Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-03-30

to an engagement IL everything WINS
mutually satisfactory He had known
her mother slightly when the latter
lived In Orhsm. lie thought an inter.
view might be pleasant, for they could
talk over old tines II nothing moro.
Perhaps. on the whole. she might cara
to risk n trip to Bayport; therefore ha
Enclosed money for her railroad Pare
you understand, of course" so ho
wrote in conclusion, that nothing may
come or our meeting at all. SO please
don't say word to anybody when Won
strike town. You've lived here your
SELF and you know that three words
hove overheard in Bayport will dredrs
up CAB enough to sink dictionary.
So just keep mum till the business ia
settled one way or the other"
A week passed. and lie heard moth
| ing; then three more days and still
| no word from the New HAMPSHIRE
| widow. Meanwhile fresh layers Of
dust spread themselves over the Whit
taker furniture. and the gaudy pat
terms of the carpets blushed dlmiy Ee-
meath srlmy fog.
he tleNtulu OuN utgHn Win n DOur-
ing rain that changed later on to n
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 werq
lost in the mist. The lowers ia thq
Atkins urns were dragGed 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 If the fats
might almost be tasted in il.
Captain Cy was in the sitting room,
as usual His spirits Were as gray as
the wentber He was actually lone.
some for the first time since his return
home lie had klndled wood fire ID
the stove Just for the sociabiity of if,
and the crackie and glow behind the
isinglass panes only served to remind
him OF other days and other llres Thg
sitting room had not been lonesome
then.
lie heard the depot wagon rattle by
and. peernG from the window, saw
that exccg; for Mr. Lumley it was
empty. Not even a summer boarier
had come to brighten our ways and
lawns with reckless raiment and the
newest slang. sumner boarding sea-
son was almost over how Bayport
would soon ho as dun as dishwater.
And the captain admitted to himself
that it was dull lie had half a mind
to take a flying trip to Boston, make
I. ~, r,-1, a,.f.
any OF the old shipOwners and ship
capt1ins whom he had once known
were still alive and in harness.
Jingle. Jingle! Jingle. Jingle,
jingle ling, Jing! Jing!"
captain Cy bounced in his chair.
That was the front door bell Who on
earth, or rather. who in Rayport, 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 IN
locked the big front door.
4 girl was standing on the steps be-
tween the lines Of box hedge-a little
girl under 4 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. Oh.
viously she was a stranger. Portu.
guese children from up Harniss way"
sometimes called 10 pedde Lnoklebcr-
rics but this child was no "Poriugee."
Hello" exclaimed the captain, won
cerirgly. Did you ring the bollY
YES. sir replied the girl.
"Humph! Did, hey? Why
Why? Why. I thought Isn't it
truly bell? Didn't it ought to ring: Is
any body sick or dead: There isn't any
Grape"
Dead? Crape?' Captain Cy gasped.
What in the world put that in your
head?"
We'll, didn't know but maybe that
was why you thought l hadn't ought
to have rung it. When mamma was
sick they didn't let people ring our bell,
And when she died they tied it up
with Grape.
"Did, hey? Hum!" The captain
scratched his chin and gazed at the
small figure before him. 1t was a self
poised. matter Of fact figure for such
a little one, and out there in the rain
under the tent roof Of the umbrella il
was rather pitiful.
please, sir" said the child, ARE
you Captain CYRUS Whitaker
"Yup That's me. You've guessed
it the first time"
Yes, sir. I've got letter for you. It's
pinned inside my dress. Ii you could
hold this umbrella maybe I coula gel
It out
She extended the big umbrella al
arms length. holding it with both
hands. Captain Cy woke up.
Good land he exclaimed. "Wha
am l thnldn' of? You're soakin' wet
through. amt youv'
81 guess I'm pretty wet Its long
ways from the depot, and l tried t,
All A'lhB ~ Nh i |