who was with him. Then she heard her uncle's voice,
speaking sharply and with unwonted sternness.

"I don't know what 'tis you want to see me about," said Captain Eben.
"You say it's important; well, it's got to be to keep me from my
meetin'. I ought to be on the Lord's business this minute and nothin'
worldly's goin' to keep me from servin' Him. So speak quick. What is
it?"

The voice that answered was one that Grace recognized, though she
had never before heard in it the note of agitation and undignified
excitement. There were no ponderous pauses and "Hum--ha's" now.

"Don't be a fool, Hammond!" it said. "And don't stand there preaching.
Lock that door! Get a lamp! Are you sure there's nobody but us in the
house?"

Captain Elkanah Daniels! Captain Elkanah visiting a Come-Outer! and
the leader of the Come-Outers!! Grace caught her breath. What in the
world--She started to descend and then a thought flashed to her mind.
She stopped short.

"I ain't the fool, Elkanah," she heard her uncle retort sternly. "The
fools are them who are deef to the call from on high. My foot was on the
threshold of His house when you led me astray. It's never halted there
afore. I warn you--"

"Hush! Shut up! Can't you forget that--that Come-Outer circus of yours
for a minute?"

"Elkanah Daniels, I'll have no blasphemy here. Another word like that
and--"

"WILL you be still and hear me? The Lord's business! I guess you'll
think it's the Lord's business when you understand what I'm going to
tell you! The Lord's business! The devil's business, you better say!
Will you lock that door?"

"My church is waitin' for me and--"

"Let it wait. What's a parcel of yelling Come-Outers compared to the
decency of this town? Stop! Shut up! Eben Hammond, I tell you that your
precious church--yes and mine, the Regular church of Trumet--will go to
rack and ruin if you and me don't pull together this night."

"And I tell you, Elkanah Daniels, I'll have no blasphemy here. That
little sanctuary up the road is founded on a rock and neither you
nor any of your Phariseein' priest-worshipin' crew can shake it. The
Almighty'll protect His own. As for the Reg'lar church, that's no
concern of mine."

"But I tell you 'tis your concern. Or if the church isn't, your own
family is."

"My--my family?"

"Yes, your own family. Huh! that makes you listen, don't it?"

There was an instant of silence. Grace, crouching on the stairs, noticed
the change in her