Graham guardian., 1911-01-13

PLACE
BY JOSEPH C.. LINCOLN

the chances?" asked Asaph eagerly.
"Well, sometimes he thinks Yes an,
then again he thinks No." repliet
Bailey. "He says. Of course. If HemaI
is able to get 1t he will. but If he aim
able to he-he''-
"He won't, l s'pose. Well, car
think that myself. and don't set W
to be no inspired know-it-all, like 10,
Dimick. He amt heard from Hema1
lately. has he?"
| mo. be amt Neither's anybody
else, so fur as can find out"
"Oh. yes. they have. have. 70,
one"
Mr.. Bangs stopped short in his dou
J BILE quick march for home and din
ner and looked his companion in the
face.
"Ase Tidditt." he cried. do you
mean to tell me you've had a letter
from Heman Atkins from washin',
tonT
Asaph nodded portentouslv.
"Yes, SIR" he declared. "a letter
from the Hon. Heman G. Atkins OF
Washin'ton. d. G., come to me last
night. read 1t afore i turned in"
"You did! And never said nothin'
about it?"
"Why should say anything about
It? Twas addressed to me as town
clerk and was concernin' a matter to
be took up with the hoard of s'lect-
men. ! amt in the habit Of hollerin'
town affairs through speakin' trum-
net, Folks that vote for me town
meetin' day know that l guess. Angie
Phinney says to me only yesterday,
Mr.. Tidditt, says she, there's one
thing I'll say for you--you don't talk /"
"Humphr' Bailey snorted indignant
ly. "She thought twas a good thing
not to talk. hey? She did? Well, by
MIGHTY! You never get no chance to
talk when she's around. Angie Phin-
ney! Why. when that poll parrot of
hers died Alph'us Smalley declared up
and down that what killed It was jeal-
ousy and disappointed ambition; he
said 1t broke its heart tryin' to keep
up with Angie. Her ma was the same
breed Of cats. What did Heman say
about the appropriations Is he goin'
to get itT''
Mr.. Tidditt paused before replying.
Then. bending over. he whispered in
his chum's ear:
"Hc never said one word about the
appropriation. Bailey. not one word.
He wanted to know II we'd got this
years taxes On the Whitaker place
and II we hadn't what was we goin'
to do about 1t. Bailey. between you
and me and the mizzenmast. Heman
Atkins wants to get a-hold Of that
place the worst way"
"He does. lie does! For the land
snkes. ain't he got property enough al
ready! Amt IA palace like that
enough for one man without wantin'
to buy y rattletrap like that?"
The lirst that" was emphasized by
a brandished but rcverent left hand,
tbe second by a derisively pointing
right The two friends had reached
the crest NJ the long slope leading up
from the town hail. On one side of
the road stretched the imposing 'front.'
age Of the Atkins estate" with its
Iron fence and stone posts; on the 9th.
er sl0uched the weed grown, tumble.
down desoIation of the ICY Whitaker
place." The contrast was that of opu-
lent prosperity and poverty stricken
neglect.
Heman was our leading citizen, our
representative In Washington and the
towns phllanthropist. He gave the
Atkins memorial window and the At
kins tower clock to the Methodist
church. The Atkins town pump. also
his gift. stood before the town hall.
The Atkins portrait in the Bayport
LADIES' library was much admired. and
the size Of the Atkins fortune was the
principal subject Of conversation at
sewing circle. at the table Of "the per-
feet boarding house," around the stove
in Simmons store or wherever Bay
porters were used to gather.
The ICY Whitaker place" faced the
Atkins estate from the opposite side
Of the main road. but 1t was the gen.
eral opinion that 1t ought to be asham-
cd to face 1t. Originally 1t had enjoyed
the dignified seclusion afforded by
white picket fence with square gate
posts. and the path to its seldom used
front door had been guarded by rigid
lines of box hedge. This, however,
was years ago, before the second Cap
tain Cy Whitaker died and before the
Howes family turned 1t into the Sea
Sight House, hotel for summer
boarders.
The Howeses improved" the house
and grounds. They tore down the
picket fence, uprooted the box hedges.
hung sign over the sacred front door
and built wide veranda under the
parlor windows. They took boarders
for FIVE consecutive summers. Then
they gave up the Improbable under
taking. returned to Concord. N. H..
their native city. and left the Cy Whit
taker place to bear the ravages of
Bayport winters and Bayport small
loys as best 1t might
For years 1t stood empty. The Sc
lectmen would have liked to tear 1t
down, but they could not because 1t
was private property. having been pur.
chased from the Howes heirs by the
third Cy Whitaker, Captain Cy's only
son. who ran away to sea when he was
sixteen years old and was disinherited
and cast or by the proud old skipper
In consequence. Each March Asaph
Tidditt In his offcial capacity as town
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