Hannah Parker pushed by her and rushed for the kitchen.  Imogene followed her and the others followed Imogene.  As Thankful said, describing her own feelings, “I couldn’t have stayed behind if I wanted to.  My feet had curiosity enough to go by themselves.”

Kenelm, who had been sitting by the kitchen table before a well-filled plate, had heard his sister’s approach and had risen.  When Mrs. Barnes and the others reached the kitchen he had backed into a corner.

“Kenelm Parker,” demanded Hannah, “what are you doin’ here, this time of night?”

“I—­I been eatin’ supper,” stammered Kenelm, “but I—­I’m through now.”

“Through!  Didn’t you know your supper was waitin’ for you at home?  Didn’t I tell you to come home early and have my supper ready?  Didn’t—­”

Imogene interrupted.  “I guess you did, ma’am,” she said, “but you see I asked him to stay here, so he stayed.”

“You asked him!  And he stayed!  Well, I must say!  Kenelm, have you been eatin’ supper alone with that—­with that—­”

She was too greatly agitated to finish, but as Kenelm did not answer, Imogene did, without waiting.

“Yes’m,” she said, soothingly.  “It’s all right.  Kenelm and me can eat together, if we want to, I guess.  We’re engaged.”

“Engaged!” Almost everyone said it—­everyone except Hannah; she could not say anything.

“Yes,” replied Imogene.  “We’re engaged to be married.  We are, aren’t we, Kenelm?”

Kenelm tried to back away still further, but the wall was behind him and he could only back against it.  He was pale and he swallowed several times.

“Kenelm, dear,” said Imogene, “didn’t you hear me?  Tell your sister about our bein’ engaged.”

Kenelm’s mouth opened and shut.  “Eh—­eh—­” he stammered.  “I—­I—­”

“Don’t be bashful,” urged Imogene.  “We’re engaged to be married, ain’t we?”

Mr. Parker gulped, choked and then nodded.  “Yes,” he admitted, faintly.  “I—­I cal’late we be.”

His sister took a step forward, her arm raised.  Captain Obed stepped in front of her.

“Just a minute, Hannah!  Heave to!  Come up into the wind a jiffy.  Let’s get this thing straight.  Kenelm, do you mean—­”

The gentleman addressed seemed to mean very little, just then.  But Imogene’s coolness was quite unruffled and again she answered for him.

“He means just what he said,” she declared, “and what he said was plain enough, I should think.  I don’t know why there should be so much row about it.  Mr. Parker and I have been good friends ever since I come here to work.  He’s asked me to marry him some time or other and I said maybe I would.  That makes us engaged, same’s I’ve been tryin’ to tell you.  And what all this row is about I can’t see.  It’s our business, ain’t it?  I can’t see as it’s anybody else’s.”

But Hannah was by this time beyond holding back.  She pushed aside the captain’s arm and faced the engaged couple.  Her eyes flashed and her fingers twitched.