The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-12-04
ner and laughingly dropped him a

not dance any to speak or
"Oh. yes. you can. I'm sure you can
You're the Whitaker boy. aren't your
I've heard about your barn lessons.
and I want you to try this with me.
Please dol No. John" she added. turn
ing to the sunburned young fellow who
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 MFR.
whitaker"
So Cy took her arm. and they danced
Money Musk" together. He made
but a 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 at the
party after all.
On the way home he thought a great
deal about the pretty young lady. whose
name he discovered was Emily Rich.
ards. He decided that II 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 a sentimental streak In his
makeup. His rejuvenation Of the old
4 kAN nAea Int In
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 a letter to Mrs. Thomas, but
laid It aside unfinished. having since
Bailey's unfortunate experience with
the widow Beasley a prejudice against
experiments
He 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 a pile Of papers the note
be had begun to Mrs. Thomas, dipped
sputtering pen into the ink bottle
| and proceeded to write.
| His letter was a short one and rather
noncommittaL As Mrs. Thomas no
doubt knew. he had come back 10 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 II everything was
mutually satisfactory. He had known
her mother slightly when the latter
lived In Orham He thought an inter
talk over old times II nothing more.
Perhaps. on the whole. she might care
to risk a 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 a word to anybody when you
strike town. You've lived here your
self. and you know that three words
hove overheard In Bayport will dredge
up CAB enough TO sink a 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 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 dimly be
meath a grimy fog
The eleventh day began with a pour
Ing rain that changed later on to a
dismal drlzzle The silver leaf tree In
the front yard dripped. and the over
lowing cutters gurgled and splashed
The bay was gray and lonely. and the
nsh weirs along the outer bar were
lost In the mist. The flowers In the
Atkins urns were draggled and beaten
down. Only the iron dogs glistened
undaunted as the wet ran of their
newly painted backs. The air was
heavy, and the salty flavor Of the fats
might almost be tasted In II.
Captain Cy was In the sitting room.
as usual. His spirits were as gray m
the weather. He was actually lone
some for the first time since his return
home lie had kindled a wood fire In
the stove just for the sociability of II,
and the crackle and glow behind the
isinglass panes only served to remind
him Of other days and other fires. The
sitting room had not been lonesome
then.
He heard the depot wagon rattle by
and, peering from the window, saw
that except for Mr.. Lumley II was
empty. Not even a summer boarder
had come 10 brighten our ways and
lawns with reckless raiment and the
newest slang Summer boarding sea
son was almost over now. Bayport
would soon be as duh as dishwater
And the captain admitted to himself
that II was dull. lie had half mind
TO take a flying trip 10 Boston, make
the round OF the wharfs and see II
any of the old shipowners and shiI
captains 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 yVas tha front door hell Who on