"Where is he?" and the clergyman looked around as if expecting to see him appear.
"I do not know, Daniel. He always comes to see me when he returns from school, but I have not seen him this afternoon. That scout book came this morning, and he may be lost in that."
"But he is not in the house, Martha. I have boon all over the place and have not seen him."
"Is the book there?" his wife asked. "I left it on the dining-room table."
"I didn"t see any book. But, hark, there is some one at the door.
They"re after me to attend the wedding, and what shall I say! How can I explain!" and the parson started to go to the door.
"Wait, Daniel," his wife called. "If the book is gone, Rodney must have taken it over to show it to Captain Josh, for he said he was going to do that just as soon as it came."
"But why should he take the key, Martha?" and the parson turned his despairing face upon hers.
"I do not know, Daniel. But you had better send some one after him at once. He may know something about it."
In the meantime the doorbell had been ringing furiously, and when Parson Dan at last opened it, he was confronted by several excited men, among whom was the bridegroom.
"What"s wrong, parson?" Ned Percher cried. "We"ve been waitin" out here fer some time. The church is locked, and the people are gettin"
impatient."
"I can"t find the key, Ned, that"s what"s the trouble," the parson explained.
"Can"t find the key!" came in a chorus from all.
"No. It"s gone, and the only person who must know about it is Rodney, and I believe he"s over at Captain Josh"s."
The groom, a thick-set, red-faced man, now stepped forward.
"D"ye think this is the right way to treat me, parson?" he demanded.
"Haven"t I been always one of your best church members, and now when I"m to be married, ye lock the church against me, and say that the key is lost. What will Susie think? I"d like to know. She"ll never get over the disgrace."
"You are not half as sorry as I am," Parson Dan replied as calmly as possible. "I am deeply mortified that such a thing should have happened. But talking will not mend matters now. The key must be found, so if one of you will hurry over to the Anchorage, and bring Rodney back, I shall be greatly obliged."
Ned Percher at once volunteered to go, and soon he was speeding for the captain"s house by a short-cut through the field. There was nothing else for the rest to do but to wait in front of the rectory until the messenger should return with the boy.
The bride was greatly disturbed over the delay. So overcome was she with the excitement that she had to be carried into the house, where she lay upon the sitting-room sofa, quite hysterical. The women who gathered around her by no means restrained their tongues, thus making the young bride feel as badly as possible. Several expressed their opinion of the clergyman for allowing such a thing to happen. It was another example, so they said, of the mistake he had made in bringing up a child of whose parents he knew nothing. They had said so before, and were now more firmly convinced than ever. Others told what it meant for a wedding to be delayed right at the church door, and related a number of cases where ill luck had followed such weddings. Thus, by the time Ned Percher arrived, with Rod close at his heels, the bride was almost in a state of nervous collapse.
During this time of waiting Parson Dan spoke to no one. He knew that the less he now said the better it would be. His face had lost its usual genial expression, and his eyes no longer twinkled with humour.
He was feeling very keenly the whole unfortunate affair. Never before during the whole course of his entire ministry had such a thing occurred. He had often boasted that he had never once been late for a service, nor had he kept people waiting at either a funeral or a wedding. He stood with his face turned up the road, and a sigh of relief at last escaped his lips when he saw Rod coming toward him.
The boy was greatly surprised to see so many teams and people in front of the rectory, for Ned would tell him nothing of what was taking place. He was astonished, as well, when he observed the worried look upon the parson"s face. But he had no time for questions just then, for the clergyman laid a heavy hand upon the lad"s shoulder, and demanded if he knew what had become of the key of the church.
Instantly the cause of the excitement flashed upon Rod"s mind. His face became pale, and he glanced nervously around upon the men who had gathered near.
"Do you hear me?" the parson again demanded. "Do you know anything about that key?"
"Yes, grandad, I do," was the trembling reply.
"Where is it, then?"
"It"s down Miss Arabella"s neck."
"Down Miss Arabella"s neck!" the clergyman repeated in profound astonishment. "What do you mean?"
"She got hurt, grandad, and her nose was bleeding, so I dropped the key down her neck. Captain Josh said that was the best thing to stop a bleeding nose."
For an instant Parson Dan glared at the little lad before him. Then his face softened, and as amused light shone in his eyes as the humorous side of the situation dawned upon him. He longed to laugh outright, and give the culprit before him a big hug. But he had to control his feelings in the presence of all the people, who saw nothing funny about the matter.
"Look here, Rodney," he said, "you go after that key as fast as your legs will carry you."
"Yes, grandad, I will," and Rod was off like a shot, glad to be free from the staring crowd.
So once more the wedding was delayed, and the murmurs of the waiting people increased.
CHAPTER XI
MISS ARABELLA"S "AFFAIR"
It was the lot of Miss Arabella Simpkins to have lived for over forty years without one real affair of the heart. There were reasons for this, well known to all the people of Hillcrest. Not only had her father, a lumberman of considerable repute in his day, been very particular as to the young men who visited the house, but Miss Arabella herself was the chief objection. She was by no means handsome, and in addition she was possessed of a sharp tongue, and, as Captain Josh truly said, "a long nose which was always prying into other people"s business." These frailties naturally increased as she grew older until she became a dread not only to her brother, Tom, but to all her neighbours, especially the children.
She had two redeeming features, however: a generous heart for those she liked, and considerable money. This latter had its influence, and made her tolerated in the company of others, where she was indulged with a certain amount of good humour.
But a real romance had never come into Miss Arabella"s life, and this was her great trial. No suitor had ever sought her out, and with languishing eyes had watched her as she moved among the other maidens of the parish. Friends of her girlhood days had been more fortunate.
They were married, and had families around them, while she alone had been left "like the last rose of summer," as she often told herself.
But Miss Arabella never let people know about her trial. On the contrary, she wished them to believe that her heart had once been won by a handsome and gallant young man. Just what had become of him, or what had occurred to cause the separation, she would never tell, and only hinted mysteriously with a deep sigh whenever the subject of matrimony was discussed. People knowing her, always smiled, and among themselves often spoke of Miss Arabella"s "affair."
The Simpkins" house was close to the river, and about a quarter of a mile from the rectory by means of a short-cut through the field, though much longer by the main highway. Rod took the short route, and in a few minutes reached the place. His heart beat fast as he drew near, for he dreaded meeting Miss Arabella, whose sharp tongue he had good reason to fear.
Tom Simpkins met him at the door, and ushered him into the sitting-room where Miss Arabella was lying upon a sofa near the window. She was somewhat paler than usual, and very weak. A look of disappointment appeared upon her face as the door opened and Rod entered.
"Oh, it"s only you," she complained. "What brought you here?"
"I came for the key, Miss Arabella," Rod pantingly explained, keeping as close to the door as possible.
"H"m, I should think you would not only be afraid but ashamed to come near me after doing such a mean thing as you did this afternoon," and the invalid fixed her piercing eyes upon the boy.
"W-what did I do?" Rod stammered.
"Do! Didn"t you put that key down my neck, which gave me such a terrible shock?"
"But it brought you back to life, Miss Arabella, and it stopped your nose bleeding. Captain Josh said that was the best thing to do, and I guess he was right."
"Oh, that was what you did it for, was it?"