St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-04-12
WHlTAKERS
PLACE
BY JOSEPH C. LINCOLN
Copyrights. 1908. by D. Appleton . c.

come. The wind fairly shrieked here,
for the road paral1eled the edge Of
high sand bluffs close by the shore,
and the ruts and stthank-you-marms''
were trying to the temper. Bailey's
was completely wrecked
Teacher" he snapped as they reach
ed the crest of long hill and a quick
grab at his hat alone prevented its
starting on a balloon ascension, "get
out spell. will you? I've got to swear
or bust. and longs you're aboard
can't swear. What you standin' still
for. your he beloved at poor Henry.
the horse. which had stopped to rest.
II caPlate the critter thinks that last
cyclone must have blowed me sky
high. and he's waitin' to see where /
light. Git dapY'
81 guess l shall get out very soon
now,'' painted Phoebe. There's the
blacksmith shop over there near the
next hill. and this house in the hollow
must be the one I'm looking for.''
They pulled up beside the house in
the hollow. A little story and a half
house it was, and, judging by the neg
lected appearance of the weeds and
bushes In the yard, it had been unoc-
cupied for some time. However, the
blinds were now open, and few
fowls about the back door seemed to
promise that some one was living there.
The wooden letter box by the gate had
name stenciled upon it Miss Dawes
sprang from the buggy and looked at
the box.
EYES," she said, this is the place
VIII you come in, Mr.. Bangs? You
can put your horse in that barn, I'm
sure, if you want to-"
But Bailey declined to go in. He
declared he was going on to the black
smiths shop to have that wheel fixed
He would not feel safe to start for
home with it as 1t was. He drove off,
and Miss Dawes, knowing from life
long experience that front doors are
merely for show, passed around the
main body OF the house and raped on
the door in the ell The rap was not
answered, though she could hear some
one moving about within and shrill
voice singing 1.-The Sweet By and By"
So she raped again and again, but
still no one came to the door. At last
she ventured to open it.
thin woman with her head tied up
in a colored cotton handkerchief was
In the room vigorously welding a
broom. She was singing in a high
cracked voice. The opening Of the
door let in gust Of cold wind, which
struck the singer in the back of the
neck and caused her to turn around
hastily.
''Heyr' she exclaimed. Land sakes!
You scare a body to death! Shut that
door quicki l amt hankerin' for in
fuenzy. Who are you? What do you
want? Why didn't you knock? Where's
my specsY
She took a pair Of spectacles from
the mantelshelf and set them on the
bridge of her thin nose.
ST beg pardon for coming inT' shout
ed Phoebe. "You are Mrs. Beasley,
aren't you?''
81 don't want none," replied Debby,
with emphasis. $50 there's no use
your wastin' your breath"
After some strenuous minutes the
visitor managed to make it clear to
Mrs. Beasley's mind that she was not
4 peddler. She tried to add a word OF
further explanation, but it was effort
wasted.
"'Tain't no user' snapped Debby.
81 can't hear you, you speak so faint
Wait till / get my horn. It's in the
settin' room"
Phoebe's wonder as to what the
thorn" might be was relieved by the
widows appearance moment later
with the biggest ear trumpet her caller
had ever seen.
'@There, nowr' she said, adjusting
the instrument and thrusting the bell
shaped end under the teachers nose.
"Talk into that. II you amt peddler,
what be you-sewin' machine agent?"
Phoebe explained that she had come
some distance on purpose to see Mrs.
Beasley. She was interested in the
Thayers, who used to live in Orham,
particularly in Mr.. John Thayer, who
died In 1854. She had been told that
Debby formerly lived with the Thay-
ers and could no doubt remember
great deal about them.
Mrs. Beasley, her hearing now with
in forty-five degrees of the normal.
grew interested. She ushered her Wis
itor into the adjoining room and prof
fered her chair.
'What you so interested in the
Thayers for?'' inquired Debby. "One
of the heirs, be your They didn't
leave nothin'.'
No, the schoolmistress was not an
heir, was not even a relative of the
family. But she was-was interested
just the same. friend of hers was
a relative and
what is your FRIEND" inquired the
inquisitor-'a manY
There was no reason why Miss
Dawes should have changed color, but,
according to Debby's subsequent tes-
timony, she did; she blushed, SO the
widow declares.
NO." she protested. "Oh, mol It's
-.