"Is Mrs. Thankful here?" she asked. "Well, never mind. You'll do,
Cap'n Bangs. Will you and Mr. Kendrick come out here to the back door a
minute? I'd like to have you witness somethin'."
Captain Obed's forehead wrinkled in surprise.
"Witness somethin'?" he repeated. Then, with a glance at John, who was
as puzzled as he, "Humph! I witnessed somethin' this mornin' and now I'm
to witness somethin' else. I'll begin to be an expert pretty soon, won't
I? Humph! What--well, heave ahead, Imogene. I'll come."
Imogene conducted them to the kitchen door where Mr. Parker still
stood, looking remarkably foolish. Imogene's manner, however, was very
business-like.
"Now then," she said, addressing the two "witnesses," "you see this
piece of paper. Perhaps you'd better read it first."
She handed the paper to Captain Obed, who looked at it and passed it
over to John. It was the statement, signed by Kenelm, in which he agreed
to marry Imogene whenever she asked him to do so.
"You see what 'tis, don't you?" asked Imogene. "Yes. Well, now you watch
and see what I do with it."
She tore the agreement into small pieces. Stepping into the kitchen she
put the pieces in the stove.
"There!" she exclaimed, returning to the door. "That ends that. He and
I," pointing to Kenelm, "ain't engaged any longer, and he don't have to
work here any longer. Is it all plain to both of you?"
It was not altogether plain even yet. The expression on the faces of the
witnesses proved that.
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