“Thankful Cahoon,” he said, calling her by her maiden name. “I—I've been a bad man. I'm goin' to hell.”
Thankful jumped. “Mercy on us!” she cried. “What kind of talk—”
“I'm goin' to hell,” repeated Solomon. “When a man does the way I've done that's where he goes. I'm goin there and I'm goin' pretty soon. I've had my notice.”
Thankful stood up. She was convinced that her visitor had been driven crazy by his experience in the back bedroom.
“Now, now, now,” she faltered. “Don't talk so wicked, Solomon Cobb. You've been a church man for years, and a professor of religion. You told me so, yourself. How can you set there and say—”
Mr. Cobb waved his hand.
“Don't make no difference,” he moaned. “Or, if it does, it only makes it worse. I know where I'm goin', but—but I'll go with a clean manifest, anyhow. I'll tell you the whole thing. I promised the dead I would and I will. Thankful Cahoon, I've been a bad man to you. I swore my solemn oath as a Christian to one that was my best friend, and I broke it.
“Years ago I swore by all that was good and great I'd look out for you and see that you was comf'table and happy long's you lived. And instead of that, when I come here last night—LED here, I know now that I was—my mind was about made up to take your home away from you, if I could. Yes, sir, I was cal'latin' to foreclose on you and sell this place to Kendrick. I thought I was mighty smart and was doin' a good stroke of business. No mortal man could have made me think diff'rent; BUT AN IMMORTAL ONE DID!”
He groaned and wiped his forehead. Thankful did not speak; her surprise and curiosity were too great for speech.
“'Twas your Uncle Abner Barnes,” went on Solomon, “that was the makin' of me. I sailed fust mate for him fourteen year. And he always treated me fine, raised my wages right along, and the like of that. 'Twas him that put me in the way of investin' my money in them sugar stocks and the rest. He made me rich, or headed me that way. And when he lost all he had except this place here and was dyin' aboard the old schooner, he calls me to him and he says: