The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-29
WHIIIAkERS
 PLACE jlsst-
By JOSEPH C. LINCOLN
Copyright 1908. by D. Appleton Geo.

you for 1t sort of. When Cap'n Obed Pepper died F.
 "Died! For the land sakes! What are you sayin'? Give me that, you fool head! Give it to me?' l She snatched the telegram from him and tore it open. It was not as bad as 1t migEaAe,have been, but it was bad enough Eawyer Peabody wired that Captain Cyrus Whitaker was at his home in Ostable sick in bed and threat ened with pneumonia.
 Captain Cy, hurrying homeward in response to the attorneys former tele- gram, had reached Boston the day of the blizzard. He had taken the train for Bayport that afternoon. The train had reached Ostable after 9 o'clock that night, but could get no farther. The captain, burning with fever and torn by chiIls, had widowed through the drifts to his lawyers home and collapsed on his doorstep. Now he was very i'll and at times delirious.
 For two weeks he lay, fighting off the threatened attack of pneumonia. But he won the fight, and at last word came to the anxious ones at Bayport that he was past the danger point and would pull through. There was rejoicing at the Cy Whitaker place. The board of strategy came and performed an impromptu war, dance around the dining room table.
 'Whe-e-e!'' shouted Bailey Bangs, tossing Bos'n above his head. "Your Uncle Cy's weathered the Horn and is bound for clear water now. Three cheers for our sideI Won't we give him a reception when we get him back herer'
 Wont weP' crowed- -Asaph. ''Wel1, I just guess we wilt You ought to hear Angie and the rest of 'em chant hymns of glory about him. A body I'd think they always knew he was the salt of the earth. Maybe don't rub 1t in a little, hey? Oh, no, maybe notr'
 '.And Hemanr' chimed in MT. Bangs. And Heman! Would you ever believe he'd change so all of a sudden? Bully old Whit l can mention his name now without Ketury's landin' on to me like a snowslide. Wheel say wh-e-e-ei''
 He continued to say it, and Georgi- anna and Asaph said what amounted to the same thing. A change had come over our Bayport social atmosphere, a marvellous change And at Simmons and-more wonderful still-at Tad Simpsons barber shop plans were being made and perfected for proceed tngs in which Cyrus Whitaker was to play the most prominentrpart. ~
 Meanwhile the conva1escence went on at a rapid rate. As soon as he was permitted to talk Captain Cy began to question his. lawyer. How about the appeal? Had Atkins done any thing further? The answers were sat isfactory. The case had been dropped the Honorable Heman had announced its withdrawal. He had said that he had changed his mind and should not continue to espouse sthe Thomas cause. In fact, he seemed to have whirled completely about on Nhfs pedestal and, like a compass, now pointed only in one direction-toward his 'boyhood friend" and present neighbor, Cyrus Whitt&ker.
 'tIt's perfectly astounding" com mented Peabody. What in the world, captain, did you do to him while you were in Washington?"
 "Oh, nothin' much," was the rather disinterested answer. Him and me had talk. and he saw the error of his ways, ca11ate. How's Bos'n today? Did you give her my love when you phonedP'
 ''So far as the, case is concerned went on the lawyer, "fI think we should have won that, anyway. It's a curious thing. Thomas has disap- peared. How he got word or who he got it from don't know, but he must have, and he's gone somewhere, no one knows where. And yet I'm not certain that we were on the right trail. It seemed certain a week ago, but now"-
 The captain had not been listening. He was thinking. Thomas had gone. had he? Good! Heman was living up to his promises. And Bos'n, God bless her, was free from that danger.
 Have you heard from Emmie? I asked you," he repeated.
 He would not listen to anything fur ther concerning Thomas. either then or later. He was sick of the whole bus1- ness, he declared, and now that every thing was all right didn't wish to talk about it again. He asked nothing about the appropriation, and the law yer, acting under strict orders, did not mention it.
 Only 2once did Captain Cy inquire concerning person in his home town who was not a member of his house hold.
 "How 1s-erhow's the teacher2 p he inquired one morning 7
 Flows who2'
 'ewhy, Phoebe Dawes, the school teacher. Smart, is she?''
 'FYes, indeed. Why, she has been the most''-
 The doctor came in just then, and the interview terminated. It was not resumed, because that afternoon MT. Peabody started for Boston on busf- ness trip, to be gone some time
 And at last came the great day, the day when Captain Cy was to be taken home. He was up and about, had been out for several short walks and was very nearly his own self again.