Take em away and put 'em out of sight--quick."

Emily hurried upstairs with the packages. Captain Obed turned to Thankful.

"How is she these days?" he asked, with a jerk of the head in the direction taken by Miss Howes.

"She's pretty well, or she says she is. I ain't so sure myself. I'm afraid she thinks about--about HIM more than she makes believe. I'm afraid matters between them two had gone farther'n we guessed."

Captain Obed nodded. "Shouldn't wonder," he said. "John looks pretty peaked, too. I saw him just now."

"You did? John Kendrick? He's been out of town for a week or two, so I heard. Where did you see him?"

"At the Centre depot. I was up to the Centre--er--buyin' a few things and he got off the noon train."

"Did you speak to him?"

"Yes, or he spoke to me. He and I ain't said much to each other--what little we've seen of each other lately--but that's been his fault more'n 'twas mine. He sung out to me this time, though, and I went over to the platform. Say," after a moment's hesitation, "there's another thing I want to ask you. How's Heman Daniels actin' since Emily come? Seems more'n extry happy, does he?"

"Why--why, no. He's been away, too, a good deal; on business, he said."

"Humph! He and--er--Emily haven't been extra thick, then?"

"No. Come to think of it they've hardly seen each other. Emily has acted sort of--sort of queer about him, too. She didn't seem to want to talk about him more'n she has about John."

"Humph! That's funny. I can't make it out. You see Heman got on that same train John got off. 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 n.o.body 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 ain't.'

"'Then I'll look for you,' says he, and off he went. I ain't seen him since. He come down along of Winnie S. and I had one of Chris Badger's teams. Now WHAT do you cal'late it all means?"

"I don't know. I don't know. But I can't think Emily--Hush! she's comin'."

Emily entered the room and Captain Obed began philosophically concerning the storm, which he declared was "liable to be a hooter."

He went away soon after. At the door, when he and Mrs. Barnes were alone, he whispered, "Ain't changed your mind, have you, Thankful?

About--about what I said to you that day?"

"Obed, please! You said you wouldn't."

"All right, all right. Well, good night. I'll be around tomorrow to wish you and Emily and the second mate a merry Christmas. Good night, Thankful."

After he had gone Thankful and Emily a.s.sisted Georgie in hanging up his stocking and preparing for bed. The boy seemed willing to retire, a most unusual willingness for him. His only worry appeared to be concerning Santa Claus, whom he feared might be delayed in his rounds by the storm.

"He'll be soaked, soppin' wet, won't he?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh, he won't mind. Santa Claus don't mind this kind of weather. He lives up at the North Pole, so folks say."

"Yes. Won't the chimney soot all stick to him when he's wet? He'll be a sight, won't he?"

"Perhaps so, but he won't mind that, either. Now, you go to bed, Georgie, like a good boy."

"I'm a-goin'. Say, Aunt Thankful, will the soot come all off on my presents?"

They got him into bed at last and descended to the living-room. The storm was worse than ever. The wind howled and the rain beat. Emily shivered.