heartedwoman，Keziah，eventhoughyouain’tseenthetruelightyet。Andyou’rehousekeeperforthathiredpriest——a——a——“Hepaused，andatroubledlookcameoverhisface。
“Whatisit，dad？“askedNat。
“I——I——Where’sGracie？She’shere，ain’tshe？“
“Yes，uncle，I’mhere。HereIam，“saidthegirl。Hisfingersgropedforherhandandseizedit。
“Yes，yes，you’rehere，“murmuredCaptainEben。“I——I——foraminuteorso，I——Ihadanawfuldreamaboutyou，Gracie。I
dreamed——Nevermind。Doc，answermethisnow，trueandhonest，mantoman：Canyoukeepmehereforjustalittlespelllonger？
Canyou？Try！Tenminutes，say。Canyou？“
“OfcourseIcan。Cap’nHammond，whatareyou——“
“Iknow。That’sallright。ButIain’tayoungonetobepettedandliedto。I’maman。I’vesailedships。I’vebeenonbluewater。I’mgoin’tomakeportprettysoon，andIknowit，butI
wanttogetmydecksclearfust，ifIcan。Gracie，standstill。
Nat，runalongsidewhereIcanseeyouplainer。Keziah，youandthedoctorstaywhereyoube。Iwantyoutowitnessthis。“
“Cap’n，“protestedDr。Parker，“ifIwereyouIwouldn’t——“
“Belay！Silencethere，for’ard！Nat，you’remyboy，ain’tyou？
Yousetsomestorebytheoldman，hey？“
“I——IguessIdo，dad。“
“Yes，Iguessyoudo，too。You’vebeenaprettygoodboy；stubbornandpig-headedsometimes，but，takeyoubyandlarge，prettygood。
AndGracie，you’vebeenamightygoodgirl。Neverdonenothin’I
wouldn’tlike，nothin’meannorunderhandnor——“
“Hush，uncle！Hush！Pleasehush！“
“Well，youain’t；sowhyshouldIhush？Inthis——thisdreamIhad，seems’sifyou——seemsasifamancometomeandsaidthatyouwas——
ItWASadream，wa’n’tit？“
Hetriedtorise。Natandthedoctorstartedforward。Graceshrankback。
“Ofcourseitwas，cap’n，“saidthedoctorbriskly。“Nowyoumustn’tfretyourselfinthisway。Justliestilland——“
“Belay，Itellyou。Yes，Iguess’twasadream。Ithadtobe，but’twassosortofrealthatI——HowlonghaveIbeenthisway？“
“Oh，alittlewhile！Nowjust——“
“Hush！Don’tpullyourhandaway，Gracie。Nat，givemeyours。
That’sit。NowIputthemtwohandstogether。See，doctor？See，Keziah？“
“He’swandering。Wemuststopthis，“mutteredParker。Mrs。
Coffin，whobegantocomprehendwhatwascoming，lookedfearfullyatNatandthegirl。
“No，Iain’twanderin’，neither，“declaredtheoldCome-Outerfretfully。“I’msaneaseverIwasandifyoutrytostopmeI’ll——
Gracie，yourUncleEben’sv’yageis’mostover。He’salmosttohismoorin’sandthey’rewaitin’forhimonthepier。I——Iwon’tbelongnow。Justalittlewhile，Lord！Givemejustalittlewhiletogetmyhouseinorder。Gracie，Idon’twanttogotillI
knowyou’llbelookedoutfor。I’vespoketoNataboutthis，butI
ain’tsaidmuchtoyou。SeemsifIhadn’t，anyhow；Iain’trealsartin；myhead’sallfullofbellsringin’and——andthings。“
“Don’t，uncle，don’t！“pleadedGrace。“Don’tworryaboutme。
Thinkofyourself，please。“
“S-sh-sh！Don’tputmeoff。Justlisten。Iwantyoutomarrymyboy，afterI’mgone。Iwantyoutosayyouwill——sayitnow，so’sIcanhearit。Willyou，Gracie？“
Gracewouldhavewithdrawnherhand，buthewouldnotlether。Heclungtoitandtothatofhissonwithallhisfailingstrength。
“Willyou，Gracie？“hebegged。“It’sthelastthingI’mgoin’toaskofyou。I’vetriedtobesortofgoodtoyou，inmyway，and——“
“Don’t，don’t！“shesobbed。“Letmethinkaminute，uncle，dear。
Oh，doletmethink！“
“Iain’tgottime，Gracie。You’llhavetosayitnow，orelse——
Allright，then，think；butthinkquick。“
Gracewasthinking。“Ifshereallycaresforhim，shewon’tlethimruinhislife。“ThatwaswhatCaptainElkanahhadsaid。Andherewasawaytosavehimfromruin。
“Won’tyousayitforme，Gracie？“pleadedCaptainEben。Shehesitatednolonger。
“Yes，uncle，“sheansweredthroughtears，“ifNatwantsmehecanhaveme。“
Keziahclaspedherhands。CaptainEben’sfacelitupwithagreatjoy。
“ThanktheAlmighty！“heexclaimed。“Lord，Idothankyou。Nat，boy，you’reconsider’bleolderthansheisandyou’llhavetoplanforher。Youbeagoodhusbandtoherallherdays，won’tye？
Why，whatareyouwaitin’for？Whydon’tyouanswerme？“
Natgroanedaloud。
“Aminute，dad，“hestammered。“Justgivemeaminute，forHeavensakes！Keziah——“
“Keziah！“repeatedEben。“Keziah？Whatareyoutalkin’toHER
for？Sheknowstherecouldn’tbenobettermatchintheworld。
Youdoknowit，don’tye，Keziah？“
“Yes，“saidKeziahslowly。“Iguess——Iguessyou’reright，Eben。“
“KeziahCoffin，“criedNatHammond，“doyoutellmetomarryGrace？“
“Yes，Nat，I——Ithinkyourfather’sright。“
“Then——then——whatdifferencedoes——Allright，dad。JustasGracesays。“
“ThankGod！“criedCaptainEben。“Doctor，youandMrs。Coffinarewitnessestothis。There！nowmydecksareclearandI’dbettergetreadytoland。Gracie，girl，theGoodBook’soverthereonthebureau。Readmeachapter，won’tyou？“
AnhourlaterKeziahsataloneinthediningroom。Shehadstolenawaywhenthereadingbegan。Dr。Parker，walkingverysoftly，cametoherandlaidhishandonhershoulder。
“He’sgone，“hesaidsimply。
CHAPTERXIII
INWHICHKEZIAHBREAKSTHENEWS
Itwasnearlyfiveo’clock，graydawnofwhatwastobeaclear，beautifulsummermorning，whenKeziahsoftlyliftedthelatchandenteredtheparsonage。AllnightshehadbeenbusyattheHammondtavern。Busywiththedoctorandtheundertaker，whohadbeencalledfromhisbedbyyoungHiggins；busywithGrace，soothingher，comfortingherasbestshecould，andpettingherasamothermightpetastrickenchild。Thepoorgirlwasonthevergeofprostration，andfromhystericalspasmsofsobsandweepingpassedtostretchesofsilent，dry-eyedagonywhichwerehardertowitnessandmuchmoretobefeared。
“Itisallmyfault，“sherepeatedoverandoveragain。“Allmyfault！Ikilledhim！Ikilledhim，AuntKeziah！WhatshallIdo？
Oh，whycouldn’tIhavediedinstead？Itwouldhavebeensomuchbetter，betterforeverybody。“
“Ss-sh！ss-sh！deary，“murmuredtheolderwoman。“Don’ttalkso；
youmustn’ttalkso。Yourunclewasreadytogo。He’sbeenreadyforeversolong，andthoseofuswhoknewhowfeeblehewasexpecteditanytime。’Twa’n’tyourfaultatallandhe’dsaysoifhewasherenow。“
“No，hewouldn’t。He’dsayjustasIdo，thatIwastoblame。Youdon’tknow，AuntKeziah。Nobodyknowsbutme。“
“MaybeIdo，Gracie，dear；maybeIdo。MaybeIunderstandbetter’nyouthinkIdo。Andit’sallbeenforthebest。You’llthinkso，too，oneofthesedays。Itseemshardnow；itisawfulhard，youpoorthing，butit’sallforthebest，I’msure。Bestforeveryone。It’samercyhewentsuddenandrational，sameashedid。Thedoctorsaysthat，ifhehadn’t，he’dhavebeenhelplessandbedriddenand，maybe，outofhisheadforanotheryear。Hecouldn’thavelivedlonger’nthat，atthemost。“
“ButyouDON’Tknow，AuntKeziah！Youdon’tknowwhatI——IAMtoblame。I’llneverforgivemyself。AndI’llneverbehappyagain。“
“Yes，youwill。You’llcome，someday，tothinkitwasbestandright，foryouand——andforothers。Iknowyouthinkyou’llnevergetoverit，butyouwill。Somehoworotheryouwill，sameastherestofushavehadtodo。TheLordtriesusmightyhardsometimes，butHegivesusthestrengthtobearit。There！there！
don’t，deary，don’t。“
Dr。Parkerwasveryanxious。
“Shemustrest，“hetoldMrs。Coffin。“Shemust，orherbrainwillgiveway。I’mgoingtogivehersomethingtomakehersleepandyoumustgethertotakeit。“
SoKeziahtriedand，atlast，Gracedidtakethedrug。Inalittlewhileshewassleeping，uneasilyandwithmoansandsobbings，butsleeping，nevertheless。
“Nowit’syourturn，Keziah，“saidthedoctor。“Yougohomenowandrest，yourself。Wedon’tneedyouanymorejustnow。“
“Where’s——where’sCap’nNat？“askedKeziah。
“He’sintherewithhisfather。Hebearsitwell，althoughheismightycutup。Poorchap，heseemstofeelthatheistoblame，somehow。SaysCap’nEbenandhehaddisagreedaboutsomethingorotherandhefearsthathastenedtheoldman’sdeath。Nonsense，ofcourse。ItwasboundtocomeandItoldhimso。’TwasthoseblastedCome-Outerswhoreallydidit，althoughIshan’tsaysotoanyonebutyou。I’mgladNatandthegirlhaveagreedtocruisetogether。It’samightygoodarrangement。Shecouldn’thaveabettermantolookoutforherandhecouldn’thaveabetterwife。
IsupposeI’matlibertytotellpeopleoftheengagement，hey？“
“Yes。Yes，Idon’tseeanyreasonwhynot。Yes——Iguesslikelyyou’dbettertell’em。“
“Allright。Nowyougohome。You’vehadahardnight，liketherestofus。“
Howhardhehadnoidea。AndKeziah，asshewearilyenteredtheparsonage，realizedthatthemorningwouldbeperhapsthehardestofall。Foruponherrestedtheresponsibilityofseeingthattheminister’ssecretwaskept。Andshe，andnoother，mustbreakthenewstohim。
Thediningroomwasdarkandgloomy。Shelightedthelamp。ThensheheardadooropenandEllery’svoice，ashecalleddownthestairs。
“Whoisit？“hedemanded。“Mrs。Coffin？“
Shewasstartled。“Yes，“shesaidsoftly，afteramoment。“Yes，Mr。Ellery，it’sme。Whatareyoudoin’awakeatsuchanhour’sthis？“
“Yes，I’mawake。Icouldn’tsleepwellto-night，somehow。Toomuchtothinkof，Iimagine。Butwherehaveyoubeen？Whyweren’tyouatmeeting？Andwhere——Why，it’salmostmorning！“
Shedidnotansweratonce。Thetemptationwastosaynothingnow，toputoffthetryingsceneaslongaspossible。
“It’smorning，“repeatedtheminister。“Areyousick？Hasanythinghappened？“
“Yes，“sheansweredslowly，“somethin’hashappened。Areyoudressed？Couldyoucomedown？“
Herepliedthathewouldbedowninamoment。Whenhecamehefoundherstandingbythetablewaitingforhim。Thelookofherfaceinthelamplightshockedhim。
“Why，Mrs。Coffin！“heexclaimed。“WhatISit？Youlookasifyouhadbeenthroughsomedreadfulexperience。“
“MaybeIhave，“shereplied。“MaybeIhave。Experienceslikethatcometousallinthislife，tooldfolksandyoung，andwehavetobear’emlikemenandwomen。That’sthetestwe’reputto，Mr。
Ellery，andthewaywecomethroughthefireprovesthestuffwe’remadeof。Sorrowsanddisappointmentsandheartbreaksandsicknessesanddeath——“
Shepausedontheword。Heinterruptedher。
“Death？“herepeated。“Death？Issomeonedead，someoneIknow？
Mrs。Coffin，whatisityouaretryingtotellme？“
Herheartwentouttohim。Sheheldoutbothherhands。
“Youpoorboy，“shecried，“I’mtryingtotellyouoneofthehardestthingsabodycantell。Yes，someoneisdead，butthatain’tall。EbenHammond，poorsoul，isoutofhistroublesandgone。“
“EbenHammond！CaptainEben？Dead！Why，why——“