Evening star., 1921-05-15

CAPT. COLE TREATED HIM
Cole, ro1l-top desk. the towns safe
and the towns books.
Halts were made in front of the
various pieces of real estate in the
village. Capt. Cole. at his desk. scru-
i tinized, pondered, scratched his ear
with a pen-stock. examined all details
of the various houses and buildings
and made entries in a big ledger.
1t was perfectly plain to his onlook-
ing townsmen that their new assessor
was out assessing. and doing it in a
strictly original manner. But spokes-
! man for the crowd at Basom's store
sought specific information.
Assessing, hey, Cap'n Cole?
Assessing" The captain kept on
, writing without turning his head.
Are you changing the old valua-
tions any?"
"All of EN-"
We'll. it's time for that to be done" !"
I'm doing it"
The town has been on the down.
grade for long time No new busi-
ness. Property values shrinking. A
general reduction was needed. How
stand of buildings"
The captain cooked one goggling eye
over his shoulder as If to make sure
OF the taxpayer who was speaking.
Then he thumbed the ledger. "'Kel-
| lett, Jonas" he promulgated with
bodied auctioneer would employ,
land and buildings, valued for tax
alton at eleven thousand dollars"
"Humpbacked Hosea" squealed the
taxpayer. You have lacked me to
double my old valuation"
When I want an adviser about
assessing. I'll drop you a postal card"
promised Capt Cole grimIy. II as
sessed myself first. When / got back
here to Toddport the old house looked
twice as good to me as it ever did be.
fore. I have doubled my own valua-
| that pitch, gents. right up to that
pitch" He turned his back on them
He pulled papers from a pigeonhole of
the desk and glanced over certain
fgures. Then in that same stentorian
tone of voice he announced as he
wrote in the ledger: 'Shore-front
land on Axel's Cove. formerly oc-
cupied by the Blaisdells for shipyard.
now owned by Bowditch Briggs,
Casper Sumner. Horatio Wass. ct al.
value seventy-five thousand dollars "
Capt. Briggs had a quarterback
damsite. Roth Cole! That's unim-
proved pasture-land. 1t amt worth
ten dollars an acre."
Capt. Cole smacked his hand down
on the pigeonhole papers. What you
say by word o mouth is important If
true. but what you write over your
own signature may be reckoned as
truer If it comes to law, and it's a
! cussed sight more important. Here's
your own letters that 1 got from the
! tried to buy that land. Your best
offer was one hundred thousand dol
i lars. When / nick off twenty-five
thousand dollars I'm doing a liberal
| thing for fellow master-mariner"
X + **
THAT afternoon there was an i'm
promtu gathering of leading tax
ipayers in Centennial Hall. where the
dead odors of onion Favored chowder
still fingered
As I've been able to follow the
thing. from what 1 have read in the
newspapers about this war. everybody
twas fighting to get shet of emp'rors,'
said old Perry Trufant. And here
we have one rammed onto u.s."
| Whilst he was over in furrin parts
taking private lessons in this crown
head business, it's a wonder he
didn't get his eyes opened to what
happens to them who try to rule and
reign and ruin, suggested another
! taxpayer.
What jeeskived. slush- Drained old
| hyampus was it who first started the
move to make him first seIectman 81
demanded the infuriated Capt Briggs.
The Rev Twilliger rose and
kneaded his fingers and cracked his
knuckles. Il believe l did raise my
voice-that l did opine, at the lay
| mems vestry meeting in early spring.
that the towns highest honor should
go to our only hero" he confessed.
Capt. Briggs did not take back
words or moderate his scowl.
One might guess that the Rev
Mr.. Twilliger had been hearing
from some of the iaymen who regu-
larly Clipped in to make up his sal
airy. Il have dropped in here this
afternoon to offer my aid in smooth :
ing troubled waters, to undo if may
be. to mediate"
Il always try to show due respect
to a parson." grumbIed the unrecon-
ciled Briggs. but that's when he
pulpit or in the setting-room. max
ing his PASTORAL calls. He don't be-
long in politics or business"
II fear not-after what have
been hearing confessed the pastor
humbly. But ] feel a loud call to
duty in promoting harmony in oul
beloved community / will go to
Capt Cole and-and-"
What damnation good would tina,
do" roared Capt. Briggs. careless OF
Parson Twiiliger's presence, with
the chairman Coles first cousin? You
might as we'll try to cool Off hell with
| a feather fan"
Capt. Cole was patroling his porch
after a pleasant and profitable second
session of assessing. Step onto the
quarterback, parson." he invited
amiably. II see you've come with
cargo, Go ahead and break open the
so they're all vowed and all aR'ins
\ me- hey2" demanded the selectman