"Pretty big funeral, was it?" drawled another.

"Who's that you got aboard?" queried a third.

Captain Shadrach did not answer. Mr. Hamilton leaned forward. "Where's
Annabel?" he asked.

"She's inside," replied the first questioner. "Want to see her? Hi,
Jabe," turning his head and addressing one of the group nearest the
door, "tell Annabel, Zoeth and Shad's come."

"Jabe," who was propped against a post, languidly pushed himself away
from it, opened the door behind him and shouted: "Annabel, come out
here!" Then he slouched back and leaned against the post again.

The door opened and a stout, red-faced young woman appeared. She looked
much more like an Eliza than an Annabel. She had a newspaper in her
hand.

"Hey?" she drawled. "Who was that hollerin'? Was it you, Jabez Hedges?"

Jabez did not take the trouble to answer. Instead he took a hand from
his trousers pocket and waved it toward the buggy. Annabel looked; then
she came down the steps.

"Hello!" she said. "I see you got back all right."

Zoeth nodded. "How'd you get along in the store?" he asked, anxiously.
"How's business?"