They buried Captain Eben in the little Come-Outer cemetery at the rear of the chapel.A bleak,wind-swept spot was that cemetery,bare of trees and with only a few graves and fewer headstones,for the Come-Outers were a comparatively new sect and their graveyard was new in consequence.The grave was dug in the yellow sand beside that of Mrs.Hammond,Nat's mother,and around it gathered the fifty or sixty friends who had come to pay their last tribute to the old sailor and tavern keeper.
The Come-Outers were there,all of them,and some members of the Regular society,Captain Zeb Mayo,Dr.Parker,Keziah Coffin,Mrs.
Higgins,and Ike.Mrs.Didama Rogers was there also,not as a mourner,but because,in her capacity as gatherer of gossip,she made it a point never to miss a funeral.The Rev.Absalom Gott,Come-Outer exhorter at Wellmouth,preached the short sermon,and Ezekiel Bassett added a few remarks.Then a hymn was sung and it was over.The little company filed out of the cemetery,and Captain Eben Hammond was but a memory in Trumet.
Keziah lingered to speak a word with Grace.The girl,looking very white and worn,leaned on the arm of Captain Nat,whose big body acted as a buffer between her and over-sympathetic Come-Outers.
Mrs.Coffin silently held out both hands and Grace took them eagerly.
Thank you for coming,Aunt Keziah,she said.I was sure you would.Least I could do,deary,was the older woman's answer.Your uncle and I was good friends once;we haven't seen each other so often of late years,but that ain't changed my feelin's.Now you must go home and rest.Don't let any of these--with a rather scornful glance at Josiah Badger and Ezekiel and the Reverend Absalom--these Job's comforters bother you.Nat,you see that they let her alone,won't you?Captain Nat nodded.He,too,looked very grave and worn.I'll tend to them,he said shortly.Come,Grace,he added;let's go.But the girl hung back.Just a minute,Nat,she said.I--I--would you mind if I spoke to Aunt Keziah--alone?I only want to say a word.Nat strode off to the cemetery gate,where Josiah Badger stood,brandishing a red cotton handkerchief as a not too-clean emblem of mourning.Mr.Badger eagerly sprang forward,but ran into an impossible barrier in the form of the captain's outstretched arm.
Josiah protested and the captain replied.Grace leaned forward.
Auntie,she whispered,tell me:Did a letter--Did he--Yes,it came.I gave it to him.
Did--did he tell you?Do you know?
Yes,I know,deary.
Did he--is he--
He's well,deary.He'll be all right.I'll look out for him.You will,won't you?You won't let him do anything--Not a thing.Don't worry.We've had a long talk and he's going to stay right here and go on with his work.And nobody else'll ever know,Gracie.How--O Aunt Keziah!how he must despise me.Despise you!For doin'what was your duty?Nonsense!He'll respect you for it and come to understand 'twas best for both of you,by and by.Don't worry about him,Gracie.I tell you I'll look out for him.I guess it will be better if he does despise me.And hate me,too.He can't despise and hate me more than I do myself.But it IS right--what I'm doing;and the other was wrong and wicked.
Auntie,you'll come and see me,won't you?I shall be so lonesome.Yes,yes;I'll come.Perhaps not right away.There's reasons why I'd better not come right away.But,by and by,after it's all settled and you and Nat--she hesitated for an instant in spite of herself--after you and Nat are married I'll come.Don't talk about that NOW.Please don't.
All right,I won't.You be a good,brave girl and look out for Nat;that's your duty and I'm sure you'll do it.And I'll do my best for John.Do you call him John?
Yup.We had a sort of--of adoptin'ceremony the other mornin'and I--Well,you see,I've got to have somebody to call by their front name and he's about all I've got left.O Aunt Keziah!if I could be one half as patient and brave and sweet as you are--Sssh!here comes Nat.Be kind to him.He's sufferin',too;maybe more'n you imagine.Here she is,Nat.Take her back home and be good to her.The broad-shouldered skipper led his charge out of the gate and down the Turn-off.Josiah Badger looked after them disgustedly.
As Keziah approached,he turned to her.
I swan to man!he exclaimed,in offended indignation,if I ain't losin'my respect for that Nat Hammond.He's the f-f-fuf-for'ardest critter ever I see.I was just agoin'to hail Gracie and ask her what she thought about my leadin'some of the meetin's now her uncle has been called aloft.I wanted to ask her about it fust,afore Zeke Bassett got ahead of me,but that Nat wouldn't let me.Told me she mustn't be b-b-b-bothered about little things now.
LITTLE things!Now,what do you think of that,Mrs.Coffin?And Ispoke to Lot Taylor,one of our own s-s-sas-sassiety,and asked what he thought of it,and he said for me to go home set d-d-down and let my h-h-h-hah-hair grow.Of all--I tell you what you do,Josiah,broke in the voice of Captain Zeb Mayo,you go home or somewhere else and set down and have it cut.
That'll take pretty nigh as long,and'll keep it from wearin'out your coat collar.Keziah,I've been waitin'for you.Get in my shay and I'll drive you back to the parsonage.Mrs.Coffin accepted the invitation and a seat in the chaise beside Captain Zeb.The captain spoke of the dead Come-Outer and of his respect for him in spite of the difference in creed.He also spoke of the Rev.John Ellery and of the affection he had come to feel for the young man.
I like that young feller,Keziah,he said.Like him for a lot of reasons,same as the boy liked the hash.For one thing,his religion ain't all starch and no sugar.He's good-hearted and kind and--and human.He seems to get just as much satisfaction out of the promise of heaven as he does out of the sartainty of t'other port.
