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Not a sound, save the dismal tick of the clock in the room they had left. Ellery knocked on the door. "Miss Pepper," he said; "Miss Pepper, are you there?" Kyan caught his breath. No answer. "Miss Pepper," repeated the minister. "Miss Pepper!" Silence, absolute. Abishai could stand it no longer. He groaned and collapsed on his knees. "She has!" he moaned.
Kyan Pepper was there also, not yet fully recovered from the surprise which Lavinia's gracious permission had given him. Abishai had been leaning disconsolately over his front gate early that morning when Noah Ellis, the lightkeeper, jogged down the lane. "'Mornin', 'Bish," hailed Noah, pulling up his horse. "What's the matter? You look bluer'n a spiled mack'rel. What's the row?
Then I said to Pa that if he had decided to go ahead, and not blame us for the consequences, to repeat after me the following: 'Bring forth the Royal Bumper and let him Bump. Pa repeated the words, and my chum sprinkled the kyan pepper on the goat's moustache, and he sneezed once and looked sassy, and then he see the lager beer goat raring up, and he started for it, just like a cow catcher, and blatted.
"Laviny," whispered the shocked Kyan, "do you think that was a er polite thing to say to a parson? That about his turnin' Come-Outer? He didn't make much answer, seemed to me. You don't think he was mad, do ye?" "I don't care if he was," snorted Miss Pepper. "He could tell a body where he was goin' then. Nobody can snub me, minister or not.
Usually, when Abishai addressed his clergyman, it was in a tone of humble respect far different from his present frantic assault. The Reverend John was astounded. "What IS the trouble, Mr. Pepper?" he demanded. "Behave yourself, man. What IS it?" "You you made me do it," gurgled Kyan. "Yes, sir, 'twas you put me up to it.
"Oh!" exclaimed the visitor, "is that you, Mr. Pepper? Well, I'm glad to see you, at last. You are rather hard to see, even now." Kyan was plainly embarrassed. He stammered as he answered. "Yes," he agreed, "I I shouldn't wonder if I be. How be you? Pretty smart?" "Yes, thank you. I'm well." "Er er come to call, did you?" "Why, yes, that was my intention." "Hum!
He saw nothing real, and heard nothing, not even the excited person who, hidden behind the bayberry bush, hailed him as he passed. It was not until this person rushed forth and seized him by the arm that he came back to the unimportant affairs of this material earth. "Why! Why, Mr. Pepper!" he gasped. "Are you here? What do you want?" "Am I here?" panted Kyan.
They would have liked to pay a visit to Kum Nepa, a Kyan chief, who lived much farther up the river, six days in a fast Kyan boat, said the Dyaks, ten days in the boats our friends had with them. But Kum Nepa had just lost two children from small-pox, and, according to their custom, he and all his tribe had left their houses and taken to the jungle.
Be quiet. She's all right. She's in the room where you left her, of course. She couldn't get out, could she? You've got the key. Come in." They entered the house. The dining room was dark and quiet. So was the sitting room. The clock ticked, solemn and slow. Kyan clutched at his companion's arm. "I don't hear her," he whispered. "You don't s'pose she HAS done it? Godfreys mighty!"
Did she know you was comin'?" "No o, I don't cal'late she did." "I see. Well, what do you want?" Mrs. Coffin's welcome was not too cordial. She had laughed many times over Abishai's proposal of marriage, but she had never quite forgiven him for making her ridiculous on that occasion. Incidentally, she did not feel like laughing. "What do you want?" she repeated. Kyan was plainly nervous.
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