Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-04-27
CHAPTER NV.

| ITN OhI WIS DolIlnG over will
x rumor and surmise. Heman
D had appealed to the courts
- asking that Captain Cy's ap
pointment as Bos'n's guardian be re-
scinded. Cy had hired Lawyer Pea
body Of Ostable to look out for his
interests.
Angelina Phinney was having the
time Of her life. The perfect board
ing house hummed like n fly trap. Re
turah and Mrs. Trip had deserted tc
the enemy. and the minority meaning
Asaph and Bailey-had little oppor
tunity to defend their friends cause
even if they had dared. Iieman At.
Eins his Christian charity and high
| mindedness. his devotion to duty re-
CARELESS of political consequences and
the magnificent speech nj town meet.
ing were lauded and exalted The Bay.
port Breeze contained a fun account Of
the meeting, and it was read aloud by
keturah amid hymns of praise from
the elect.
Up mt the Cy Whitaker place the
days were full ones. There also le-
gal questions were discussed with
Georgianna, the board OF strategy. 10
siah Dimick occasionally and more
lnfrequently still Miss Dawes as par
Elephants with Captain Cy In the dis
cussions Rumors were true in so far
as they related TO Mr.. Atkins appeal
to the courts and the captains retain
ing Lawyer Peabody of Ostable. Mr..
Peabody's opinion of the case was not
encouraging.
You see, captain" he said when his
client visited him at his Office, the
odds are very much against us. The
court appointed you as guardian with
the understanding that this man
Thomas was dead. Now he is alive
and claims his child. More than that,
he has the most influential politician
In this county back of him. We
wouldn't stand q fighting chance ex-
cept for one thing-Thomas himself
He left his wife and the baby; desert
cd them. so she sad went to get work
be says. We can prove he was a
drunken blackguard before he went
!
came back. But they'll say-Atkins
and mis- lawyer-that the man was des-
perate and despairing because of your
/ refusal to give him his child They'll
hold him up as a repentant sinner ang-
! ious to reform and needing the little
girls Inference to help keep him
straight. That's their game, and they'll
play it-be sure of that. 1t sounds
( reasonable enough, too, for sinners have
repented before now And the long
lost father coming back to his child is
the one sure thing to win applause
from the gallery-you know that"
Captain Cy nodded.
He stopped, rose and. striding over
to the window, stood looking out.
How does she feel about it her
sclfY' asked Peabody.
Her? Bosn? Why, that's the
hardest of all. Some of the children
at school poster her about her father.
don't knows YOU can blame EN-
young ones are made that way. | guess
! but she comes home Ia me cryin',
and it's ooh. Uncle Cy. he amt my
truly father, is hep and You won't
let him take me away from you. will
you| till it seems as If I should fly
out of the window. The poor little
thing! And that puffed up humbug
Atkins BLOWN about his Christianity
and all. I've seen heather lnjuns,
who never heard Of Christ, with more
Of His spirit inside EN-. There. I've
shocked you. | guess. Sometimes
think this place Is too narrer and
crnmped for me. I've been around.
YOU know. and my New England
bringin' up has wore thin in spots.
Seems if must get somewhercs and
spread out or I'll bust"
He threw himself into a chair. The
lawyer clapped him on the shoulder.
There, there, captain" he said.
Don't bust yet awhile. Don't give
up the ship. If we lose in one court
we can appeal 10 another, and so on
up the line. And meantime we'll do
little Investigating of friend Thomas
career since he left Concord. I've
written TO legal acquaintance of
mine in Butte, giving him the facts
rs we know them and Il description
Of Thomas. He will try to find out
what the fellow. did in his years out
west It's our best chance, as | told
you. Keep your pluck up and wait
and see"
The captain repeated this CONVEX
sation TO the board Of strategy when
he returned to Bayport. Miss Dawes
had walked home from school with
Bos'n and had stopped at the house
to hear the report She listened. but
it was evident that something else
was on her mind.
Captain Whitaker" she asked. "has
1t ever struck you as queer that Mr..
Atkins should take such an interest in
this matterf He Is giving time and
counsel and money to help this man
Thomas. who is perfect stranger to
him. Why does he do it,"
Captain Cy smiled.
why" he repeated. "Why, to down
me, Of course. / was gettin' too ever
lastin' prominent in politics to suit
him. ia got you In as teacher. and I
had Lonzo Snow as good as licked for
school committee. Goodness knows
what | might have run for Goxt. cord
in to Hemans reasonin', and simply
had to be smashed 1t worked all
right. I'm so unhealthy now in tho
sight OF most folks in this town that