lindly began the descent. She must go to
her uncle. She must. But Captain Daniels's voice caused her to halt once
more.

"There! there!" it said in a tone of relief. "That's better. Set still
now. Be quiet, that's it. Shall I get some water?"

"No, no! let me be. Just let me be. I ain't what I used to be and
this--I'm all right, I tell you. Grace! And--and--What was it you just
said? I--I don't b'lieve I heard it right."

"I said that daughter of yours, or niece, or whatever she is, this Grace
Van Horne, has been meeting young Ellery, our minister, in Peters's
grove. Been meeting him and walking with him, and kissing him, and--"

"It's a lie! It ain't so, Elkanah! Prove it or--It--it CAN'T be so, can
it? Please--"

"It is so. She's met him in those pines every Sunday afternoon for a
long time. She was seen there with him this afternoon."

"Who--who saw her?"

"Never mind. The one that did'll never tell--unless it's necessary.
They're fixing to be married, and--"

"MARRIED! She marry a Reg'lar minister! Oh--"

"Hush! Listen! They ain't married yet. We can stop 'em, you and I, if we
get right to work. It isn't too late. Will you help?"

"Will I--I--Go on! tell me more."

"We can stop 'em. I know it would be a good catch for her, the sneaking,
designing--Well, never mind. But it can't be. It shan't be. You've got
to tell her so, Hammond. We folks of the Regular church have pride in
our society; we won't have it disgraced. And we have been proud of our
minister, the young, rattle-headed fool! We'll save him if we can. If
we can't"--the speaker's teeth grated--"then we'll send him to eternal
smash or die trying."

"But I can't believe it's true. It's a mistake; some other girl and not
Gracie. Why, she don't even know him. She wouldn't--But she HAS been out
every Sunday afternoon for weeks. If it SHOULD be!"

"It is. I tell you it is. Don't waste time rolling your eyes and talking
stuff. We've got to work and you've got to work first. I don't know
whether you're only making believe or not. I realize that 'twould be
a good thing for your girl to marry a promising young chap like him,
but--Hush! let me go on. I tell you, Hammond, it can't be. We won't let
her. I won't let her. I'm a man of influence in this town, and outside
of it, too. I'm head of the parish committee and a member of the
National Regular Society. I can't reach your precious ward, maybe, but I
can reach the fellow she's after, and if he marries