The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-23
WH[IIAKER'S
 PLACE
By JOSEPH C. LINCOLN
Copyright, 1908. by D. Appleton 6 Co.

l 'Mercy on -usr, shrieked Debby, | clutching her companion about the I west. '.What''-
 -ta=t go of me!'' howled Bailey, push l ing her violently aside. Whoa! Stand still!'
 But Henry refused to stand still. The Tapping paper still clung to his agitated head. He reared and pranced, jerking the Su1xy back and forth, its wheels still wedged in the ruts. Bai- ley sprang to the ground to pick up the reins. He seized them, but fell as he did so The tug at his bits turned Henry's head, literally and figurative ly. He reared and whirled about. The sulky rose on two wheels. The screaming Mrs. Beasley collapsed 1 against it's downward side. Another moment and the whole upper half of ! the sulky-body. seat, curtains and Debby-tilted over the lower wheels, | and the rusted bolts, failing to hold. slid with thunnp to the frozen road. 1 The wind, catching 1t underneath as it l slid, tipped it backward. Then Henry ran away.
 Miss Dawes, left alone in the house 1 at the foot of the hill, had amused her self for time with the Beasaey libra ry, which partially filled a shelf in the sitting room.
 Sitting there, she was a witness of the alarming catastrophe on the hill- top and reached the front gate just in time to see Henry go galloping by. dragging the four wheels and springs of the sulky, while sprawIed across the rear axle and stiIl clinging to the reins hung a familiar bowling and most wicked1y profane individual of the name of Bangs.
 The upper part of the sulky. with it's boxIike curtained top, lay on its side in the road From somewhere within the box came groans and screams. greeting Phoebe, who ran to the spot.
 The panting and alarmed teacher stopped and peered into the dark shad- ow between the dashboard and the back curtain. All she could make out at first were pair Of thin ankles and s s.congress'' shoes in agitated motion. These bobbed up and down behind the oxaEthrn seat4and its displaced cush- ion.
 i "oh, Mrs. Beasleyy' screamed Phoebe Are you hurt?'
 The rescuer pulled the seat forward and with an effort tumbled it clear of the curtains. Debby raised herself I still higher.
  1 Land sakes! Who's cVmin,? Men. ain't it?''
 She scrambled out of her prison on hands and knees and jumped to her Eject with reassurir D alac critX
 '.Tm a sight. ain7t 1?~ she asked. Haul this bunnet straight, quick's ever you can.''A
 Miss Dawes, relieved to find that the accident had no serious consequeilces and trying her hardest not to laugh. assisted the widow to rearrange her wearing apparel The blacksmith and his helper came running up the hill.
 Hello, Debby!'' hailed the former. Whats the matter? Hurt, be you?''
 Mrs. BeasIey, whether she heard or not, did not deign to reply.
 The blacksmith pointed to his shop in the hollow. Before it stood MT. Bangs, holding Henry by the>brfdle and staring in their direction
 Hes all right volunteered the Shelper." ''The horse stopped runnin' Soon's he got to the foot of the next hillp
 Mrs. Beasley was not apparently overjoyed at the news.
 "Humphr' she grunted. q most wish he'd broke his neck fPesky, care less thing, gettin' us run away with and upset! Who's goin' to pay for fxin' my sulky, want to know?'
 ''Afr. Bangs will pay for it, Pm sure. !" said Phoebe soothingly. eff he doesn't I will. Oh, Mrs. Beasley, did you find the diary2''
 ''Dfary2 No, mol 1 told you I was afraid I'd burnt it up. Well, had. and a whole lot more of them old ones. But did get all them Arizona papers and took the trouble to tote 'em all the way here so's you could look at 'em. And now'-slle shook with indignation and waved her hand toward a section of horizon where little white dots in- dicated the whereabouts of the Cou- riers-'+aow look where they bel Flowed from Dan to Beershehy! Come on to the house and let me set down. been standin' on my head till I'm tired. Here, Jabez,'' to the blacksmith, 'you tend to that carriage, will youf''
 She stalked off down the hill.
 Phoebe was downcast and disap- | pointed She was convinced in her own mind that the Honorable Atkins had some hidden motive for his es- pousal of the Thomas cause. Asaph's fruitless quest in Orham had not shaken her faith. Captain Cy had re- fused to seek Debby Beasley for infor- nation concerning the Thayers, and 50 she, on her own responsibility, had done so. And this was the ridiculous ending of her journey. The diary had been a forIorn hope. Now that was burned Poor Bos'n and poor some one else!
 l Debby, marching down the hill. con tinued to sputter about the lost week lies.
 tits an everlastin' shamer' she de clared. "I'd just found the one with that advertisement in it and was read in it. I remember the part I read,