The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-02-24
WHfFTAkER'S
PLACE
By JOSEPH Q. LINCOLN
1908. BY ID. Appleton g c..

DuI rev mistakes. anu TneSe Sne
helped him to correct SO easily that
none noticed. His success gave him
courage and he essayed other dances.
In fact. he had very good time Mt the
party after All.
On the way home he thought great
deal about the pretty young lady, whose
name he discovered was Emily Rich
ards Re decided that IL she would
only wait for him he might like to
marry her when he grew up. But he
was thirteen. and she was seventeen,
and the very next year she married
suit. And two years after that young
Cy ran away to be q sailor himself
In spite of his age and his lifetime
Of battering about the world, Captain
Cy had a sentimental streak in his
makeup. His regeneration of the old
home proved that. Betsy's letter f.
terested him. He had made guarded
inquiries concerning Mary Thayer.
now Mary Thomas, of others besides
Asaph, and the answers had been sat
fsfactory SO far as they went. Those
who remembered her had liked her
very much. The captain had even
begun a letter to Mrs. Thomas, but
laid it aside unfinished, having since
Bailey's unfortunate experience with
the widow Beasley prejudice against
experiments.
He meditated and smoked for an
other hour. Then, his mind being
made up. he pulled down the desk lii
Of the old fashioned secretary, resur-
rected from pile Of papers the note
he had begun to Mrs. Thomas, dipped
a. suffering pen into the ink bottle
and proceeded to write. " sr
His letter was short one and rather
noncommittal. As Mrs. Thomas no
doubt knew. he had come back to live
I'm his fathers house at Bayport. He
might possibly need some one to keep
house for him He understood that she,
Mary Thayer that was, was a good
housekeeper and that she was open
to an engagement If everything was
mutually satisfactory. ne had known
her mother slightly when the latter
lived In Orham. He thought an inter
view might be pleasant, for they could
talk over old times IL nothing more.
Perhaps. on the whole, she might care
to risk trip TO Bayport: therefore he
inclosed money for her railroad fare
You understand, of course" so he
wrote in conclusion. that nothing may
come Of our meeting at all. So please
don't say word to anybody when yol
strike town. You've lived here Your
self. and you know that three wnrt
hove overheard in Bayporr will drnd"
up CAB enough to sink dirti,nur.
So just keep mum till the business "
settled one way or the other
A week passed, and be heard no:.I
ing; then three more days and still.
no word from the New Hampshire
widow. Meanwhile fresh layers ot
dust spread themselves over the Whit
taker furniture. and the gaudy pat
terms Of the carpets blushed dimly be-
meath grimy for.
The eleventh day began with pour
ing rain that changed later on to Il
dismal drizZle The silver leaf tree in
the front yard dripped. and the over
| flowing cutters gurgled and splashed
| The bay was gray and lonely. and the
fish weirs along the outer bar were
lost in the mist Tie flowers in the
| Atkins urns We're c-aggled and beaten
down. Only the iron dogs glistened
undaunted as the wet ran Off their
newly painted backs. The air was
heavy, and the salty flavor of the flats
might almost be tasted in It.
Captain Cy was in the sitting room,
the weather He was actually lone
some for the first time since his return
home. He had kindled wood fire in
the stove just for the sociability of it,
and the crackle and glow behind the
lsinglass panes only served to remind
him OF other days and other fires. The
sitting room had not been lonesome
then.
He heard the depot wagon rattle by
and. peerinE from the window, saw
that except for Mr. Lumley It was
empty Not even summer boarder
had come 10 brighten our ways and
lawns with reckless raiment and the
newest slang. Summer boarding sea-
son was almost over now. Bayport
would soon be az dull as dishwater.
And the captain admitted to himself
that Il was dull He had half mind
TO take flying trip to Boston, make
the round of the wharfs and see Il
any or the OH shipowners and ship
captains whom he had once known
were still alive and in harness.
Jingle! Jingle! Jingle! Jingle!
Jingle! Jing. Jing! Jing"
Captain Cy bounced In his chair.
That was the front door bell. Who On
earth, Or rather. who In Bayport. would
com. to the front door?
He hurried through the grim gran
deur of the best parior and entered the
little dark front hail. The bell was still
swinging at the end of ~ coil OF wire.
The dust shaken from 1t still hung in
the air. The captain nnbolted and IN
locked the big front door
" a girl was standing on the steps be-
tween the lines OF box hedge-a little
girl under big "grownup" umbrella
The wet dripped from the umbrella TOP
ana from the hem of the little girls
dress.