The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-02-09
WHlIIAkER'S
PLACE
BY JOSEPH C. LINCOLN
Copyright. 1908. by D. Appleton & c,

then again he thinks No." replied
Bailey. He says. of course. If Hemar
Is able to get it he will. but if he ain
able to he-he"-
HE won't. | s'pose. Well. I car
| think that myself. and 1 don't set w
to be no inspired know-it-all. like Joe
Dimick. He amt heard from Heman
lately, has hep"
/ mo. he amt Neither's anybody
else, so fur as can find OUT
"Oh. yes. they have. have, fol-
one"
Mr.. Bangs stopped short in his dou
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 letter
from Heman Atkins from Washin'
tonY'
Asaph nodded portentously.
Eyes. SIR" he declared. "a letter
from the Hon. Heman G. Atkins of
Washin'ton. D. c.. come to me last
night read it afore I turned in"
You did! And never said nothin'
about it?'
why should l say anything about
It? Twas addressed to me as town
clerk and was concernin' matter to
be took up with the hoard of s'lect-
men. | amt in the habit of hollerin'
town affairs through q speakin' truIn-
pct. Folks that vote for me town
meetin' day know that | guess Angie
Phinney says to ne 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 it broke it's heart tryin' to keep
up with Angie. Her ma was the same
breed Of cats. What did Heman say
about the appropriation? Is he goin'
to get itY'
Mr. Tidditt paused before replying.
Then. bending over. he whispered in
his chum's ear:
"He never said one word about the
appropriation. Bailey. not one word.
He wanted to know if we'd got this
years taxes on the Whitaker place
and II we hadn't what was we goin
to do about it. Bailey, between you
and me and the mizzenmast. Heman
Atkins wants to get a-hold Of that
place the worst way"
"He does! He does! For the land
sakes. amt he got property enough al
ready? Amt "a palace like that
enough for one man without wantin'
to buy rattletrap like that?".
The first that" was emphasized by
a brahdished but reverent left hand.
the second by derisively pointing
right. The two friends had reached
the crest Of the long slope leading up
from the town ball. On one side Of
the road stretched the imposing front
age Of the Atkins estate" with it's
uUo AShSS obA ctOuC pOS(cs Vu tuc UIu.
er sloucfRd the weed grown. tumble.
down desolation 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 philanthropist 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 1.-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 prosite side
Of the main road. but it was the gen.
eral opinion that it ought to be asham-
ed to face it. Originally it had enjoyed
the dignified seclusion afforded by o
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 it 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
ana bHilt q wide veranda under the
parlor windows. They took boarders
for Eve consecutive summers. Then
they gave mp the unpro0table under.
taking, returned to Concord n. a.,
their native city. and left the Cy whit
taker place to bear the ravaees Of
Bayport winters and Bayport small
boys ~ best II might.
For years 1t stood empty. The se-
lectmen would have liked to. tear Il
down. but they could not because It
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