Ned Percher at once volunteered to go, and soon he was speeding for the captain’s house by a short-cut through the field.  There was nothing else for the rest to do but to wait in front of the rectory until the messenger should return with the boy.

The bride was greatly disturbed over the delay.  So overcome was she with the excitement that she had to be carried into the house, where she lay upon the sitting-room sofa, quite hysterical.  The women who gathered around her by no means restrained their tongues, thus making the young bride feel as badly as possible.  Several expressed their opinion of the clergyman for allowing such a thing to happen.  It was another example, so they said, of the mistake he had made in bringing up a child of whose parents he knew nothing.  They had said so before, and were now more firmly convinced than ever.  Others told what it meant for a wedding to be delayed right at the church door, and related a number of cases where ill luck had followed such weddings.  Thus, by the time Ned Percher arrived, with Rod close at his heels, the bride was almost in a state of nervous collapse.

During this time of waiting Parson Dan spoke to no one.  He knew that the less he now said the better it would be.  His face had lost its usual genial expression, and his eyes no longer twinkled with humour.  He was feeling very keenly the whole unfortunate affair.  Never before during the whole course of his entire ministry had such a thing occurred.  He had often boasted that he had never once been late for a service, nor had he kept people waiting at either a funeral or a wedding.  He stood with his face turned up the road, and a sigh of relief at last escaped his lips when he saw Rod coming toward him.

The boy was greatly surprised to see so many teams and people in front of the rectory, for Ned would tell him nothing of what was taking place.  He was astonished, as well, when he observed the worried look upon the parson’s face.  But he had no time for questions just then, for the clergyman laid a heavy hand upon the lad’s shoulder, and demanded if he knew what had become of the key of the church.

Instantly the cause of the excitement flashed upon Rod’s mind.  His face became pale, and he glanced nervously around upon the men who had gathered near.

“Do you hear me?” the parson again demanded.  “Do you know anything about that key?”

“Yes, grandad, I do,” was the trembling reply.

“Where is it, then?”

“It’s down Miss Arabella’s neck.”

“Down Miss Arabella’s neck!” the clergyman repeated in profound astonishment.  “What do you mean?”

“She got hurt, grandad, and her nose was bleeding, so I dropped the key down her neck.  Captain Josh said that was the best thing to stop a bleeding nose.”

For an instant Parson Dan glared at the little lad before him.  Then his face softened, and as amused light shone in his eyes as the humorous side of the situation dawned upon him.  He longed to laugh outright, and give the culprit before him a big hug.  But he had to control his feelings in the presence of all the people, who saw nothing funny about the matter.