第91章

"Mr.Cobb.It was dreadful.He was talking to--to--I don't know WHAT he was talking to, but it was awful to hear.""Talkin'? Solomon Cobb was talkin'? In his sleep, do you mean?""No, he wasn't asleep.He was talking to someone, or some THING, in that room.And that wasn't all.I heard--I heard--Oh, I DIDhear it! I know I did! And yet it couldn't be! It couldn't!""Emily Howes, if you keep on I'll--WHAT did you hear?""I don't know....Aunt Thankful, where are you going?"Thankful did not answer.She was on her way to the front hall and the stairs.Emily rushed after her and would have detained her if she could, but Thankful would not be detained.Up the stairs they went together and along the narrow dark hall.At the end of the hall was the door of the back bedroom, or the larger room adjoining it.The door was closed, but from beneath it shone lamplight in sharp, yellow streaks.And from behind it came faintly the sound of a deep groan, the groan of a soul in agony.

"He's sick," whispered Thankful."The man's sick.I'm goin' to him.""He isn't sick.It--it's something else.I tell you I heard--"Thankful did not wait to learn what her cousin had heard.She tiptoed down the hall and Emily followed.The two women crouched beside the closed door of Mr.Cobb's room.And within that room they heard Solomon's voice, now rising almost to a shriek, now sinking to a groan, as its owner raved on and on, talking, pleading, praying.

"Oh, don't--don't, Abner!" cried Mr.Cobb."Don't, no more!

PLEASE don't! I know what you mean.I know it all.I'm sorry.Iknow I ain't done right.But I'll MAKE it right; I swear to the Almighty I will! I know I've broke my word to you and acted wicked and mean, but I give you my solemn word I'll make everything right.

Only just quit and go away, that's all I ask.Just quit that--Oh, there you GO again! QUIT! PLEASE quit!"It was dreadful to hear, but this was not the most dreadful.

Between the agonized sentences and whenever the wind lulled, the listeners at the door heard another sound, a long-drawn gasp and groan, a series of gasps and groans, as of something fighting for breath, the unmistakable sound of snoring.

Emily grasped her cousin's arm."Come, come away!" she whispered.

"I--I believe I'm going to faint."

Mrs.Barnes did not wait to be urged.She put her arm about the young lady's waist and together they tiptoed back to Thankful's bedroom.There, Mrs.Barnes's first move was to light the lamp, the second to close and lock the door.Then the pair sat down, one upon the bed and the other on a chair, and gazed into each other's pale faces.

Emily was the first to speak.

"I--I don't believe it!" she declared, shakily."I KNOW it isn't real!""So--so do I."

"But--but we heard it.We both heard it.""Well--well, I give in I--I heard somethin', somethin' that....

My soul! Am I goin' CRAZY to finish off this night with?""I don't know.If you are, then I must be going with you.What can it be, Auntie?""I don't know."

"There is no other door to that room, is there?""No."

"Then what CAN it be?"

"I don't know.Imogene's in her own room; I looked in and saw her when I took Jedediah up attic.And Georgie's in his with the door locked.And you and I are here.There can't be a livin' soul in that room with Solomon, not a livin' soul.""But we heard--we both heard--"

"I know; I know.And I heard somethin' there before.And so did Miss Timpson.Emily, did--did you hear him call--call it 'Abner'?""Yes," with a shudder."I heard.Who could help hearing!""And Cap'n Abner was my uncle; and he used to live here....

There!" with sudden determination."That's enough of this.We'll both be stark, ravin' distracted if we keep on this way.My soul!

Hear that wind! I said once that all the big things in my life had happened durin' a storm and so they have.Jedediah went away in a storm and he's come back in a storm.And now if UNCLE ABNER'Scomin' back....There I go again! Emily, do you feel like goin' to bed?""To BED! After THAT? Auntie, how can you!""All right, then we'll set up till mornin'.Turn that lamp as high as you can and we'll set by it and wait for daylight.By that time we may have some of our sense back again and not behave like two feeble-minded fools.Turn that wick up--WAY up, Emily Howes! And talk--talk just as hard as you can--about somethin' or somebody that's ALIVE."