talk that way. He ain't turnin' me out. He ain't lettin' houses
for his health and he'll need the money to buy his daughter's summer
rigs. She ain't had a new dress for a month, pretty near, and here's
a young and good-lookin' parson heavin' in sight. Maybe Cap'n Elkanah
would think a minister was high-toned enough even for Annabel to marry."

"He's only twenty-three, they say," remarked Grace, a trifle
maliciously. "Perhaps she'll adopt him."

Annabel was the only child of Captain Elkanah Daniels, who owned the
finest house in town. She was the belle of Trumet, and had been for a
good many years.

Keziah laughed.

"Well," she said, "anyhow I've got to go. Maybe I'll like Boston first
rate, you can't tell. Or maybe I won't. Ah, hum! 'twouldn't be the first
thing I've had to do that I didn't like."

Her friend looked at her.

"Aunt," she said, "I want to make a proposal to you, and you mustn't be
cross about it."

"A proposal! Sakes alive! What'll I say? 'This is so sudden!' That's
what Becky Ryder, up to the west part of the town, said when Jim Baker,
the tin peddler, happened to ask her if she'd ever thought of gettin'
married. 'O James! this is so sudden!' says Becky. Jim said afterwards
that the suddenest thing about it was the way he cleared out of that
house. And he never called there afterwards."

Grace smiled, but quickly grew grave.

"Now, auntie," she said, "please listen. I'm in earnest. It seems to me
that you might do quite well at dressmaking here in town, if you had
a little--well, ready money to help you at the start. I've got a few
hundred dollars in the bank, presents from uncle, and my father's
insurance money. I should love to lend it to you, and I know uncle
would--"

Mrs. Coffin interrupted her.

"Cat's foot!" she exclaimed. "I hope I haven't got where I need to
borrow money yet a while. Thank you just as much, deary, but long's I've
got two hands and a mouth, I'll make the two keep t'other reasonably
full, I wouldn't wonder. No, I shan't think of it, so don't say another
word. NO."

The negative was so decided that Grace was silenced. Her disappointment
showed in her face, however, and Keziah hastened to change the subject.

"How do you know," she observed, "but what my goin' to Boston may be the
best thing that ever happened to me? You can't tell. No use despairin',
Annabel ain't given up hope yet; why should I? Hey? Ain't that somebody
comin'?"

Her companion sprang to her feet