Chapter X
Much slower she went the top prevent of spyglass back with each other brand new arc it got traveled. She located the fresh speck and spotted it. It actually was a man, striding over the meadow land, a 1 / 2 kilometer beyond the parsonage, and you can rushing in the direction of the seashore. She saw your go up a high dune, dive a wall, mix another profession last but not least disappear completely regarding the grove out of pines into the side of the bluff of the shore.
The guy are John Ellery, the minister. Evidently, he had not gone family, nor got the guy drawn the latest short-cut. As an alternative he had wandered downtown a long way immediately after which turned into into cross new fields and you may work his in the past.
Annabel put down the fresh new cup and you will, heedless off their particular dad’s phone calls, sat considering. The latest minister got deliberately tricked their unique. More than you to definitely, he’d gone to big trouble to get rid of observance. As to the reasons got the guy done they? Had the guy complete the exact same thing towards other Week-end afternoons? Try truth be told there one genuine reason why the guy insisted towards making the house on a regular basis within four o’clock?
Annabel did not understand. Her eyes clicked along with her clear features featured better yet as she descended the fresh new methods to the loft. She failed to know; but she meant to find out.
In which KEZIAH’S Problems Multiply
Keziah is providing concerned about their own parson. Maybe not concerning the their dominance together with congregation. She had way back when ceased to worry about that. The students minister’s invest their mans esteem was now in hopes, the newest attendance are increasing, additionally the Typical chapel is actually today on a stronger ground, economically and socially, than simply it actually was in many years. Even Mrs. Rogers and you can Lavinia Pepper got ceased to criticise, except once the pertained so you’re able to unimportant incidentals, and you may were now among loudest of praise chanters. And as Master Zeb a good and you may Laviny comes to an end fault-findin’, brand new millennium’s so nigh port a beneficial feller needs to be overhaulin’ his saint uniform.”
But what alarmed Mrs. Coffin is John Ellery’s individual looks and you may choices. He had grown perceptibly leaner in the past week, their trend was distrait, and you will, worst of all the throughout the housekeeper’s sight, his urges had fallen regarding. She tried all types of tempting products, nevertheless influence is discouraging.
“Just what!” she exclaimed. “Do not want however, one-piece regarding huckleberry pie? As to why, yesterday you ate around three and you can appeared version of disturb ’cause the brand new pan is empty. What is the number? Could you be ill?”
“Hum! Better, I have usually realized that whenever a wholesome guy never end up being eager from the evening meal time, ‘specially in the huckleberry season, their healthiness is quite unstable. How much does ail you, Mr. Ellery? Had somethin’ in your thoughts? When you have, I might heave it overboard. Or you could clear it to me personally and you may i want to prescribe. I’ve had consider’ble experience with that sort of doctorin’.”
Nevertheless the answer is discouraging. Mr. Ellery laughed, altered the topic, and you can wandered away on backyard, where Keziah noticed him, soon after, intently out-of little particularly having a rapt stare. She spotted him for several minutes and, having a perplexed shake of your lead, gone back to their works. She considered that he had been stressed in the anything and try herself stressed for the results.
Their missing-mindedness is actually extremely severe to your Weekend evenings, in advance of prayer meeting, and after he’d returned on the mid-day during the Master Elkanah’s.
“Say, Mr. Ellery,” she said, on a single of these Weekend nights, “did you know, it looks in my opinion you to Elkanah’s products need to go to your head. Do not have regarding his granddad’s The England rum datiing Kottayam women, do you? They let me know he has some of you to definitely down basements one he doles aside periodic so you can his most types of nearest and dearest. This is the common yarn around town, no matter if I failed to claim ’twas gospel.”