The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-21

NENsR
 DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP"
 coming out and declaring for MT. Snow, but he didn't, And then all at once he takes this astonishing stand. Captain Whitaker, MT. Tidditt says that the night of Emi1y's birthday par cident and that Mr. Atkins seemed very much surprised and upset, Is that sop
 Captain Cy laughed.
 s'His lemohade was upset That's all I noticed special. Oh, yes! And he lost his hat off goin' home. But what of it? What are you drivin' at now?''
 T was wondering riff it could be that for some reason MT. Atkins had a spite against Emily or her people or if he had any reason to fear her.'/
 Fear! Fear Bos'n? Oh. my, that's funny! You've been readin' novels. I'm afraid, teacher, though I didn't suspect it of you"
 He laughed heartily. Miss Dawes smiled, too, but she still persisted
 We'll she said. q don't know. Per haps it is because Pm a woman and politics doesn't mean as muotR to me IS to you men, but to ne political reasons don't seem strong enough to account for such actions as those of MT At kins. Emily's mother was a Thayer. wasn't she? And the Thayers once lived in Orham- I wish we could find out more about them while they lived there"
 Asaph Tidditt pulled his beard thoughtfully.
 Well" he observed, q was kind of cal1atin' to go to Orham next week on a little visit. Seth Wingate over there -Barzilla Wingate's cousin, Whit-fs a sort of relation of mine. Seth's been Orham town clerk about as long as I've been the Bayport one, and he's lived there all his life. What he don't know about Orham folks ain't wuth knowin'- If you say so I'll pump him about the Thayers and the Richards
 So it was settled that MT. Wingate should be subjected to the pumping process when Asaph visited him. He departed for this visit the following week and remained away for ten days. Meanwhile several things happened in Bayport.
 One of these things was the farewell of the Hon. Heman Atkins. Congress was to open at Washington, and the honorable needed the call of duty Alicia and the housekeeper went with him, and the big house was closed for the winter.
 And on the day following MT. Thom- as, the prodigal father, also left town. A position in Boston had been offered him, he said, and he felt that he must accept it.
 Position offered him! Um-ya-as!' quoth Dimick, the cynical, in conversa- ton with Captain Cy- sfInspector of sidewalks. shouldn't wonder Well, please don't ask me if I think Heman sent him to Boston so's to have him out of the way and cause he'd feel consider'b ble safer than if he was loose down here. Don't ask me that, for, with my strict scruples against the truth might say no. As it is, I say nothin' and wink my port eye.''
 The ten day visit ended MT. Tidditt to Bayport On the afternoon of his return he and Bailey called at the Whitaker place, and there they were joined by Miss Dawes, who had been summoned to the conclave by a note intrusted to Bos'n.
 "Now, Ase," ordered Captain Cy as the quartet gathered in the sitting room, "here we are, hangin' on your words, as the feller said. Don't keep us strung up too long. What did you find outr'
 Well" said MT. Tiddttt, with glare at Bangs, '1 asked Seth about the Thayers and the Richards folks the very fust night I struck Orham. He remembered 'em.
 Folks used to call John Thayer a smart young feller, so Seth said. They used to caPlate that he'd rise high in the seafarin' and shfpownin' line. Maybe he would, only he died some where's in Californy long in '54 or -hereabouts. Twas the time of the gold craziness out there, and he left 1 ais ship and went gold hunttn'. And 1 the next thing they knew he was dead and buried"
 'eWhen was that?" inquired the 
 '-In '54, I tell you. So Seth says.''
 t'What ship was he on?'' asked Bal | ey.
 Want on any ship. Why don't you isten instead of settin' there moonin'? | He was gold. diggin'. tell you"
 He'd been on q ship, hadn't he? | What was the name of herr"
 'eI didn't ask. What dif'rence does hat maker