Why, yes, you can leave a note
sayin' you've gone up to the village, to the store or somethin', and
that he must get his own breakfast 'cause you won't be back till after
he's gone to work over to Thankful's. That'll fix it. By crimus! That'll
fix it fine. Look here, Hannah Parker; I've set out to do this and, by
crimus, I'm goin' to do it. Come on now; let's."
Caleb was, as has been said, "sot" in his ways. He was "sot" now, and
although Hannah continued to protest and declare she could not do such
a thing, she yielded at last. Mr. Hammond left the Parker cottage in
a triumphant mood. He had won his point and that had pleased him for a
time; then, as he began to ponder upon that point and its consequences
his triumph changed to misgiving and doubt. He had had no idea, until
that forenoon, of marrying again. His proposal had been made on impulse,
on the spur of the moment. He was not sure that he wished to marry
Hannah Parker. But he had pleaded and persuaded her into accepting him
that very night. Even if he wished to back out, how could he--now? He
was conscious of an uneasy feeling that, perhaps, he had made a fool of
himself.
He went to his room early in the evening and stayed there, looking at
his watch and waiting for the rest of the family to retire. He heard
Georgie's voice in the room at the end of the hall, where Mrs. Barnes
was tucking the youngster in for the night. Later he heard Imogene come
up the backstairs and, after her, Thankful herself.
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