of the ordinary, which might have been used as excuses
for two dozen calls and as many sensations! As Captain Zeb Mayo, the
irreverent ex-whaler, put it, "That fog shook Didama's faith in the
judgment of Providence. 'Tain't the 'all wise,' but the 'all seein''
kind she talks about in meetin' now."

The fog prevented Mrs. Rogers's noting the entrance of Mr. Pepper at the
Coffin front gate. Also his exit, under sisterly arrest. It shut from
her view the majestic approach of Captain Elkanah Daniels and Grace's
flight, her face dimpled with smiles and breaking into laughter
at frequent intervals. For a young lady, supposed to be a devout
Come-Outer, to hurry along the main road, a handkerchief at her mouth
and her eyes sparkling with fun, was a circumstance calculated to
furnish material for enjoyable scandal. And Didama missed it.

Other happenings she missed, also. Not knowing of Captain Daniels's call
upon Keziah, she was deprived of the pleasure of wonder at the length of
his stay. She did not see him, in company with Mrs. Coffin, go down
the road in the opposite direction from that taken by Grace. Nor their
return and parting at the gate, two hours later. She did not see--but
there! she saw nothing, absolutely nothing--except the scraggy spruce
tree in her tiny front yard and the lonely ten feet of walk bordering
it. No one traversed that section of walk except old Mrs. Tinker, who
was collecting subscriptions for new hymn books for the Come-Outer
chapel. And Didama was particularly anxious NOT to see her.

The dismal day dragged on. The silver-leaf trees dripped, the hedges
were shining with moisture. Through the stillness the distant surf along
the "ocean side" of the Cape growled and moaned and the fog bell at the
lighthouse clanged miserably. Along the walk opposite Didama's--the
more popular side of the road--shadowy figures passed at long intervals,
children going to and from school, people on errands to the store, and
the like. It was three o'clock in the afternoon before a visitor came
again to the Coffin front gate, entered the yard and rapped at the side
door.

Keziah opened the door.

"Halloa!" she exclaimed. "Back, are you? I begun to think you'd been
scared away for good."

Grace laughed as she entered.

"Well, auntie," she said, "I don't wonder you thought I was scared.
Truly, I didn't think it was proper for me to stay. First Kyan and then
Cap'n Elkanah, and both of them expressing their wishes t