Part 67 (2/2)

”Why, no,” he said, ”Mr. Phillips has gone. Yes, I think--I am sure he took the train. You are his friend, aren't you? I am sorry you missed the--er--happy event. Mrs. Phillips--the new Mrs. Phillips--is a charmingly refined lady, isn't she? And Mr. Phillips himself is _such_ a gentleman. I don't know when I have had the pleasure of--er--officiating at a pleasanter ceremony. I shall always remember it.”

Mrs. Backus looked over her husband's shoulder.

”The bride came just after you left,” she explained. ”She was just a little late, she said; but it was all right, there was plenty of time.

And she did look _so_ happy!”

Captain Kendrick did not look happy. He had answered the riddle correctly. An elopement, of course. It was plain enough now. Oh, if he might have been there when that poor, silly, misguided woman arrived! He might not have been able to stop the marriage, but at least he could--and would--have told the bride a few pointed truths concerning the groom.

Mrs. Backus, all smiles, asked her husband a question. ”What did you say her name was, dear?” she asked.

The minister hesitated. ”Why--why--” he stammered, ”it was---- Dear me, how forgetful I am!”

Sears supplied the information.

”Berry,” he said, gloomily. ”Cordelia Berry.”

Mr. Backus seemed surprised. ”Why, no,” he declared. ”That doesn't sound like the name.... It wasn't. No, it wasn't. It was--I have it--Snowden.

Miss Elvira Snowden--of Ostable, I believe.”

CHAPTER XIX

Not until Captain Kendrick entered the Minot kitchen late that afternoon did he get the full and complete answer to his puzzle. Judah supplied the missing details, supplied them with a rush, had evidently been bursting with them for hours.

”My hoppin', creepin', jumpin' prophets, Cap'n Sears,” he roared, before his lodger could speak a word, ”if I ain't got the dumdest news to tell you now, then n.o.body ever had none!... You ain't heard it, Cap'n, have you? _Don't_ tell me you've heard it already! Have you?”

Sears shrugged his shoulders. ”I don't know, Judah,” he replied. ”Have I?”

”Hoppin' Henry! I _hope_ you ain't, 'cause I wanted to tell you myself.

It's about Elviry Snowden. Have you heard anything about her?”

”Why--well, what have _you_ heard?”

”Heard! They heard it fust over to the Harbor about a couple of hours ago. Bradley, the Orham lawyer feller, he'd heard it and he come over to see Elizabeth about somethin' or 'nother and he told it to all hands.

You know that aunt of Elviry's over to Ostable, the one that died last week? Well all hands had cal'lated she was kind of on her beam ends--poor, I mean. When her husband died, don't you recollect some property they owned over to Harniss was goin' to be sold to auction? All them iron images Elviry wanted to buy was part of 'em; don't you remember?”

”Yes, I remember.

”Sartin sure you do. Well, so fur as that goes them images wan't sold because the widow changed her mind about 'em and had 'em all carted over to another little place she owned in Ostable, and set up in the yard there. She's been livin' on this place in Ostable and everybody figgered she didn't have much money else she'd stayed in the big house in Harniss. But, by Henry, since she's died it's come out that she was rich. Yes, sir, rich! She'd saved every cent, you see; never spent nothin'. A reg'lar mouser, she was--miser, I mean. And who do you suppose she's left it all to? Elviry, by the creepin'! Yes, sir, every last cent to Elviry Snowden.”

”_No!!_”

”Yes. Elviry's rich. 'Cordin' to Bradley's tell there's a lot of land and a house and barn, and all them iron images, and--wait; let me tell you--stocks, and things like that, and over ten thousand dollars cash in the bank, by Henry! In _cash_, where Elviry can get right aholt of it if she wants to. Much as thirty thousand, altogether, land and all. And....

What in tunket are you laughin' at?”

For Captain Kendrick had thrown himself into the rocking chair and was shaking the pans on the stove with peal after peal of laughter.

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