The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-03-18

fish weirs along the outer bar were
lost In the mist The flowers In the
Atkins urns were draggled and beaten
down. Only the iron dogs gllstened
undaunted as the wet ran of their
newly painted backs. The air was
heavy. and the salty flavor of the fats
might almost be tasted In II.
Captain Cy was In the sitting room.
as usual. His spirits were as gray rs
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
isinglass panea 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. peering from the window, saw
that except for Mr.. Lumley II was
empty. Not even q summer boarder
had come to 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 1t was dull. He had half mind
to take flying trip TO Boston, make
the round of the wharfs and see IL
any Of the old shipowners and ship
captains whom he had once known
were still alive and in harness.
Jingle! Jingle! Jingle! Jinglel
Jingle! ling! 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 parlor and entered the
little dark front hall. The bell was still
swinging at the end of its coil of wire.
The dust shaken from It still hung In
the air. The captain unbolted and un-
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
and from the hem of the little girls
dress.
Captain Cy stared hard at his visitor
He knew most of the children in Bay
port, but he didn't know this one. OBJ
viously she was a stranger. Portu'
guese children from "up Harniss way
sometimes called to peddle huckleber
ries. but this child was no 'Portugee.'
"Hellor' exclaimed the captain, won
6eringly. did you ring the bell2"
"Yes, SIR" replied the girl.
"Humph! Did, hey? Whyr
"Why2 Why, thought Isn't 1t &
truly bell? Didn't it ought to ring? II
anybody sick or dead? There isn't any
Grape"
Dead? Crape?" Captain Cy gasped
"what in the world put that in you
headT
well, didn't know but maybe tina
was why you thought hadn't ough
to have rung it. When mamma wa
sick they didn't let people ring our bel
And when she died they tied it VI
with Grape"
did, hey? Humw The captain
scratched his chin and gazed at tn
small figure before him. 1t was sci
poised. matter of fact figure for sue
little one, and out there in the raj
under the tent roof of the umbrella
was rather pitiful.
Please. sir" said the child, "ar
you Captain Cyrus Whitaker"
"Yup! That's me. You've guesse'
1t the first time"
"Yes. sir. I've got letter for you. 1t
pinned inside my dress. If you coul
hold this umbrella maybe ] could &C
it out"
She extended the big umbrella q
arms length. holding II with bot
hands. Captain Cy woke up.
Good landl" he exclaimed. "Wha
am ! thinkin' of? You're soakin' we
through, amt you?"
Il guess I'm pretty wet It's Ion
ways from the depot, and l tried