Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-05-02
WHITTAKER'S
PLACE
BY JOSEPH c. LINCOLN
Copyright. 1908. by D. Appleton & Co.

that morning. contained sarcasti
editorial which mentioned no names
but hinted at IA certain now notoriou
person" who had boasted loudly. bu
who had again been weighed in tn
balance Of public opinion and foun'
wanting. for he had been a self ap
pointed committee of one. who hat
promised to succeed If Atkins nigh
fail"
Miss Dawes did not seem pleaset
with the captains nonchalant attitud
toward the Breeze and its editorial.
Captain Cyrus" she said. IF 70,
intended doing nothing toward secur
ing that appropriation. why did 20,
accept the responsibility for 1t at tn
meeting?'
Captain Cy looked up.
WELL" he said. "afore this Thomas
business happened. to knock all N.
plans on their beam ends. I'd dom
considerable thinkin' about that appro
priation 1t seemed to me that ther'
must be some reason for Heman'
comm about so sudden. He was sar
tin sure of the thirty thousand for ,
spell; then. all to once. he begun Il
take In sail and 20 on t'other tack.
don't know much about politics. but
know he knows all the politics Their
Is. And 1t seemed to me that If liv,
man. ono with eyes In his head. wen
to Washington and looked around be
might find the reason"
But you still believe that you might
help If you went to Washington|
"Yes. guess l do. Anyhow. I'd
ask some pretty p'inted questions.
You see. | amt lived here In Bay
port all my life. and don't swaller
all the bait Heman heaves overheard" ;"
"Then why don't you go?"
Hey? Why don't go? And leave
Bos'n and
Emily would be all right and per-
fectly safe. Georgianna thinks the
world of her. And. Captain Whit
taker, don't like to hear these people
talk Of you as they do. don't like
to read such things in the paper-that
you were only Dragging in order to be
popular and meant to shirk when the
time came for action. know they're
not true. I knew it."
| Captain Cy was gratifled. and his
qualification showed in his voice
THANK you, Phoebe" he said. II
am much obliged to you. But. you
see. / don't take any interest in such
things any more. When realize that
pretty soon I've got to give up that
little girl for good I can't bear to be
away from her q minute hardly.
don't like to leave her here alone with
Georgianna and"-
81 will keep an eye on her. You
trust me. don't you?
Trust you? By the big dipper'
you're about the only one can trust
these days! don't know how I'd
have pulled through this If you hadn't
helped. You're diff'rent from Ase and
Bailey and their kind. not meanin'
anything against them. either. But
you're broad minded and cool headed
and-and- Do you know. If I'd had
woman like you to advise me all
these years and keep me from goin' Oh
the course | might have been some,
body by now"
'"I think you're somebody as 1t Is"
Don't talk that way. l own up
like to hear you, but I'm 'fraid 1t ain'1
true. You say amount to somethin'
Well, what? l come back home here
with some money In my pocket. think
in that was all that was necessary
to make me good deal OF feller
The old Cy Whitaker place. said
to myself. was goin to be a real CJ
Whitaker place again. And I'd be
real Whitaker. a man who should
stand for somethin', as my dad and
granddad did afore me. The towr
should respect me. and ia do things
to help It along. And what's 1t al
come to? Why. every young one OIL
the street is told to be good for feal
he'll grow up like me. Amt that So
Course It's so. I'M
"You shall not speak so! Do yor
imagine that you're not respected oJ
every one whose respect counts foi
anything? Yes. and by others too
Don't you suppose Mr.. Atkins respects
you down In his heart-if he has one
Doesn't your housekeeper. who sees
you every day. respect and like you
And little Emily-doesn't she love yor
more than she does all the rest Of us
together?'
well. | guess Bos'n does care FOL
the old man some. that's fact. She
says she likes you next best, though
Did you know that?"
But Miss Dawes was indignant
Captain Whitaker" she declared
'one would think you were a hundred
years old to hear you. You are alway!
calling yourself an old man. Does Mr.
Atkins call himself old? And he Ii
older than you.
"Well. I'm over tfy. Phoebe" IL
spite of the habit for which he hat
Just been reproached. the captail
found this difficult statement t.
make.
81 know. But you're younger thai
most of us at thirty-five. You see. In
coufessing. too." she added. with
laugh and little blush.
Captain Cy made a mental calcula
tion.
| Twenty years." he said musingly
Twenty years Is long time. No
| I'm old. And. worse than tlat. In
an old fool. guess. II hadn't beer
I'd have stayed In South America IN
stead of comm here to be hooted ou
Of the town was born in"
The teacher stamped her foot
"Oh. what shall do with you" sh'
exclaimed. 1T Is wicked for you t
say such things. Do you suppose tha
Mr.. Atkins would find 1t necessary t.
work as he Is doing to beat fool
And. besides. you're not complimen
tary to me. Should l. do you think
take such an Interest in one who wa
an imbecile?'
"Well. 'tls mighty good Of you. You
comm here so to help Bos'n's Ugh
along is"-. i
How do you know It Is Bos'n alto