The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1911-02-09
CHATTER V.

GAYs passed. cyrus saw the
HIM house becoming woefully un-
HU tidy Something must be done,
u The captain drew his chair
near the center table. took from his
pocket a sheet Of note paper aud pro
ceeded 10 read what was written on
It's pages II WIS "A letter which he
had received nearly a month before
and had not yet answered. During the
past week he had read Il many times.
The writing WIS cramped and blotted
and the paper cheap and dingy. The
envelope bore the postmark OF a small
town In Indiana, and the inclosure
was wOrded as follows:
I Captain Cyrus Whitaker:
Dear airl suppose you viii be "A good
deal surprised 20 hear from me especially
from way out west here When you
: hoHsht the old house OF Seth he and
was living IN Concord, ". II. lie couldn't
/ make a 90 OF his business there. 80 we
/ came west ana he has been sick most OF
/ the time since We amt well on like you,
/ and times are hard with Us, What 1
wanted 10 write you about was this: My
/ cousin Mary Thomas Mary Thayer that
/ was-is stil living In Concord and she Is
| poor and needs help. though | don't sup
pose she would ask for H. being too
prOud-falBe pride 1 call II. Me and
Seth would like 20 do something for her.
but We have "a hard enough job 10 keep
going ourselves. Mary married man by
the name OF Henry Thomas. and no turn
ed out TO be a miserable good for moth
ing AZ | always said he would. She
wouldn't listen to me. though. lie run
on and left her seven year ago last April
and | understand, was killed or drowned
aomcwheres up in Montana, Mary and
several words scratched out herel got
along somehow since, but I don't know
how. While we lived In Concord Seth
sort OF kept an eye on her, but now he
can't. Of course. She's good girl, or
woman rather, being most forty. and
would make "A good housekeeper II you
should need one as / suppose likely you
Will n you could help her II would be an
act OF charity and you VIII be- rewarded
above. Seth says why not write TO her
and tell her 10 come and see you. lie
feels bad about her. because he is so sick,
l suppose And he knows you are rich
and could do good n you felt like It. Her
fathers name was John Thayer. | wouldn't
wonder II you used TO know her mother.
She was Emily Richards afore she mar
ried, and they used TO live In Orham.
Yours truly, ELIZABETH HOwES.
=. s.-marys address Is Mrs. Mary
street Concord, N H.
n B.-seth won't say So but | will:
We are very hard up ourselves and II
YOU could help him and me with the loan
% little money Il would DO thankfully
received
Captain Cy read the letter, folded II
and replaced II In his pocket He
knew the Howes family by reputation,
and the reputation was that OF general
sharpness In trade and stinginoss In
money matters. Betsy's personal appeal
did not. therefore. touch his heart TO
any great extent He surmised also
that for Seth Howes and his wife TO
ask help for some person other than
themselves promised darky In the /
wood pile somewhere But for the |
daughter OF Emily Richards to be sug-
gested as possible housekeeper at tho !
Cy Whitaker place-that was interest.
ing. certainly.
when the captain was not a captain
when be was merely young Cy."
boy. living with his parents-a dancing
school was organized IN Bayport. Ii
was an innovation for our village and
frowned upon by many OF the older
and stricter inhabitants, However,
most Of the captains boy friends were
permitted 10 attend Young Cy was
not His father considered dancing
waste Of time and. II not wicked, GER
tainly frivolous and uouseuSicOl, so
the boy remained az home. But. In
spite OF the parental order. he prac-
ticed some OF the figures OF the qua
drlles and the contradauces In his
comrades barns. learning them at sec
ond hand. so to speak,
one winter there was 10 be party
In Orham given by the Nlckersons
wealthy people with a tifteen-year-old
daughter. II was TO be grand ar
fair, and most of the boys and girls in
the uelghboring towns were invited.
Cy received an invitation and. for a
wonder, was permitted TO attend. The
Rapport contingent went over I'm big
hayrick on runners. and the moonlight
ride was jolly enough, The Nickerson
Z
music and dancing.
Young Cy was miserable during the
dancing, He didn't dare attempt it
in spite OF his lessons in the barn. So,
while the rest of his boy friends sought
partners for the Portland Fancy" and
"Hulrs Victory" he sat forlorn In a
corner
AS he sat there he was approached
by a young lady radiant in muslin and
ribbons. She was three or four years
older than he was, and he had wor-
SHIPPED her from afar as she whirled
up and down the line in the Virginia
reel. She never lacked partners and
seemed to be great favorite with the
young men, especially one good looking
chap with a sunburned face who look
ed like sailor.
They were forming sets for Money
Musk" 1t was ladies choice" and
there was a demand for more couples.
The young lady came over to Cy's cor
ner and laughingly dropped him a