"Kenelm Parker," demanded Hannah, "what are you doin' here, this time of
night?"
"I--I been eatin' supper," stammered Kenelm, "but I--I'm through now."
"Through! Didn't you know your supper was waitin' for you at home?
Didn't I tell you to come home early and have MY supper ready? Didn't--"
Imogene interrupted. "I guess you did, ma'am," she said, "but you see I
asked him to stay here, so he stayed."
"YOU asked him! And he stayed! Well, I must say! Kenelm, have you been
eatin' supper alone with that--with that--"
She was too greatly agitated to finish, but as Kenelm did not answer,
Imogene did, without waiting.
"Yes'm," she said, soothingly. "It's all right. Kenelm and me can eat
together, if we want to, I guess. We're engaged."
"ENGAGED!" Almost everyone said it--everyone except Hannah; she could
not say anything.
"Yes," replied Imogene. "We're engaged to be married. We are, aren't we,
Kenelm?"
Kenelm tried to back away still further, but the wall was behind him
and he could only back against it. He was pale and he swallowed several
times.
"Kenelm, dear," said Imogene, "didn't you hear me? Tell your sister
about our bein' engaged."
Kenelm's mouth opened and shut. "Eh--eh--" he stammered. "I--I--"
"Don't be bashful," urged Imogene. "We're engaged to be married, ain't
we?"
Mr. Parker gulped, choked and then nodded. "Yes," he admitted, faintly.
"I--I cal'late we be."
His sister took a step forward, her arm raised.
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