"
But Mr. Hammond seized her arm.
"Hannah," he cried, excitedly, "do you understand what that means--that
clock strikin'? It means that, bein' as we're only five miles from home,
we can GET home, if we want to, afore anybody's out of bed. You can
sneak up that ladder again; I can get that horse and team back in
Thankful's stable; we can both be in our own beds by gettin'-up time and
not one soul need ever know a word about this foolishness. If we--"
But Miss Parker had not waited for him to finish; she was already on her
way to the carryall.
At a quarter after seven that morning Thankful knocked at the door of
her boarder's room.
"Mr. Hammond!" she called. "Mr. Hammond!"
Caleb awoke with a start.
"Eh?" he said.
"Are you up? It's most breakfast time."
Caleb, now more thoroughly awake, looked about his room. It was real; he
was actually in it--and safe--and still single.
"Yes--yes; all right," he said. "I'll get right up. Must have overslept
myself, I guess. What--what made you call me? Nothin'--er--nothin's
happened, has it?"
"No, nothin's happened. But you're usually up by seven and, as I hadn't
heard a sound from you, I was afraid you might be sick."
"No, no; I ain't sick. I'm feelin' fine. Has--has Kenelm Parker got here
yet?"
"Yes, he's here."
"Ain't--ain't said nothin', has he?"
"Said anything? No. What do you mean? What did you expect him to say?"
"Nothin', nothin', I--I wondered what sort of a drive he and Imogene had
yesterday, that's all.
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