The negative was so decided that Grace was silenced. Her disappointment
showed in her face, however, and Keziah hastened to change the subject.

"How do you know," she observed, "but what my goin' to Boston may be the
best thing that ever happened to me? You can't tell. No use despairin',
Annabel ain't given up hope yet; why should I? Hey? Ain't that somebody
comin'?"

Her companion sprang to her feet and ran to the window. Then she broke
into a smothered laugh.

"Why, it's Kyan Pepper!" she exclaimed. "He must be coming to see you,
Aunt Keziah. And he's got on his very best Sunday clothes. Gracious! I
must be going. I didn't know you expected callers."

Keziah dropped the tack hammer and stood up.

"Kyan!" she repeated. "What in the world is that old idiot comin' here
for? To talk about the minister, I s'pose. How on earth did Laviny ever
come to let him out alone?"

Mr. Pepper, Mr. Abishai Pepper, locally called "Kyan" (Cayenne) Pepper
because of his red hair and thin red side whiskers, was one of Trumet's
"characters," and in his case the character was weak. He was born in the
village and, when a youngster, had, like every other boy of good family
in the community, cherished ambitions for a seafaring life. His sister,
Lavinia, ten years older than he, who, after the death of their parents,
had undertaken the job of "bringing up" her brother, did not sympathize
with these ambitions. Consequently, when Kyan ran away she followed him