Graham guardian., 1911-02-17

had followed her across the room,
"this Is my choice, and here Is my
partner. Susie Taylor is after you,
and you mustn't run away, Come, Mr..
Whitaker"
SO Cy took her arm. and they danced
Money Musk" together. He made
but few mistakes, and these she
helped him to correct so easily that
| none noticed. His success gave him
courage, and he essayed other dances.
IN fact, he had very good time atthe
party after all.
On the way home he thought great
deal about the pretty young lady, whose
name he discovered was Emily Rich
ards. He decided that If she would
only wait for him he might like to
marry her when he grew up But he
was thirteen, and she was seventeen,
and the very next year she married
John Thayer, the sailor in the blue
suit. And two years after that young
Cy ran away to be sailor himself
In spite of his age and his lifetime
of battering about the world, Captain
Cy had sentimental streak in his
makeup. His rejuvenation Of the old
home proved that. Betsy's letter tn
terested him. He had made guarded
Inquiries concerning Mary Thayer.
now Mary Thomas, of others besides
Asaph. and the answers had been sat
isfactory so far as they went. Those
who remembered her had liked her
very much. The captain had even
begun letter to Mrs. Thomas, but
laid 1t aside unfinished, having since
Bailey's unfortunate experience with
the widow Beaslcy prejudice against
experiments.
lie meditated and smoked for an
other hour. Then. his mind being
made up, he pulled down the desk lid
of the old fashioned secretary, resur-
rected from pile of papers the note
he had begun to Mrs. Thomas, dipped
sputtering pen into the ink bottle
and proceeded to write
His letter was short one and rather
noncommittal. AS Mrs. Thomas no
doubt knew. he had come back to live
In his fathers house at Bayport. He
might possibly need some one to keep
house for him. He understood that she.
Mary Thayer that was, was a good
housekeeper and that she was open
to an engagement If everything was
mutually satisfactory He had known
her mother slightly when the latter
lived in Orham. He thought IN inter
view might be pleasant, for they could
talk over old times If nothing more.
Perhaps. on the whole, she might care
to risk trip. TO Bayport: therefore he
inclosed money for her railroad fare.
You understand, Of course" so he
wrote In conclusion. "that nothing may
come OF our meeting at all. So please
don't say q word to anybody when you
strike town. You've lived here your
self, and you know that three words
hove oTcrGoard In Bayport win dredge,
III Gah enough TO sink dictionary.
So just keep. mum till the business is
settled one way or the other"
A week passed. and he heard moth
ing; then three moro days and still
no word from the New Hampshire
widow. Meanwhile fresh layers of
dust spread themselves over the Whit
taker furniture. End the gaudy pat
terms nf IA" carpets blushed dimly be-
meath u '.rimy fog,
Til? eleventh day began with pour.
ing rein that changed later on to
dismal Gyl2z'e The silver leaf tree In
tn" front yard dripped, and the over
flowing cutters gurgled and splashed
The hay WIS gray and lonely. and the
ish weirs nlcpg he outer bar were
lost ln iGa iai.s The dowers In the
Atkins uras were dragGlcd and beaten
down only the iron dogs glistened
undaunted as tho wet ran off their
newly painted backs. The mir was
heavy. AID the salty flavor of the flats
might almost bs' tasted In Ii.
Captain Cy was In the sitting room,
as usual. Ills spirits were as gray rs
the weather lie was actually lone
some FOR the frs; time sine his return
home !.r had liuhea wood fire In
the sfnyr jnS; for The So'ialillty of 1t,
and Ne cyW III and .s'uw ichind the
iSinG!lsS i,'r"s cat" served te remind
hiul<,t o;b2i h,is ANA other hrcs The
sitting rr,i& tad unt bcrn lonesome
then
lie heard fh,' ,l"rot wagoa rattle by
aul. pecriH% frnm the window, saw
that exceli for Mr. Lumley 1t was
empty Sot even u summer boarder
had come 10 brighten our ways and
lawns with reckless raiment and the
newest slang Summer boarding sea
son was almost over how. Bayport
would suou he as dull us dishwater.
And the captain admitted to himself
,iat ID WAS duh He had half q mind
TO take flying trip to Boston, make
the round of the wharfs and see II
any of the old shipowners and ship
captnins whom be had once known
were still alive and In harness.
Jingle! Jingle! Jingle! Jingiel
Jingle. Jing! Jing! Jing|
Captain Cy bounced In his chair.
That was the front door bell. Who on
earth, or rather, who in Bayport. would
come to the front door?
lie 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 II still hung in
the air, The captain unbolted and TN
locked the big front door.
A girl was standing on the steps be-
tween the lines of box hedge-a little
girl under big "grownup" umbrella.
The wet driDped from the umbrella ton