第7章
Mrs。Beasley，herhearingnowwithinforty-fivedegreesofthenormal，grewinterested。Sheusheredhervisitorintotheadjoiningroom，andprofferedherachair。Thatsittingroomwasawonderofitskind，eventotheteacher"saccustomedeyes。Agilt-
framedcrayonenlargementofthelateMr。Beasleyhunginthecenterofthebroadestwallspace，andwasnottheugliestthingintheapartment。Havingsaidthis，furtherdescriptionisunnecessary——particularlytothosewhorememberMr。Beasley"spersonalappearance。
“WhatyousointerestedintheThayersfor？”inquiredDebby。“Oneoftheheirs，beyou？Theydidn"tleavenothin"。“
No，theschoolmistresswasnotanheir。Wasnotevenarelativeofthefamily。Butshewas——wasinterested，justthesame。Afriendofherswasarelative，and——
“Whatisyourfriend？”inquiredtheinquisitor。“Aman？”
TherewasnoreasonwhyMissDawesshouldhavechangedcolor，but，accordingtoDebby"ssubsequenttestimony，shedid；sheblushed，sothewidowdeclares。
“No，“sheprotested。“Oh，no！it"sa——she"sachild，that"sall——alittlegirl。But——“
“Maybeyou"regettin"uponeofthemgeographicaltrees，“suggestedMrs。Beasley。“I"veseen"em，fustsettlersdowninthetrunk，andchildrenandgrandchildrenspreadin"outinthebranches。Isthatit？”
Herewasanavenueofescape。Phoebestretchedthetruthatrifle，andadmittedthatthat，orsomethingofthesort，waswhatshewasengagedin。Theexplanationseemedtobesatisfactory。Debbyaskedhervisitor"sname，and，misunderstandingit，addressedheras“MissDorcas“thereafter。ThensheproceededtogiveherreminiscencesoftheThayers，anditdidnottakelongforthedisappointedteachertodiscoverthat，forallpracticalpurposes，thesereminiscenceswerevalueless。Mrs。Beasleyrememberedmanythings，butnothingatallconcerningJohnThayer"slifeintheWest，northenameoftheshiphesailedin，norwhohisshipmateswere。
“Heneverwrotehomebutonceortwiceaforehedied，“shesaid。
“AndwhenhedidEmily，hiswife，nevertoldmewhatwasinhisletters。Shealwaysburnt"em，Iguess。Iusedtohuntaroundfor"emwhenshewasout，butsheburnt"emtospiteme，Ical"late。
Herandmedidn"tgetalonganytoowell。ShesaidItalkedtoomuchtootherfolksaboutwhatwasnoneoftheirbusiness。Now，anybodythatknowsmeknowsTHATain"toneofmyfailin"s。Itoldherso；saysI——“
Andsoonfortenminutes。ThenPhoebeventuredtorepeatthewords“outWest，“andhercompanionwentoffonanewtack。ShehadjustbeenWestherself。Shehadbeenonavisittoherhusband"sniece，wholivedinArizona。InBlazeton，Arizona。
“It"sthenicesttowneveryousee，“shecontinued。“Andthesmartest，mostup-to-dateplace。TalkabouttheWestbein"
oncivilized！Myland！yououghttoseethattown！Electriclights，andtelephones，and——and——Idon"tknowwhatall！Why，MissWhat"s-your-name——MissDorcas，marm，youjustoughttoseethephotygraphsI"vegotthatwastookoutthere。Myniece，shetook"emwithoneofthemlittlemitesofcameras。Youwouldn"tbelievesuchalittleboxofathingcouldtakesuchphotygraphs。I"mgoin"toget"emandshow"emtoyou。No，sir！youain"tgottogo，neither。Setrightstillandletmefetchthemphotygraphs。
"Twon"tbeamiteoftrouble。I"dlovetodoit。“
Protestswereunavailing。Thephotographs，atleastfiftyofthem，wereproduced，andthesufferingcallerwasshowntheBlazetonCityHall，andtheBlazeton“PalaceHotel，“andthehomeoftheBeasleyniece，takenfromthefront，therear，andbothsides。WitheachspecimenDebbydeliveredadescriptivelecture。
“Youseethathouse？”sheasked。“Well，"tain"tmuchofaonetolookat，butit"sgotthemostinterestin"storytaggedontoit。
ImadeEva，that"smyniece，takeapictureofitjustonthataccount。Thewomanthatlivesthere"shadthehardesttime。Herfustname"sDesire，andthatkindofmademetakeaninterestinherrightoff，"causeIhadanAuntDesireonce，andit"sanameyoudon"thearveryoften。AfterwardsIgottoknowherrealwell。
Shewasawidderwoman，likeme，onlyshedidn"thaveasmuchsenseasI"vegot，andwentandmarriedasecondtime。"Twas"longin1886shedoneit。ThismanHiggins，hewenttoworkforheronherplace，andprettysoonhemarriedher。Theylivedtogether，principallyonherfusthusband"sinsurancemoney，Ical"late，untilayearorsoago。Thentheinsurancemoneygiveout，andMr。
Higginshesays："Oldwoman，"hesays——I"Dneverletahusbandofminecallme"oldwoman，"butDesiredidn"tseemtomind——"Oldwoman，"hesays，"I"mgoin"overtoPhoenix"——that"sanothercityinArizona——"tolookforajob。"Andhewent，andsheain"theardhide——Imeanseenhidenorheardhair——WhatDOESailme？Sheain"tseennorheardofhimsince。Andsheadvertisedintheweeklypaper，andIdon"tknowwhatall。Shethinkshewasmurdered，youknow；that"swhatmakesitsosortofcreepyandinterestin"。
Everybodywasawfulkindtoher，andwegottoberealgoodfriends。Why，I——“
Thiswasbutthebeginning。ItwasevidentthatMrs。BeasleyhadthoroughlyenjoyedherselfinBlazeton，andthatthesorrowsofthebereavedDesireHigginshadbeenoneoftheprincipalsourcesofthatenjoyment。Theschoolmistressendeavoredtoturnthesubject，butitwasuseless。
“Ifetchedhomeawholepileofthemnewspapers，“continuedDebby。
“Theywasawfulinterestin"；fullofpicturesofBlazetonbuildin"sandleadin"folksandall。AndinsomeofthebacknumberswastheadvertisementaboutMr。Higgins。IdowishIcouldshow"emtoyou，butIlent"emtoMrs。AtwooduptotheCenter。If"twan"tsuchawaysI"dgoandfetch"em。Mrs。Atwood"sbeenawfulnicetome。ShetookcareofmytrunksandthingswhenIwentWest——yes，andaforethatwhenIwenttoBayporttokeephouseforthatmiser"bleCap"nWhittaker。Iain"ttoldyouaboutthat，butIwillbyandby。Themtrunkshadlotsofthingsin"emthatIdidn"twanttolosenorhaveanybodysee。Mydiaries——I"vekeptadiarysince1850——and——“
“Diaries？”interruptedPhoebe，graspingatstraws。“DidyoukeepadiarywhileyouwereattheThayers？”
“Yes。Now，whydidn"tIthinkofthatafore？More"nlikelythere"dbesomethin"inthattohelpyouwiththatgeographicaltree。Iusedtoputdowneverythingthathappened，and——Whereyougoin"？”
MissDaweshadrisenandwaspeeringoutofthewindow。
“Iwaslookingtoseeifmydriverwasanywhereabout，“shereplied。“IthoughtperhapshewoulddriveovertoMrs。Atwood"sandgetthediaryforyou。ButIdon"tseehim。“
Justthen，fromaroundthecornerofthehouse，peepedanagitatedface；anagitatedforefingerbeckoned。Debbysteppedtothewindowbesidehervisitor，andthefaceandfingerwentoutofsightasifpulledbyastring。
MissPhoebesmiled。
“IthinkI"llgooutandlookforhim，“shesaid。“Hemustbenearhere。I"llberightback，Mrs。Beasley。“
Withoutstoppingtoputonherjacket，shehurriedthroughthediningroom，outofthedoor，andaroundthecorner。ThereshefoundMr。Bangsinahighlynervousstate。
“Whydidn"tyoutellme"twasDebbyBeasleyyouwascomin"tosee？”
hedemanded。“Ifyou"dmentionedthatdeefimage"snameyou"dnevergotMEtodriveyou，Itellyouthat！”
“Yes，“answeredtheteachersweetly。“Iimaginedthat。That"swhyIdidn"ttellyou，Mr。Bangs。NowIwantyoutodomeafavor。
WillyoudriveovertoTrumetCenter，anddeliveranoteandgetapackageforme？Thenyoucancomebackhere，andIshallbereadytostartforhome。“
“Drive！Drivenothin"！Theblacksmith"sout，andwon"tbebackforanotherhour。Hisboy"sthere，buthe"sabigenoughlunkheadtotrybailin"outadorywithafork，andthatbuggyaxleisbentsoit"ssimplygottobefixed。I"dnomoregohometoKeturywiththatbuggyas"tisthanI"d——Oh！mylandoflove！”
Theejaculationwasalmostagroan。Thereatthecorner，eartrumpetadjusted，andspectaclesglistening，stoodDebbyBeasley。
Baileyappearedtowiltunderhergazeasifthespectaclesweretwinsuns。MissDaweslookedasifsheverymuchwantedtolaugh。
Thewidowstaredinsilence。
“How——howd"yedo，Mrs。Beasley？”falteredMr。Bangs，notforgettingtoraisehisvoice。“Ihopeyou"relookin"aswellasyoufeel。Imean，Ihopeyou"resmart。“
Mrs。Beasleynoddeddecisively。
“Yes，“sheanswered。“I"mprettytoler"ble，thankyou。Whatwasthematter，Mr。Bangs？Whydidn"tyoucomein？Doyouusuallymakeyourcallsroundthecorner？”
Thegentlemanaddressedseemedunabletoreply。Theschoolmistresscametotherescue。
“Youmustn"tblameMr。Bangs，Mrs。Beasley，“sheexplained。“Hewasn"tresponsibleforwhathappenedatCaptainWhittaker"s。Heisthegentlemanwhodrovemeoverhere。IwasgoingtosendhimtoMrs。Atwood"sforthediary。“
“WhosaidIwasblamin"him？”queriedthewidow。“If"twasthatlittleTiddittthingImightfeeldifferent。But，considerin"thatIgotthishornfromMr。Bangs，I"mwillin"toletbygonesbepast。
Ithelpsmyhearin"alot。Themear-fixin"swasgoodwhiletheylasted，buttheygotoutofkilterquick。_I_shan"tbotherMr。
Bangs。Ifhecansquarehisownconscience，I"msatisfied。“
Bailey"sconsciencewasnottroublinghimgreatly，andheseemedrelieved。Phoebetoldofthedamagedbuggy。
“Humph！”gruntedthewidow。“Thehorsedidn"tgetbent，too，didhe？”
Mr。Bangsindignantlydeclaredthatthehorsewasallright。
“Um——hum。Well，then，IguessIcansupplyacarriage。MyfustcousinEzrathatdiedusedtobedoctorhere，andhegivemehissulkywhenhegotanewone。It"soutinthebarn。Gofetchyourhorse，andharnesshimin。I"llbereadytimetheharnessin"sdone。“
“You？”gaspedtheteacher。“Youdon"tneedtogo，Mrs。Beasley。I
wouldn"tthinkofgivingyouthattrouble。“
“Notroubleatall。Iwouldn"ttrustnobodyelsewiththemtrunks。
Andbesides，Ialwaysdoenjoyridin"。Youcouldgo，too，MissDorcas，butthesulkyseat"stoonarrerforthree。Youcansetinthesettin"roomtillwegetback。"Twon"ttakeuslong。Don"tsayanotherword；I"mA-GOIN"。“
CHAPTERXVI
AREMARKABLEDRIVEANDWHATFOLLOWED
ThenumberofreasonsgivenbyMr。Bangsoneaftertheother，toprovethatitwouldbequiteimpossibleforhimtobeMrs。
Beasley"scharioteerwasacredittotheresourcesofhisinvention。Theblacksmithmightbebackanyminute；itwasdinnertime，andhewashungry；Henry，thehorse，wastired；itwasn"tanicedayforriding，andhewouldcomeoversomeothertimeandtakethewidowout；he——ButDebbyhadaconclusiveanswerforeachprotest。
“Yousaidyourselftheblacksmithwouldn"tbebackforanhour，“
sheobserved。“Andyoucanleavewordwiththeboywhathe"stodowhenhedoescome。Asfordinner，I"llberealgladtogiveyouandMissDorcasasnacksoon"swegetback。Idon"tmindifitain"tapleasantday；alittlefreshair"lldomegood。Ibeenshutupherehouse-cleanin"eversinceIgotbackfromoutWest。
Now，hurryrightalong，andfetchyourhorse。I"llunlockthebarn。“
“But，Mrs。Beasley，“putintheschoolmistress，“whycouldn"tyougiveusanotetoMrs。Atwoodandletusstopforthediaryonourwayhome？Icouldreturnittoyoubymail。Oryoumightgetityourselfsomeotherdayandmailittome。“
“No，no！Neverputofftillto-morrerwhatyoucandoto-day。Myhusbandwasagreathandtoputoffandputoff。ForthelasteightyearsofhislifeIwasathimtobuyanewgo-to-meetin"
suitofclothes。Theonehehadwasbluetostartwith，butitfadedtoabrown，and，towardthelastofit，Ideclareifitdidn"tcommencetoturngreen。Nothin"Icouldsaywouldmakehimheaveitawayeventhen。Seemedtothinkmoreofitthanever。
Saidhewantedtohangtoitaspellandseewhat"twouldturnnext。Buthediedandwaslaidoutinthatsamesuit，andIwassomortifiedatthefuneralIcouldn"tthinkofnothin"else。No，I"llgoafterthempapersandthediarywhilethey"refreshinmymind。Andbesides，doyous"poseI"dletSarahAnnAtwoodrummagethroughmytrunks？Iguessnot！”
Phoebebegantobesorryshehadthoughtofsendingforthediary，particularlyasthechanceofitscontainingvaluableinformationwassoremote。Mrs。Beasleywentintothehousetodressfortheride。Theschoolmistresswentwithherasfarasthesittingroom。
TheperturbedBaileystalkedoff，muttering，totheblacksmith"s。
Inalittlewhilehereturned，leadingHenrybythebridle。Debby，adornedwiththebefloweredbonnetshehadwornwhenshearrivedattheCyWhittakerplace，andwithablackclothcapeoverherleanshoulders，waswaitingforhimbytheopendoorofthebarn。Thecapehadafurcollar——“catfur，“soMr。Bangssaidafterwardsindescribingit。
“Pullthesulkyrightout，“commandedthewidow。
Baileystaredintotheblackinteriorofthebarn。
“Whichisit？”heshouted。
Mrs。Beasleypointedwithhereartrumpet。
“Why，thatonethere，ofcourse。"Tother"satruckcart。Youwouldn"texpectmetorideinthat，wouldyou？”
Mr。Bangsenteredthebarn，seizedthevehicleindicatedbytheshafts，anddrewitoutintotheyard。Heinspecteditdeliberately，andthensatweaklydownonthechoppingblocknearby。Apparentlyhewasovercomebyemotion。
The“sulky“bequeathedbythelatedoctorhadbeenbuilttoorderforitsformerowner。Itwasofthe“carryall“variety，exceptthatithadbutasinglenarrowseat。Itstopwassquareandwascurtained，thecurtainsbeingtightlybuttoneddown。Altogetheritwassomethingofacuriosity。MissDawes，whohadcomeouttoseethestart，lookedatthe“sulky，“thenatMr。Bangs"sface，andturnedherback。Hershouldersshook：
“ItusedtobearealnicecarriagewhenEzrahadit，“commentedthewidowadmiringly。“Itneedsilin"andsprucin"upnow，butI
guess"twilldo。Come！”toBailey，whohadnotrisenfromthechoppingblock。“Hurryupandharnessorwe"llnevergetstarted。
Thoughtyouwantedtogetbackfordinner？”
Mr。Bangsstoodupandheavedasigh。
“Idid，“heansweredslowly，“but，“withaglanceatthesulky，“somethin"seemstohavetookawaymyappetite。Teacher，doyoumeanto——“
ButMissDaweshadwithdrawntothecornerofthehouse，fromwhichviewpointsheseemedtobeinspectingthesurroundinglandscape。
BaileyseizedHenrybythebridleandbackedhimintotheshafts。
“Backup！”heroared。“Backup，Itellyou！Youneedn"tlookatmethatway，“headded，inalowertone。“_I_can"thelpit。Youain"tanyworseashamedthanIam。There！theark"sofftheways。
Allaboard！”
Turningtotheexpectantwidow，he“boosted“her，nottootenderly，uptothenarrowseat。Thenheclimbedinhimself。Twoonthatseatmadeatightfit。Baileytookupthereins。Debbyleanedforwardandpeeredaroundtheedgeofthecurtains。
“You！”sheshouted。“You，MissWhat"s-your-name——Dorcas！Comehereaminute。Iwanttotellyousomethin"。“
Theschoolmistress，herfaceredandhereyesmoist，approached。
“Ijustwantedtosay，“explainedDebby，“thatIain"trealsureasthatdiary"sthere。Iburntupalotofmyoldlettersandthingsaspellago，andseemstomeIburntsomeolddiaries，too，butmaybethatwan"toneof"em。Anyhow，IcangetthemArizonapapers，andIdowantyoutosee"em。They"rethemostINTERESTIN"
things。Now，“sheadded，turningtohercompanionontheseat，“youcangitdapjustassoonasyouwantto。“
WhetherornotMr。Bangswantedto“gitdap“isadoubtfulquestion。Butatalleventshedid。BeforetheastonishedMissDawescouldthinkofananswertotheobservationconcerningthediary，thecarriage，itslongunusedaxlesshriekingprotests，movedoutoftheyard。Theschoolmistresswatcheditgo。Thenshereturnedtothesittingroomandcollapsedinarockingchair。
Onceoutfromtheshelterofthehouseandontheopenroad，thesulkyreceivedthefullforceofthewind。ThefirstgustthathowledinfromthebaystruckitscurtainedsidewithasuddenburstofpowerthatcausedMrs。Beasleytoclutchherdriver"sarm。
“Goodlandofmercy！”shescreamed。“Itblowsrealhard，don"tit？”
Mr。Bangs"sanswerwasintheformofdelicatesarcasm，bellowedintotheeartrumpet。
“Sho！”heexclaimed。“Iwanttoknow！Youdon"tsay！Nowyoumentionit，seemsasifIhadnoticedalittleairstirrin"。“
Anothergusttiltedthecarriagetop。Debbyclutchedthearmstilltighter。
“Why，itblowsawfulhard！”shecried。“I"dnoideeitblewlikethis。“
“Wantto"boutshipandgohomeagain？”whoopedBailey，hopefully。
Butthewidowdidn"tintendtogiveuptherareluxuryofa“ride“
whichakindProvidencehadcastinherway。
“No，no！”sheanswered。“IguessifyoufolkscomeallthewayfromBayportIcanstanditasfur"stheCenter。Buthurryallyoucan，won"tyou？I"mkindof"fraidofthesprings。“
“Springs？Whatsprings？Letgomyarm，willyou？It"sgoin"tosleep。“
Mrs。Beasleyletgoofthearmmomentarily。
“Imeanthespringsonthiscarriage，“sheexplained。“LasttimeIlentittoanybody——SolonDavis，"twas——hesaidtheboltsunderneathwasprettynighrustedout，andaboutallthatheldthewagonpartonwasitsownweight。Sowe"llhavetobekindofcareful。“
“Well——I——swan——to——MAN！”wasMr。Bangs"ssolecommentontheamazingdisclosure；however，asanexpressionofconcentratedandprofounddisgustitwasquitesufficient。Hespokebutonceduringtheremainderofthetriptothe“Center。“Then，whenhispassengerbeggedtoknowif“thatWhittakerman“hadbeenwellsincesheleft，heshouted：“Yes——EVERsince，“andrelapsedintohisformergloomysilence。
Thewidow"sstopattheAtwoodhouse，whichwasintheimmediaterearoftheAtwoodstore，wasofahalfhour"sduration。Baileyrefusedtoleavetheseatofthesulkyandsatthere，speakingtonoone；notevenreplyingtothequestionsofagroupofloungerswhogatheredtoinspecttheancientvehicle，andprofessedtobeindoubtastowhetherithadbeenwashedinwiththetideorbeen“left“tohiminawill。
AtlastDebbymadeherappearance，herarmsfilledwithnewspapers。
Thelattershepiledunderthecarriageseat，andthenclimbedtoherformerplacebesidethedriver。Henry，inresponsetoaslapfromthereins，gotunderwayoncemore。Theaxlessqueakedandscreamed。
“Gee！”criedoneyoungster，fromthestepsofthestore。“It"sthesteamcalliope。When"stherestoftheshowcomin"？”
“Hi！”yelledanother。“Seehowclosethey"rehuggeduptogether。
Ain"ttheylovin"！It"saweddin"！”
“Shutup！”roaredthetorturedBailey，whosehathadblownbackintothebodyofthesulky，leavinghisbaldheadexposedtothecuttingwind。
Theaudiencebeggedhimtogivethemalockofhishair，andaddedotherremarksofapersonalnatureconcerningtheyouthandbeautyofthebridalcoupleandtheirchariot。Mr。Bangswasinastateofdumbfrenzy。Debby，who，withouthertrumpet，hadheardnothingofallthis，wassmilingandgarrulous。
“Ifoundallthepapers，“shesaid。“They"rerightundertheseat。
I"mgoin"tolook"emoverso"stohavetheinterestin"partsallreadytoshowMissDorcaswhenwegethome。Ain"titniceIfound"em？”
Inspiteofherdriver"sremonstrances，unheardbecauseofthenonadjustmentofthetrumpet，shereachedundertheseatandbroughtoutthepileofBlazetonweeklies。Withherfeetuponthepiletokeepitfromblowingaway，sheproceededtounfoldoneofthepapers。Itcrackledandsnappedinthewindlikealoosemainsail。
“Keepthatdrattedthingoutofmyface，won"tyou？”shriekedtheagonizedBailey。“How"mIgoin"toseetosteerwiththatsmackin"
mebetweentheeyeseveryothersecond？”
“Hey？Didyouspeaktome？”askedthewidowsweetly。
“DidISPEAK？No，Iscreeched！Whatintunket——“
“Iwantyoutoseethispictureofthemayor"shouseinBlazeton。
Eva，myhusband"sniece，livesrightacrosttheroadfromhim。
Many"sthetimeI"vesetontheirpiazzaandseenhimcomeoutandgototheCityHall。“
“Keepitoutofmyface，Itellyou！Reefit！Furlit，you——youwoman！Iwishtothunderthepiazzahadcavedinonyou！Ineverseesuchanoldfoolinmyborndays。TAKEITAWAY！”
Mrs。Beasleyremovedthepaper，butonlytosubstituteanother。
“Here"sEva"sbrother-in-law，“shescreamed。“He"soneoftheprominentbusinessmenoutthere，sotheyputhiminthepaper。
Ain"thenicelookin"？”
Bailey"scommentsontheprominentbusinessman"sappearancewereanythingbutflattering。Debbycontinuedtoreachformorepapers，carefullyreplacingthoseshehadinspectedinthepilebeneathherfeet。Thewindblewashardasever；evenharder，foritwasnowalmostdeadahead。Henryploddedalong。Theywereinthehollowatthefootofthelastlonghill，thatfromwhichtheblacksmithshophadfirstbeensighted。
“IknowwhatI"lldo，“declaredthepassenger。“I"llhuntforthatmissin"husbandadvertisementofDesireHiggins"s。Let"sseenow！
"Twillbedownatthebottomofthepile，"causethepaperit"sinisalastyearone。“
Shebobbeddownbehindthehighdashboard。Mr。Bangsstoodupinorderthathergymnasticsmightinterfere，toalesserdegree，withhisdriving。Theequipagebegantomoveuptheslopeofthehill，bouncingandtwistinginthefrozenruts。
“Here"tis！”exclaimedDebby。“Irememberit"sinthisnumber，"causethere"sapictureofthePalaceHotelonthefrontpage。
Let"ssee——"Doglost"——no，thatain"tit。"Cornerlotforsale"——
wishIhadmoneyenoughtobuyit；I"dlikenothin"betterthantoliveoutthere。"Informationwantedofmyhusband"——Here"tis！
Um——hum！”
Shestraightenedupandeagerlybeganreadingtheadvertisement。
Thehillwasverysteepjustatitstop，andthesulkyslantedbackwardatasharpangle。Aterrificburstofwindtorearoundthecornerofthebluff。Iteddiedthroughthesulkybetweenthedashboardandthecurtainedsides。Thewidow，inherexcitementatfindingtheadvertisement，hadinadvertentlyremovedherfeetfromthepileofpapers。InaninstanttheairwasfilledwithwhirlingcopiesoftheBlazetonWeeklyCourier。
Henry，thehorse，wasasoberanimalwhohadlongagoreachedtheageofdiscretion。Buttohavehisoldearsandeyessuddenlyblanketedwithaflappingwhitethingswoopingapparentlyfromnowherewastoomuchevenforhissedatenerves。Hejumpedsidewise。Thereinswerejerkedfromthedriver"shandsandfellintheroad。
“Mercyonus！”shriekedDebby，clutchinghercompanionaboutthewaist。“What——“
“Letgoofme！”howledBailey，pushingherviolentlyaside。“Whoa！
Standstill！”
ButHenryrefusedtostandstill。Theflappingpaperstillclungtohisagitatedhead。Herearedandpranced，jerkingthesulkybackandforth，itswheelsstillwedgedintheruts。Baileysprangtothegroundtopickupthereins。Heseizedthem，butfellashedidso。ThetugathisbitsturnedHenry"shead，literallyandfiguratively。Herearedandwhirledabout。Thesulkyroseontwowheels。ThescreamingMrs。Beasleycollapsedagainstitsdownwardside。Anothermoment，andthewholeupperhalfofthesulky——body，seat，curtains，andDebby——tiltedoverthelowerwheels，and，therustedboltsfailingtohold，slidwithathumptothefrozenroad。
Thewind，catchingitunderneathasitslid，tippeditbackward。
ThenHenryranaway。
MissDawes，leftaloneinthehouseatthefootofthehill，hadamusedherselfforatimewiththeBeasleylibrary，whichpartiallyfilledashelfinthesittingroom。But“TheBookofMartyrs“and“ABeliever"sThoughtsonDeath“werenotcheeringliterature，particularlyastheauthorofthelattervolume“thought“sodismallyconcerningthefutureofallwhodidnotbelievepreciselyashedid。Sotheteacherlaiddownthebook，withashudder，andwanderedabouttheroom，inspectingthelateMr。Beasley"sportrait，thephotographsinsplintworkframes，the“alumbasket“
onthemantel，thebluecastles，bluetrees，andbluepeoplepicturedonthewindowshades，andotherworksofartintheapartment。Sheevenpeepedintotheparlor，butthemusty，shut-upsmellofthatduskytombwastoomuchforher，andshesatdownbythesitting-roomwindow，undertheemptybirdcage，tolookuptheroadandwatchforthereturnofthesulkyanditsoccupants。
Sittingthere，shewasawitnessofthealarmingcatastropheonthehilltop，andreachedthefrontgatejustintimetoseeHenrygogallopingby，draggingthefourwheelsandspringsofthesulky，while，sprawledacrosstherearaxleandstillclingingtothereins，hungafamiliar，howling，andmostwickedlyprofaneindividualbythenameofBangs。
Therunawaydashedontowardtheblacksmithshop。Phoebe，bareheadedandcoatless，ranupthehill。Beforeshereachedthecrest，shewasawareofmuffledscreams，whichsoundedasifthescreamerwasshutupinatrunk。
“O-o-oh！”screamedMrs。Beasley。“O-o-oh！Ow！Letmeout！Help！
I"mstuck！Myback"sbroke！He-e-lp！”
Theupperpartofthesulky，withitsboxlikecurtainedtop，layonitssideintheroad。Fromsomewherewithintheboxcamethegroansandscreams。Thegalesweptthehilltop，and，foraquartermiletoleeward，thescenerywasanimatedbysoaring，flutteringcopiesoftheBlazetonCourier，thatswoopedandduckedlikemammothwhitebutterflies。
Thepantingandalarmedteacherstoopedandpeeredintothedarkshadowbetweenthedashboardandthebackcurtain。Allshecouldmakeoutatfirstwereapairofthinanklesand“Congress“shoesinagitatedmotion。Thesebobbedupanddownbehindtheoverturnedseatanditsdisplacedcushion。
“OMrs。Beasley！”screamedPhoebe。“Areyouhurt？”
Debby，ofcourse，didnothearthequestion。Shecontinuedtogroanandscreamforhelp。Herlungswerenotinjured，atallevents。Theschoolmistress，droppingonherknees，reachedintothesulkytopandtuggedattheseat。Itwasrathertightlywedged，butshemanagedtoloosenitandpullittowardher。
Thewidowraisedherselfonanelbowandlookedoutbetweentheflowersofhersmashedbonnet。
“Whoisit？”shedemanded。“Oh，isthatyou，MissDorcas？Oh，mysoulandbody！Oh，mystars！Oh，mygoodnessme！”
“Areyouhurt？”shriekedPhoebe。
“Hey？Idon"tknow！Idon"tknowWHATIbe！Idon"tknownothin"！”
“Canyouhelpyourself？Canyougetup？”
“Hey？Idon"tknow。MaybeIcanifyouhaulthateverlastin"seatoutoftheway。Oh，mysakesalive！”
Herrescuerpulledtheseatforward，and，withaneffort，tumbleditclearofthecurtains。Debbyraisedherselfstillhigher。
“Oh！”shegroaned。“Talkabout——Landsakes！who"scomin"？Men，ain"tit？Letmeoutofherequick！QUICK！”
Shescrambledoutofherprisononhandsandknees，andjumpedtoherfeetwithreassuringalacrity。Herfur-collaredcapewasdrapedinarollaboutherneck，andherbonnethungjauntilyoverherlefteye。
“I"masight，ain"tI？”sheasked。“Haulthisbunnetstraight，quick"severyoucan。Hurt？No，no！Iain"thurtnonebutmyfeelin"s。HurryUP！S"poseIwantthemmenfolkstoseemewitheverythingallhindsideto？”
MissDawes，relievedtofindthattheaccidenthadhadnoseriousconsequences，andtryingherhardestnottolaugh，assistedthewidowtorearrangeherwearingapparel。Theblacksmithandhishelpercamerunningupthehill。
“Hello，Debby！”hailedtheformer。“What"sthematter？Hurt，beyou？”
Mrs。Beasley，whethersheheardornot，didnotdeigntoreply。
“Getmyhornoutofthatcarriage，“sheordered。“Don"tstandtheregapin"。Getit。“
Theeartrumpetwasresurrectedfromtheinteriorofthevehicle。
Thewidowadjusteditwithdignity。
“Hadaspill，didn"tyou，Debby？”inquiredtheblacksmith。“Upset，didn"tyou？”
Debbyglaredathim。
“No，“sherepliedwithsarcasm。“CourseIdidn"tupset！JustthoughtI"drollroundintheroadforthefunofit。Smartquestion，thatis！Where"sthatBaileyBangsgonetowiththerestofmycarriage？”
Theblacksmithpointedtohisshopinthehollow。BeforeitstoodMr。Bangs，holdingHenrybythebridle，andstaringintheirdirection。
“He"sallright，“volunteeredthe“helper。““Thehorsestoppedrunnin"soon"shegottothefootofthenexthill。“
Mrs。Beasleywasnot，apparently，overjoyedatthenews。
“Humph！”shegrunted。“I"mostwishhe"dbrokehisneck！Pesky，carelessthing！gettin"usrunawaywithandupset。Who"sgoin"topayforfixin"mysulky，Iwanttoknow？”
“Mr。Bangswillpayforit，I"msure，“saidPhoebesoothingly。“Ifhedoesn"t，Iwill。Oh，Mrs。Beasley！didyoufindthediary？”
“Diary？No，no！ItoldyouIwasafraidI"dburntitup。Well，I
had，andawholelotmoreofthemoldones。ButIdidgetallthemArizonapapers，andtookthetroubletotote"emallthewayhereso"syoucouldlookat"em。Andnow“——sheshookwithindignationandwavedherhandtowardasectionofhorizonwherelittlewhitedotsindicatedthewhereaboutsoftheCouriers——“nowlookwheretheybe！BlowedfromDantoBeersheby！Comeontothehouseandletmesetdown。Ibeenstandin"onmyheadtillI"mtired。Here，Jabez，“totheblacksmith，“youtendtothatcarriage，willyou？”
Shestalkedoffdownthehill。Theschoolmistressturningtofollowher，caughtaglimpseofthe“helper“doubledupwithsilentlaughter，andtheblacksmithgrinningbroadlyashestoopedtowardthecapsizedsulky。
Phoebewasdowncastanddisappointed。Shewasconvinced，inherownmind，thattheHonorableAtkinshadsomehiddenmotiveforhisespousaloftheThomascause。Asaph"sfruitlessquestinOrhamhadnotshakenherfaith。CaptainCyhadrefusedtoseekDebbyBeasleyforinformationconcerningtheThayers，andsoshe，onherownresponsibility，haddoneso。Andthiswastheridiculousendingofherjourney。Thediaryhadbeenaforlornhope；nowthatwasburned。PoorBos"n！andpoor——someoneelse！
Debbymarchingdownthehill，continuedtosputteraboutthelostweeklies。
“It"saneverlastin"shame！”shedeclared。“I"djustfoundtheonewiththatadvertisementinitandwasreadin"it。IrememberthepartIread，plainascouldbe。Whilewe"reeatin"dinnerI"lltellyouaboutit。“
ButMissDawesdidnotcarefordinner。LikeMr。Tiddittandthecaptain，shehadhadaboutalltheDebbyBeasleyshewanted。
“Yes，yes，youwillstop，too，“affirmedthewidow。“IwanttotellyoumoreaboutBlazeton。Icanseethatadvertisementthisminute，rightaforemyeyes——"Informationwantedofmyhusband，EdwardHiggins。Fivefooteightinchestall，sandycomplected，brownhair，andyellowishmustache；notlame，buthasapeculiarslightlimpwithhisleftfoot——"“
“What？”askedtheschoolmistress，stoppingshort。
“Hey？"Hasapeculiarlimpwithhisleftfoot。"IrememberhowDesireusedtotalkaboutthatlimp。Shesaid"twasalmostasifhestutteredwithhisleg。HehurtitwhenhewasupinMontana，and——“
“Oh！”criedMissDawes。Thecolorhadleftherface。
“Yes。Youseeheusedtobeaminerorsomethin"upthere。He"dneversaymuchabouthisyoungerdays，butonetimehedidtellthat。I"djustgotasfarasthatlimpwhenthesulkyupset。Talkaboutbein"surprised！Ineverwassosurprisedinmylifeaswhenthathorsecritterraredupand——“
Phoebeinterrupted。Hercolorhadcomeback，andhereyeswereshining。
“Mrs。Beasley，“shecried，“IthinkIshallchangemymind。I
believeIwillstaytodinnerafterall。I"mEVERsomuchinterestedinArizona。“
Baileyandtheteacherbegantheirlongdrivehomeaboutfouro"clock。Thebuggyaxlehadbeenfixed，andthewindwaslessviolent。Mr。Bangswasglumandmoody。Heseemedtobethinking。
“Say，teacher，“hesaidatlength，“I"dliketoaskafavorofyou。
Ifitain"tnecessary，Iwishyouwouldn"tsaynothin"aboutthatupsettin"businesstothefolkstohome。Itdoessoundsodumfoolish！I"llneverhearthelastofit。“
MissDawes，whohadbeeninhighspirits，nowtookamomentforreflection。
“Allright！”shesaid，noddingvigorously。“Wewon"tmentionit，then。Wewon"ttellasoul。YoucansaythatIcalledattheAtwoods"，ifyouwantto；thatwillbetrue，becauseIdid。Andwe"llhaveMrs。Beasleyforoursecret——yoursandmine——untilwedecidetotell。It"sabargain，Mr。Bangs。Wemustshakehandsonit。“
Theyshookhands，andBailey，lookinginherface，thoughtheneversawherlooksowellorasyoung。Shewaspretty，hedecided。
Thenhethoughtofhisownchoiceofawife，and——well，ifhehadanyregrets，hehasn"tmentionedthem，noteventohisfellow-
memberoftheBoardofStrategy。
CHAPTERXVII
THECAPTAINREMEMBERSHISAGE
Decemberwasnearlyover。Christmashadcome。Bos"nhadhungupherstockingbythebase-burnerstove，andfounditwartyanddropsicalthenextmorning，withagenerousoverflowofgiftspiledonthefloorbeneathit。TheBoardofStrategysentpresents；sodidMissDawesandGeorgianna。AsforCaptainCyhespentmanyeveninghours，aftertherestofhishouseholdwasinbed，poringovercataloguesoftoysandbooks，andtheordershesenttothebigshopsinBostonwerelengthyandcostly。Thelittlegirl"seyesopenedwidewhenshesawthestockingandthetreasuresheapedonthefloor。Shesatinher“nighty“amidstthewonders，books，andplaythingsinacircleabouther，andthebiggestdollofallhuggedcloseinherarms。CaptainCy，whohadarisenathalfpastfiveinordertobewithheronthegreatoccasion，wasatleastashappyasshe。
“Like"em，doyou？”heasked，smiling。
“like"em！OUncleCy！Whatmakeseverybodysogoodtome？”
“Idon"tknow。Strangething，ain"tit——considerin"whatahardlittleticketyouare。“
Bos"nlaughed。Sheunderstoodher“UncleCy，“anddidn"tmindbeingcalleda“hardticket“byhim。
“I——I——didn"tbelieveanybodyCOULDhavesuchaniceChristmas。I
neversawsomanynicethings。“
“Humph！Whatdoyoulikebest？”
Theanswerwasaquestion，andwascharacteristic。
“Whichdidyougiveme？”askedBos"n。
Thecaptainwouldhavedodged，butshewouldn"tlethim。Soonebyonethepresentshehadgivenwereindicatedandputbythemselves。
Theremainderwerebutfew，butsheinsistedthatthegiversoftheseshouldbenamed。Whenthesortingwasovershesatsilentlyhuggingherdolland，apparently，thinking。
“Well？”inquiredtheamusedcaptain。“Madeupyourmindyet？
Whichdoyoulikebest？”
Thechildnodded。
“Why，these，ofcourse，“shedeclaredwithemphasis，pointingwithherdollie"sslipperedfootatCaptainCy"spile。
“So？Do，hey？Didn"tknowIcouldpicksowell。Allright；thefirstprizeismine。Whotakesthesecond？”
ThistimeBos"ndeliberatedbeforeanswering。Atlast，however，shebentforwardandtouchedtheteacher"sgifts。
“These，“shesaid。“Ilikethesenextbest。“
CaptainCywassurprised。
“Sho！”heexclaimed。“Youdon"tsay！”
“Yes。IthinkIliketeachernexttoyou。IlikeGeorgiannaandMr。TiddittandMr。Bangs，ofcourse，butIlikeheralittlebetter。Don"tyou，uncleCyrus？”
Thecaptainchangedthesubject。Heaskedherwhatsheshouldnameherdoll。
TheBoardofStrategycameinduringtheforenoon，andthepresentshadtobeshowntothem。WhiletheexhibitionwasinprogressMissDawescalled。AndbeforesheleftGabeLumleydroveupinthedepotwagonbearingabigexpresspackageaddressedto“MissEmilyThomas，Bayport。“
“Humph！”exclaimedCaptainCy。“Somethin"moreforBos"n，hey！
Whointheworldsentit，doyous"pose？”
AsaphandBaileymadevariousinanesuggestionsastothesender。
Phoebesaidnothing。Therewasafrownonherfaceasshewatchedthecaptaingettoworkontheboxwithchiselandhammer。Itcontainedabeautifuldoll，fullyandexpensivelydressed，andpinnedtothedresswasacard——“TodearlittleEmmie，fromherlonesomePapa。“
TheBoardofStrategylookedatthedollinwonderandastonishment。
CaptainCystrodeawaytothewindow。
“Well！”exclaimedMr。Bangs。“Ididn"tbelievehehadthatmuchheartinsideofhim。Ibetyouthatcostfourorfivedollars；
ain"tthatso，Cy？”
Thecaptaindidnotanswer。
“Don"tyouthinkso，teacher？”repeatedBailey，turningtoPhoebe。
“Whatailsyou？Youdon"tseemsurprised。“
“I"mnot，“repliedthelady。“Iexpectedsomethingofthatsort。“
CaptainCywheeledfromthewindow。
“YouDID？”heasked。
“Yes。MissPhinneysaidtheotherdayshehadheardthatthatmanwasgoingtogivehisdaughterabeautifulpresent。Shewasveryenthusiasticabouthisgenerosityandself-sacrifice。IaskedwhotoldherandshesaidMr。Simpson。“
“Oh！Tad？Isthatso！”Thecaptainlookedather。
“Yes。AndIthinkthereisnodoubtthatSimpsonhadorderstomakethe"generosity"knowntoasmanytownspeopleaspossible。“
“Hum！Isee。YoufigurethatThomascal"lates"twillhelphispopularityandmakehiscasestronger；isthatit？”
“Notexactly。Idoubtifheeverthoughtofsuchathinghimself。
Butsomeonethoughtforhim——andsomeonemusthavesuppliedthemoney。“
“Well，theysayhe"stoworkupinBoston。“
“Iknow。Butnoonecantellwhereheworks。CaptainWhittaker，thisisMr。Atkins"sdoing——youknowit。Now，WHYdoeshe，abusyman，takesuchaninterestingettingthischildawayfromyou？”
CaptainCyshookhisheadandsmiled。
“Teacher，“hesaid，“you"redeadsetontaggin"Hemanwithamystery，ain"tyou？”
“MissDawes，“askedtheforgetfulBailey，“whenyouandmewentdrivin"t"otherdaydidyoufindoutanythingfrom——“
Phoebeinterruptedquickly。
“Mr。Bangs，“shesaid，“atwhattimedowedistributeChristmaspresentsatyourboardinghouse？IsupposeyoumusthavemanyChristmassecretstokeep。YoukeepasecretSOwell。“
Mr。Bangsturnedred。Thehintconcerningsecretkeepingwasnotwasted。Hedidnotmentionthedriveagain。
AlittlelaterCaptainCyfoundBos"nbusilyplayingwiththedollhehadgivenher。Theother，herfather"sgift，wasnowhereinsight。
“Iputherbackinthebox，“saidthechildinreplytohisquestion。“Shewasawfulpretty，butIthinkI"mgoin"tolovethisonebest。“
Theremarkseemsafoolishthingtogivecomforttoagrownman，butCaptainCyfoundcomfortinit，andcomfortwaswhatheneeded。
Heneededitmoreastimewenton。InJanuarythecourtgaveitsdecision。Thecaptain"sappointmentasguardianwasrevoked。Withthefatheralive，andprofessedlyanxioustoprovideforthechild"ssupport，nothingelsewastobeexpected，soMr。Peabodysaid。Thelatterenteredanappealwhichwoulddelaymattersforatime，twoorthreemonthsperhaps；meanwhileCaptainCywastoretaincustodyofBos"n。
Butthecourt"saction，expectedthoughitwas，madethecaptainveryblueanddowncast。Hecouldseenohope。Hefeltcertainthatheshouldlosethelittlegirlintheend，inspiteofthelongsuccessionofappealswhichhislawyercontemplated。Andwhatwouldbecomeofherthen？Whatsortoftrainingwouldshebelikelytohave？Whowouldherassociatesbe，undertheauthorityofafathersuchashers？Andwhatwouldhedo，aloneintheoldhouse，whenshehadgoneforgood？Hecouldnotbeartothinkofit，andyethethoughtoflittleelse。
Theevenings，afterBos"nhadgonetobed，weretheworst。Duringthedayhetriedhisbesttobebusyatsomethingorother。Thedollhousewasfinished，andhehadbeguntofashionafull-riggedshipinminiature。InrealityEmily，beinganormallittlegirl，wasnotgreatlyinterestedinships，but，becauseUncleCywasmakingit，shepretendedtobevastlyconcernedaboutthisone。OnSaturdaysandafterschoolhoursshesatonaboxinthewoodshed，wherethecaptainhadputupasmallstove，andwatchedhimwork。
ThetaboowhichsomanyofourrighteousandAtkins-worshipingtownspeoplehadputupontheWhittakerplaceanditsoccupantsincludedher，andanumberofchildrenhadbeenforbiddentoplaywithher。This，however，didnotpreventtheirtormentingheraboutherfatherandherdisreputableguardian。
Butthecaptain"seveningsweremiserable。HenolongerwenttoSimmons"s。Hedidn"tcareforthecrowdthere，andknewtheywereall“down“onhim。JosiahDimickcalledoccasionally，andtheBoardofStrategyoften，buttheirconversationwasrathertiresome。ThereweretimeswhenCaptainCyhatedBayport，thehousehehad“fixedup“withsuchinterestandpride，andtheoldsittingroominparticular。Thementalpictureofcomfortandcontentmentwhichhadbeenhisdreamthroughsomanyyearsofstruggleandwandering，lookedfartheroffthanever。Sometimeshewastemptedtorunaway，takingBos"nwithhim。Butthecaptainhadneverrunawayfromafightyet；hehadneverabandonedashipwhiletherewasachanceofkeepingherafloat。And，besides，therewasanotherreason。
PhoebeDaweshadcometobehischiefreliance。Hesawagreatdealofher。Oftenwhenshewalkedhomefromschool，shefoundhimhangingoverthefrontgate，andtheytalkedofvariousthings——ofBos"n"sprogresswithherstudies，oftheschoolwork，andsimilartopics。Hecalledherbyherfirstnamenow，althoughinthistherewasnothingunusual——afterafewweeks"acquaintanceweBayportersalmostinvariablyaddresspeoplebytheir“front“names。
SometimesshecametothehousewithEmily。Thenthethreesatbythestoveinthesittingroom，andtheapartmentbecamereallycheerful，inthecaptain"seyes。
Phoebewasingoodspirits。ShewasashopefulasCaptainCywasdespondent。Sheseemedtohavelittlefearoftheoutcomeofthelegalproceedings，theappealsandtherest。Infact，shenowappeareddesirousofevadingthesubject，andtherewasaboutheranairofsuppressedexcitement。Heroptimismwasthebestsortofbracerforthecaptain"sfailingcourage。Heradvicewasalwaysgood，andatalkwithherlefthimwithshoulderssquared，mentally，andalmosthappy。
Onecold，rainyafternoon，earlyinFebruary，shecameinwithBos"n，whohadavailedherselfoftheshelteroftheteacher"sumbrella。Georgiannawasinthekitchenbaking，andEmilyhadbeenpromiseda“saucerpie“——sothechildwentouttosuperintendtheconstructionofthattreat。
“Setdown，teacher，“saidCaptainCy，pushingforwardarocker。
“My！butI"mgladtoseeyou。"Twasbluer"nawhetstone"roundhereto-day。What"sthenews——anything？”
“Why，no，“repliedPhoebe，acceptingtherockerandthrowingopenherwetjacket；“there"snonewsinparticular。ButIwantedtoaskifyouhadseentheBreeze？”
“Um——hum，“wasthelistlessanswer。“Ipresumelikelyyoumeanthenewsabouttheappropriation，andtheeditorialdigatyourstruly？
Yes，I"veseenit。Theydon"tbothermemuch。I"vegotmoreimportantthingsonmymindjustnow。“
CongressmanAtkins"spledgeinhisfarewellspeech，concerningthemightyefforthewastomaketowardsecuringtheappropriationforBayportharbor，wasinprocessoffulfillment——sohehadwrittentothelocalpaper。But，alas！themightyeffortwaslikelytoproveunavailing。InspiteoftheHonorableHeman"sbattleforhisconstituents"rightsitseemedcertainthatthebillwouldnotprovidethethirtythousanddollarsforBayport；atleast，notthisyear"sbill。Otherandmorepowerfulinterestswouldwinoutand，instead，anothersectionofthecoastbeimprovedatthepublicexpense。Thecongressmanwasdeeplysorry，almostbroken-hearted。
hehadbattledhardforhisbelovedtown，hehadworkednightandday。But，tobeperfectlyfrank，therewaslittleornohope。
FewofusblamedHemanAtkins。Themajorityconsideredhisletter“noble“and“sofeeling。“Butsomeonemustbeblamedforacommunitydisappointmentlikethis，andthescapegoatwasonthepremises。Howaboutthat“committeeofone“self-appointedattownmeeting？HowabouttheblatantpersonwhohaddeclaredHEcouldhavegottentheappropriation？Whathadthe“committee“done？
Nothing！nothingatall！HehadnotevenwrittentotheCapital——
sofarasanyonecouldfindout——muchlessgonethere。
So，atSimmons"sandthesewingcircle，andaftermeetingonSunday，CyWhittakerwasagaindiscussedandderided。Andthisweek"sBreeze，outthatmorning，containedasarcasticeditorialwhichmentionednonames，buthintedat“acertainnownotoriousperson“whohadboastedloudly，butwhohadagain“beenweighedinthebalanceofpublicopinionandfoundwanting。“
MissDawesdidnotseempleasedwiththecaptain"snonchalantattitudetowardtheBreezeanditseditorial。Shetappedthebraidedmatwithherfoot。
“CaptainCyrus，“shesaid，“ifyouintendeddoingnothingtowardsecuringthatappropriationwhydidyouaccepttheresponsibilityforitatthemeeting？”
CaptainCylookedup。Hertoneremindedhimoftheirfirstmeeting，whenshehadreprovedhimforgoingtosleepandleavingBos"ntothemercyoftheCahooncow。
“Well，“hesaid，“aforethisThomasbusinesshappened，toknockallmyplansontheirbeamends，I"ddoneconsider"blethinkin"aboutthatappropriation。ItseemedtomethattheremustbesomereasonforHeman"scomin"aboutsosudden。Hewassartinsureofthethirtythousandforaspell；then，alltoonce，hebeguntotakeinsailandgoont"othertack。Idon"tknowmuchaboutpolitics，butIknowHEknowsallthepoliticsthereis。Anditseemedtomethatifaliveman，onewitheyesinhishead，wenttoWashingtonandlookedaroundhemightfindthereason。And，ifhedidfindit，maybeHemancouldbecoaxedintochangin"hismindagain。
Anyhow，Iwaswillin"totaketheriskoftryin"；and，besides，TadandAbeLeonardhadmeonthegriddleatthatmeetin"，andIspokeupsharp——toosharp，maybe。“
“ButyoustillbelievethatyouMIGHThelpifyouwenttoWashington？”
“Yes。IguessIdo。Anyhow，I"dasksomeprettyp"intedquestions。
Yousee，Iain"tlivedhereinBayportallmylife，andIdon"tswallerALLthebaitHemanheavesoverboard。“
“Thenwhydon"tyougo？”
“Hey？Whydon"tIgo？AndleaveBos"nand——“
“Emilywouldbeallrightandperfectlysafe。Georgiannathinkstheworldofher。And，CaptainWhittaker，Idon"tliketohearthesepeopletalkofyouastheydo。Idon"tliketoreadsuchthingsinthepaper，thatyouwereonlybragginginordertobepopular，andmeanttoshirkwhenthetimecameforaction。Iknowthey"renottrue。IKNOWit！”
CaptainCywasgratified，andhisgratificationshowedinhisvoice。
“Thankyou，Phoebe，“hesaid。“Iammuchobligedtoyou。But，yousee，Idon"ttakeanyinterestinsuchthingsanymore。WhenI
realizethatprettysoonI"vegottogiveupthatlittlegirlforgoodIcan"tbeartobeawayfromheraminutehardly。Idon"tliketoleaveherherealonewithGeorgiannaand——“
“Iwillkeepaneyeonher。Youtrustme，don"tyou？”
“TrustYOU？Bythebigdipper，you"reabouttheonlyoneICAN
trustthesedays。Idon"tknowhowI"dhavepulledthroughthisifyouhadn"thelped。You"rediff"rentfromAseandBaileyandtheirkind——notmeanin"anythingagainstthem，either。Butyou"rebroad-
mindedandcool-headedand——and——Doyouknow，ifI"dhadawomanlikeyoutoadvisemealltheseyearsandkeepmefromgoin"offthecourse，Imighthavebeensomebodybynow。“
“Ithinkyou"resomebodyasitis。“
“Don"ttalkthatway。IownupIliketohearyou，butI"m"fraiditain"ttrue。YousayIamounttosomethin"。Well，what？Icomebackhomehere，withsomemoneyinmypocket，thinkin"thatwasaboutallwasnecessarytomakemeagooddealofafeller。TheoldCyWhittakerplace，Isaidtomyself，wasgoin"tobearealCyWhittakerplaceagain。AndI"dbearealWhittaker，amanwhoshouldstandforsomethin"，asmydadandgranddaddidaforeme。
Thetownshouldrespectme，andI"ddothingstohelpitalong。
Andwhat"sitallcometo？Why，everyyoungoneonthestreetistoldtobegoodforfearhe"llgrowuplikeme。Ain"tthatso？
Courseit"sso！I"m——“
“YouSHALLnotspeakso！Doyouimaginethatyou"renotrespectedbyeveryonewhoserespectcountsforanything？Yes，andbyothers，too。Don"tyousupposeMr。Atkinsrespectsyou，downinhisheart——
ifhehasone？Doesn"tyourhousekeeper，whoseesyoueveryday，respectandlikeyou？AndlittleEmily——doesn"tsheloveyoumorethanshedoesalltherestofustogether？”
“Well，IguessBos"ndoescarefortheoldmansome，that"safact。
Shesaysshelikesyounextbest，though。Didyouknowthat？”
ButMissDaweswasindignant。
“CaptainWhittaker，“shedeclared，“onewouldthinkyouwereahundredyearsoldtohearyou。Youarealwayscallingyourselfanoldman。DoesMr。Atkinscallhimselfold？Andheisolderthanyou。“
“Well，I"moverfifty，Phoebe。“Inspiteofthehabitforwhichhehadjustbeenreproached，thecaptainfoundthisadifficultstatementtomake。
“Iknow。Butyou"reyoungerthanmostofusatthirty-five。Yousee，I"mconfessing，too，“sheaddedwithalaughandalittleblush。
CaptainCymadeamentalcalculation。
“Twentyyears，“hesaidmusingly。“Twentyyearsisalongtime。
No，I"mold。Andworsethanthat，I"manoldfool，Iguess。IfI
hadn"tbeenI"dhavestayedinSouthAmericainsteadofcomin"heretobehootedoutofthetownIwasbornin。“
Theteacherstampedherfoot。
“Oh，whatSHALLIdowithyou！”sheexclaimed。“Itiswickedforyoutosaysuchthings。DoyousupposethatMr。Atkinswouldfinditnecessarytoworkasheisdoingtobeatafool？And，besides，you"renotcomplimentarytome。ShouldI，doyouthink，takesuchaninterestinonewhowasanimbecile？”
“Well，"tismightygoodofyou。Yourcomin"heresotohelpBos"n"sfightalongis——“
“HowdoyouknowitisBos"naltogether？I——“Shestoppedsuddenly，andthecolorrushedtoherface。Sherosefromtherocker。“I——really，Idon"tseehowwecametobediscussingsuchnonsense，“shesaid。“Ouragesandthatsortofthing！CaptainCyrus，IwishyouwouldgotoWashington。Ithinkyououghttogo。“
Butthecaptain"sthoughtswerefarfromWashingtonatthatmoment。
Hisownfacewasalight，andhiseyesshone。
“Phoebe，“hefalteredunbelievingly，“whatwasyougoin"tosay？
Doyoumeanthat——that——“
Thesidedoorofthehouseopened。ThenextinstantMr。Tidditt，adrippingumbrellainhishand，enteredthesittingroom。
“Hello，Whit！”hehailed。“Justruninforaminutetosayhowdy。“
Thenhenoticedtheschoolmistress，andhisexpressionchanged。
“Oh！howbeyou，MissDawes？”hesaid。“Ididn"tseeyoufustoff。
Don"trunawayonmyaccount。“
“Iwasjustgoing，“saidPhoebe，buttoningherjacket。CaptainCyaccompaniedhertothedoor。
“Good-by，“shesaid。“TherewassomethingelseImeanttosay，butIthinkitisbesttowait。Ihopetohavesomegoodnewsforyousoon。SomethingthatwillsendyoutoWashingtonwithalightheart。PerhapsIshallhearto-morrow。Ifso，Iwillcallafterschoolandtellyou。“
“Yes，do，“urgedthecaptaineagerly。“You"llfindmeherewaitin"。Goodnewsornot，docome。I——Iain"tsaidallIwantedto，myself。“
Hereturnedtothesittingroom。Thetownclerkwasstandingbythestove。Helookedtroubled。
“What"stherow，Ase？”askedCycheerily。Hewasoverflowingwithgoodnature。
“Oh，nothin"special，“repliedMr。Tidditt。“Youlookjoyfulenoughfortwoofus。Hadgoodcompany，ain"tyou？”
“Why，yes；"boutasgoodasthereis。Whatmakesyoulooksoglum？”
Asaphhesitated。
“Phoebewashereyesterday，too，wan"tshe？”heasked。
“Yup。Whatofit？”
“Andthedayaforethat？”
“No，notforthreedaysaforethat。ButwhatOFit，Iaskyou？”
“Well，now，Cy，youmustn"tgetmad。I"mafriendofyours，andfriendsoughttobeabletosay"mostanythingtoeachother。If——
ifIwasyou，Iwouldn"tletPhoebecomesooften——nothere，youknow，atyourhouse。Course，IknowshecomeswithBos"nandall，but——“
“Outwithit！”Thecaptain"stonewasominous。“Whatareyoudrivin"at？”
Thecallerfidgeted。
“Well，Whit，“hestammered，“there"sconsider"bletalkin"goin"on，that"sall。“
“Talkin"？Whatkindoftalkin"？”
“Well，youknowthekind。Thistowndoesagooddealofit，"speciallyafterchurchandprayermeetin"。Seem"siftheythought"twasasortofproperplace。_I_don"tmyself；Ikindofliketokeepmycharityandbrotherlylovespreadoutthroughtheweek，but——“
“Ase，arethefolksinthistownsayin"awordagainstPhoebeDawesbecauseshecomesheretosee——Bos"n？”
“Don"t——don"tgetmad，Whit。Don"tlookatmelikethat。_I_
ain"tsaidnothin"。Why，aspellago，attheboardin"house，I——“
HetoldofthemealattheperfectboardinghousewhereMissDaweschampionedhisfriend"scause。Alsooftheconversationwhichfollowed，andhisownpartinit。CaptainCypacedthefloor。
“Iwouldn"thavehercomesooften，Cy，“pleadedAsaph。“Honest，I
wouldn"t。Course，youandmeknowthey"remean，miser"bleliars，butit"sherI"mthinkin"of。She"sayoungwomanandsingle。Andyou"reagoodmanyyearsolder"nsheis。Andso，ofcourse，youandsheain"tevergoin"togetmarried。Andhaveyouthoughtwhateffectitmighthaveonherkeepin"herteacher"splace？Thecommittee"samajorityagainstheras"tis。And——youknow_I_
don"tthinkso，butagoodmanyfolksdo——youain"tgotthebestnamejustnow。Darnitall！Iain"tputtin"thisthewayI"doughtto，butYOUknowwhatImean，don"tyou，Cy？”
CaptainCywasleaningagainstthewindowframe，hisheaduponhisarm。Hewasnotlookingout，becausetheshadewasdrawn。Tiddittwaitedanxiouslyforhimtoanswer。Atlastheturned。
“Ase，“hesaid，“I"mmuchobligedtoyou。You"vepoundeditinprettyhard，butIcal"lateI"doughttohavehaditdonetome。
I"mafool——anOLDfool，justasIsaidawhileback——andnothin"
norNOBODYoughttohavemademeforgetit。ForaminuteorsoI——
butthere！don"tyoufret。Thatyoungwomanshan"triskherjobnorherreputationonaccountofme——norofBos"n，either。I"llseetothat。Andseehere，“headdedfiercely，“Ican"tstopwomen"stongues，evenwhenthey"reasbadassomeofthetonguesinthistown，BUTifyouhearaMANsayonewordagainstPhoebeDawes，onlyoneword，youtellmehisname。Youhear，Ase？Youtellmehisname。Nowrunalong，willyou？Iain"tsafecompanyjustnow。“
Asaph，frightenedattheeffectofhiswords，hurriedlydeparted。
CaptainCypacedtheroomforthenextfifteenminutes。Thenheopenedthekitchendoor。
“Bos"n，“hecalled，“comeinandsetinmylapawhile；don"tyouwantto？I"m——I"msortoflonesome，littlegirl。“
Thenextafternoon，whentheschoolmistress，whohadbeendelayedbytheinevitableexaminationpapers，stoppedattheCyWhittakerplace，shewasmetbyGeorgianna；Emily，whostoodbehindthehousekeeperinthedoorway，wascrying。
“Cap"nCyhasgoneaway——toWashin"ton，“declaredGeorgianna。
“Thoughwhathe"sgonetherefor"smore"nIknow。Hesaidhe"dsendhishoteladdresssoon"shegotthere。Hewentonthethreeo"clocktrain。“
Phoebewasastonished。
“Gone？”sherepeated。“Sosoon！Why，hetoldmeheshouldcertainlybeheretohearsomenewsIexpectedto-day。Didn"theleaveanymessageforme？”
Thehousekeeperturnedred。
“MissPhoebe，“shesaid，“hetoldmetotellyousomethin"，andit"ssodreadfulIdon"thardlydasttosayit。Ithinkhistroubleshavedrivenhimcrazy。Hesaidtotellyouthatyou"dbetternotcometothishouseanymore。“
CHAPTERXVIII
CONGRESSMANEVERDEAN
Intheolddays，thegreatdaysofsailingshipsandlandmerchantfleets，Bayportwasacommunityoftravelers。Everyambitiousmanwenttosea，andeventually，ifhelived，becameacaptain。Thenhetookhiswife，andinmostcaseshischildren，withhimonlongvoyages。Tothestay-at-homescameletterswithodd，foreignstampsandpostmarks。Ourwhat-notsandparlormantelswerefilledwithcarvedbitsofivory，gorgeousshells，alabastercandlesticks，andplasterminiaturesoftheLeaningToweratPisaortheColiseumatRome。Weusuallybeganaconversationwith“WhenmyhusbandandIwereatHongKongthelasttime——“or“IrememberatMauritiustheyalways——“NewOrleansor"Friscowerethenearestdomesticportsthementionofwhichwasconsideredworthwhile。
Butthisissonolonger。AtriptoBostonis，ofcourse，nonoveltytothemostofus；butwhenwevisitNewYorkwetakecaretoadvertiseitbeforehand。Andthefewwhoavailthemselvesofthespring“cutrates“andgoonexcursionstoWashington，plandefiniteprogrammesforeachdayattheCapital，anddiscussthemwithenviousfriendsforweeksinadvance。Andiftheprearrangedprogrammeisnotscrupulouslycarriedout，wefeelthatwehavebeendefrauded。ItwastheregretofAuntSophroniaHallett"slifethat，onherWashingtonexcursion，shehadnotseenthe“DiplomaticCorpse。“ShesawthePresidentandtheMonumentandCongressand“therelicsintheSmithsonianInstitute，“butthe“Corpse“wasnotonview；AuntSophronianeverquitegotoverthedisappointment。
ProbablynootherBayporter，inrecentyears，hasstartedforWashingtononsuchshortnoticeorwithsoill-definedaprogrammeasCaptainCy。Hewentbecausehefeltthathemustgosomewhere。