第9章
Itis——Why！I"mostforgot。Youjustwait。“
Thecaptainlaughinglybeggedhertodivulgethebigsecret，butsheshookhersmallheadandrefused。Thehorsestrottedonatalivelypace，andthemilesseparatingOstableandBayportweresubtractedonebyone。Itwasmagnificentwinterweather。Thesnowhaddisappearedfromtheroad，exceptinwidelyseparatedspots，butthebigdriftsstillheapedthefieldsandshoneandsparkledinthesunshine。Againsttheirwhitenessthepitchpinesandcedarsstooddarklygreenandtheskeletonscruboaksandbushescastdelicateblue-penciledshadows。Thebay，seenovertheflooded，frozensaltmeadowsanddistantdunes，wasinitswinterdressofthedeepestsapphire，trimmedwithwhitecapsandfringedwithstrandedicecakes。Therewasasnapandtanginthebreezewhichbracedonelikeatonic。Thepartyinthecarriagewasagayone。
“Gettingtired，captain？”askedPeabody。
“Who？Me？Well，Iguessnot。"Mosthome，Bos"n。There"sthesaltworksaheadthere。“
Theypassedtheabandonedsaltworks，thecrumblingruinsofadeadindustry，andtheboundarystone，nowhalfhiddeninadrift，markingthebeginningofBayporttownship。Then，fromthepinegroveatthecurvefartheron，appearedtwocappedandcoatedfigures，performingacrazyfandango。
“Who"sthemtwolunatics，“inquiredCaptainCy，“whoopin"andcarryin"oninthemiddleoftheroad？Hasanybodyupthiswayhadajugcomebyexpressor——Hey！WHAT？Why，youoldidiotsyou！
COMEhereandletmegetaholdofyou！”
TheBoardofStrategyswoopeddownuponthecarriagelikeTrumetmosquitoesonasummerboarder。Theyswarmedintothevehicle，BaileyonthefrontseatandAsaphintherear，where，somehoworother，theymaderoomforhim。Therewerehandshakingsandthumpsontheback。
“Whatyoudoin""wayuphereinthewestendofnowhere？”demandedCaptainCy。“Bythebigdipper，I"mgladtoseeyou！How"dyougethere？”
“Walked，“cackledBailey。“Froggeditalltheway。Soon"sMrs。
Peabodywiredyouwasgoin"toride，meandAsestartedtomeetyou。Wan"tyousurprised？”
“Wewantedtobethefusttosayhowdy，oldman，“explainedAsaph。
“Wantedtowelcomeyouback，youknow。“
Thecaptainwasimmenselypleased。
“Well，I"mgladI"vegotsomuchpopularity，anyhow，“hesaid。
“Guess"twillbedifferentwhenIgetdownstreet，hey？Don"tcal"lateTadandAngie"llshedthejoyoustearoverme。Nevermind；long"smyfriendsaregladIdon"tcareabouttherest。“
TheBoardlookedateachother。
“Tad？”repeatedBailey。“AndAngie？Whatyoutalkin"about？Why，they——Ugh！”
ThelastexclamationwastheresultofatremendousdigintheribsfromtheTiddittfist。Asaph，whohadleanedforwardtoadministerit，wasfrowningandshakinghishead。Mr。Bangsrelapsedintoagrinningsilence。
WestBayportseemedtobedeserted。Atoneortwohouses，however，feminineheadsappearedatthewindows。Oneoldladyshookacalicoapronatthecarriage。Achildbesidehercried：“Hurrah！”
“AuntHepsyh"istin"colorsbymistake，“laughedthecaptain。“Sheain"tgotherspecs，Iguess，andthinksI"mHeman。Thatcomesofridin"asternofaspan，Peabody。“
ButastheydrewneartheCenterflagswereflyingfromfront-yardpoles。Someofthehousesweredecorated。
“Whatintheworld——“beganCaptainCy。“Landsakes！lookattheschoolhouse。AndSimmons"s！And——andSimpson"s！”
Theschoolhouseflagwasflappinginthewind。Thescarredwoodenpillarsofitsporticowerehiddenwithbunting。Simmons"sfrontdisplayedarowoflittlebanners，eachbearingaletter——thelettersspelled“WelcomeHome。“Tad"sbarbershopwasmoreorlessartisticallywreathedincoloredtissuepaper。There，too，aflagwasdrapedoverthefrontdoor。Yetnotasinglepersonwasinsight。
“Forgoodness"sake！”criedthebewilderedcaptain。“What"sallthismean？Andwhereiseverybody。Haveallhands——“
Hestoppedinthemiddleofthesentence。TheywereatthefootofWhittaker"sHill。Itstop，betweentheAtkins"sgateandtheWhittakerfence，wasblackwithpeople。Childrenprancedabouttheoutskirtsofthecrowd。Ashoutcamedownthewind。Thehorses，notintheleastfatiguedbytheirlongcanter，trotteduptheslope。Theshoutinggrewlouder。Awaveofyoungsterscameracingtomeettheequipage。
“What——whatintime？”gaspedCaptainCy。“What"sup？I——“
Andthenthetownclerkseizedhimbythearm。Peabodyshookhisotherhand。Bos"nthrewherarmsabouthisneck。Baileystoodupandwavedhishat。
“It"syou，youoldcritter！”whoopedAsaph。“It"sYOU，d"youunderstand？”
“Theappropriationhasgonethrough，“explainedthelawyer，“andthisisthecelebrationinconsequence。Andyouarethestarattractionbecause，yousee，everyoneknowsyouareresponsibleforit。“
“That"swhat！”howledtheexcitedBangs。“Andwe"regoin"toshowyouwhatwethinkofyoufordoin"it。We"vebeenplannin"thisforoverafortni"t。“
“AndIknewitallthetime，“squealedBos"n，“andIdidn"ttellaword，didI？”
“ThreecheersforCaptainWhittaker！”bellowedapersoninthecrowd。Thisperson——wonderofwonders！——wasTadSimpson。
Thecheeringwas，consideringthesizeofthecrowd，tremendous。
Bewilderedandamazed，CaptainCywasassistedfromthecarriageandescortedtohisfrontdoor。Amidstthehandkerchief-waving，applaudingpeoplehesawKeturahBangsandAlpheusSmalleyandAngelinePhinneyandCaptainSalters——evenAlonzoSnow，hisrecentopponentintownmeeting。JosiahDimickwasthere，too，apparentlyhavingafit。
OnthedoorstepstoodGeorgiannaand——and——yes，itwastrue——besideher，grandlyextendingawelcominghand，themajesticformoftheHonorableHemanAtkins。Someoneelsewastherealso，someonewhohurriedlyslippedbackintothecrowdastheowneroftheCyWhittakerplacecameupthepathbetweenthehedges。
Mr。Atkinsshookthecaptain"shandandthen，turningtowardthepeople，helduphisownforsilence。Toalloutwardappearance，hewasstillthegreatHeman，ourdistrictidol，philanthropist，andleader。Hissilkhatglistenedasofold，hischestswelledintheoldmanner，hiswhiskerswerejustasdignifiedandawe-inspiring。
Foraninstant，ashemetthecaptain"seye，hisownfalteredandfell，andtherewasapleadingexpressioninhisface，thelinesofwhichhaddeepenedjustalittle。Butonlyforaninstant；thenhebegantospeak。
“Cyrus，“hesaid，“itismypleasantduty，onbehalfofyourneighborsandfriendshereassembled，towelcomeyoutoyour——
er——ancestralhomeafteryourtryingillness。Idoitheartily，sincerely，gladly。Anditisthemorepleasingtometoperformthisduty，because，asIhaveexplainedpubliclytomyfellow-
townspeople，alldisagreementbetweenusisended。Iwaswrong——
againIpubliclyadmitit。Aschemingblackleg，posingintheguiseofalovingfather，imposeduponme。IamsorryforthetroubleIhavecausedyou。OfyouandofthelittlegirlwithyouIaskpardon——Ientreatforgiveness。“
Hepaused。CaptainCy，theshadowofasmileatthecornerofhismouth，nodded，andsaidbriefly：
“Allright，Heman。Iforgiveyou。“Fewheardhim：themajoritywereapplaudingthecongressman。SylvanusCahoon，whisperingintheearof“UncleBedny，“expressedashisopinionthat“thatwasaboutasmagnaminiousathingaseverIheardsaid。Yes，sir！
mag-na-min-ious——that"swhat_I_callit。“
“But，“continuedthegreatAtkins，“Ihavesaidallthistoyoubefore。WhatIhavetosaynow——whatIleftmydutiesinWashingtonexpresslytocomehereandsay——isthatBayportthanksyou，_I_thankyou，foryourtremendousassistanceinobtainingtheappropriationwhichistomakeourharborabusyportwhereourgallantfishingfleetmayrideatanchorandunloaditscatch，insteadoftransferringitindoriesasheretofore。Friends，I
havealreadytoldyouhowthisman“——layingahandonthecaptain"sshoulder——“cametotheCapitalandusedhisinfluenceamonghisacquaintancesinhighplaces，withtheresultthatthethirtythousanddollars，whichIhaddespairedofgetting，wasaddedtothebill。Ihadthepleasureofvotingforthatbill。Itpassed。
Iamproudofthatvote。“
Tremendousapplause。ThensomeonecalledforthreecheersforMr。
Atkins。Theyweregiven。Buttherecipientmerelybowed。
“No，no，“hesaiddeprecatingly。“No，no！notforme，myfriends，muchasIappreciateyourgratitude。Mydaysofpublicservicearenearlyatanend。AsIhaveintimatedtosomeofyoualready，Iamseriouslyconsideringretiringfrompoliticallifeinthenearfuture。Butthatisirrelevant；itisnotmaterialatpresent。
To-daywemeet，nottosayfarewelltothesetting，buttogreettherisingsun。_I_callforthreecheersforourcommitteeofone——CaptainCyrusWhittaker。“
Whentheuproarhadatlastsubsided，thereweredemandsforaspeechfromCaptainCy。Butthecaptain，facingthem，hisarmsaboutthedelightedBos"n，positivelydeclinedtoorate。
“I——I"meversomuchobligedtoyou，folks，“hestammered。“Iamso。Butyou"llhavetoexcusemefromspeechmaking。They——theydidn"tteachitaforethemast，whereIwenttocollege。Thankyou，justthesame。Anddocomeandseeme，everybody。Meandthislittlegirl，“drawingEmilynearertohim，“willberealgladtohaveyou。“
Afterthehandshakingandcongratulatingwereover，thecrowddispersed。Itwasagreatoccasion；allagreedtothat，butthemajorityconsidereditadividedtriumph。Thecaptainhaddonealotforthetown，ofcourse，buttheHonorableAtkinshadmadeanothersplendidimpressionbyhisaddressofwelcome。Mostpeoplethoughtitasfineashismemorableeffortattownmeeting。Unlikethatone，however，inthisinstanceitissafetosaythatnone，noteventheadoringandpraise-chantingMissPhinney，derivedquitetheenjoymentfromthecongressman"sspeechthatCaptainCydid。Ittickledhissenseofhumor。
“Ase，“heobservedirrelevantlywhenthefive——Tidditt，Georgianna，Bailey，Bos"n，andhimselfwereatlastaloneagaininthesittingroom，“itDON"Tpaytotipoveramonument，doesit——notoutinpublic，Imean。Youwouldn"twanttoseemeblowupBunkerHill，wouldyou？”
“BlowupBunkerHill！”repeatedAsaphinalarmedamazement。
“Godfreyscissors！Ibelieveyou"regoin"loony。Thisday"sbeentoomuchforyou。Whatareyoutalkin"about？”
“Oh，nothin"，“withaquietchuckle。“Iwasthinkin"outloud，that"sall。DidyouevernoticethemimitationstonepillarsonHeman"shouse？They"rehollerinside，butyou"dneverguessit。
And，longasyoudoknowthey"reholler，youcankeepawatchon"em。Andthere"sonethingsure，“headded，“theyAREornamental。“
CHAPTERXXI
CAPTAINCY"S“PICTURE“
“WonderwherePhoebewentto，“remarkedMr。Tidditt，alittlelater。“IthoughtIsawherwithHemanandGeorgiannaonthefrontstepswhenwedroveup。“
“Shewasthere，“affirmedthehousekeeper。“She"dbeenhelpin"metrimuptheroomshere。Whatdoyouthinkof"em，Cap"nCyrus？
Ain"ttheypretty？”
Thesittingroomanddiningroomweregaywithevergreensandold-
fashionedflowers。Ourlivingroomwindowsinthewintertimeareusuallyfilledwithcarefullytendedpottedplants，andtheneighborshadloanedtheirgeraniumsandfuchsiasandheliotropeandbegoniastobrightentheWhittakerhouseforitsowner"sreturn。CaptainCy，whowassittingintherocker，withBos"nonhisknee，lookedabouthim。Nowthatthefirstburstofexcitementwasover，heseemedgraveandpreoccupied。
“Theylookmightypretty，Georgianna，“hesaid。“Fineenough。Butwhatwasthatyoujustsaid？Did——“
“Yup，“interruptedMissTaylor，whohadscarcelyceasedtalkingsincebreakfastthatmorning。“Yes，"twasteacherthathelpedfix"em。NotthatIwouldn"thavegotalongwithouther，butIhadmoretodothanalittle，cleanin"andscrubbin"up。SoPhoebeshecomein，and——Oh！yes，asIwassayin"，shewasoutfrontwithme，buttheminuteyourcarriagedroveupwiththatlovelyspan——
AIN"Tthatafinespan！Ical"latethey"re——“
“Whatbecomeofteacher？”brokeinBailey。
“Why，sherunoffsomewheres。Ididn"tseewhereshewentto；I
wastoobusyhollerin"atCap"nWhittakerandnoticin"thatspan。
IbetyoutheymadeAngiePhinney"seyesstickout。Iguesssherealizesthatweinthishousearesomepunkinsnow。IfIdon"tlorditoverherwhenIrunacrostherthesedays，thenImissmyguess。I——“
“Belay！”orderedCaptainCy，hisgravitymorepronouncedthanever。
“Howdoesithappenthatyou——Seehere，Georgianna，didyoutellPh——er——MissDaweswhatItoldyoutotellherwhenIwentaway？”
“Why，yes，Itoldher。Ihatedto，dreadful，butIdoneit。Shewasawfulsetbackatfust，butIguesssheaskedMr。Tidditt——
Whereyougoin"，Mr。Tidditt？”
Thetownclerk，hisfacered，wasonhiswaytothedoor。
“AskedAse？”repeatedthecaptain。“Ase，comehere！Didyoutellheranything？”
Asaphwasverymuchembarrassed。
“Well，“hestammered，“Ididn"tmeanto，Cy，butshegottoaskin"
mequestions，andsomehowornotherIdidtellheraboutourconfab，yoursandmine。ItoldherthatIknewfolkswastalkin"，andIfelt"twasmydutytotellyouso。That"swhyIdoneit，andItoldheryousaid——well，youknowwhatyousaidyourself，Cy。“
CaptainCywasevidentlymuchdisturbed。HeputBos"ndown，androsetohisfeet。
“Well，“heaskedsharply，“whatdidshesay？”
“Oh！shewaswhiteandstillforaminuteortwo。Thenshekindofstampedherfootandwentoffandleftme。Butnexttimeshemetmeshewasniceaspie。She"sbeenprettyfrostytoAngieandtherestof"em，butshe"sbeenalwaysnicetoBaileyandme。Why，whenIaskedherpardon，shesaidnotatall，shewasverygladtoknowthetruth；ithelpedhertounderstandthings。Andyoucouldseeshemeantit，too。She——“
“Soshehasbeencomin"hereeversince。Andthegossiphasbeengoin"on，Is"pose。Well，bythebigdipper，it"llstopnow！I"llseetothat。“
TheBoardofStrategyandthehousekeeperwereamazed。
“Gossip！”repeatedBailey。“Well，Iguessthereain"tnothin"saidagainsthernow——notinTHIStown，thereain"t！Why，allhandscan"tpraiseherenoughforhersmartnessinfindin"outaboutthatThomas。Ifitwan"tforher，he"dbebotherin"youyet，Cy。Youknowit。Whatareyoutalkin"about？”
CaptainCypassedhishandoverhisforehead。
“Bos"n，“hesaidslowly，“yourunandhelpGeorgiannainthekitchenaspell。She"sgotherdinnertolookoutfor，Iguesslikely。Georgianna，“tothehousekeeper，wholookedanythingbuteager，“youbetterseetoyourdinnerrightoff，andtakeEmmiewithyou。“
MissTaylorreluctantlydeparted，leadingBos"nbythehand。Thechildwasloathtoleaveheruncle，buthetoldherhewouldn"tgiveacentforhisfirstdinnerathomeifshedidn"thelpinpreparingit。Soshewentouthappy。
“Now，then，“demandedthecaptain，“what"sthisaboutPhoebeandThomas？Iwanttoknow。Stop！Don"taskanotherquestion。
Answermefirst。“
SotheBoardofStrategy，byturnsandinconcert，toldofthedrivetoTrumetandthecallonDebbyBeasley。Asaphwouldhavenarratedthestoryoftheupsetsulky，butBaileyshuthimupinshortorder。
“Nevermindthatfoolishness，“hesnapped。“Yousee，Cy，DebbyhadjustbeenouttoArizonavisitin"oldBeasley"sniece。Andshe"dfellinwithawomanouttherewhosehusbandhadrunoffandlefther。AndDebby，shereadtheadvertisementabouthimintheArizonapaper，anditsaidhehadthespringhaltinhisoffhindleg，orsomethin"similar。Now，Thomas，hehadthat，too，andtherewasotherthingsthatremindedPhoebeofhim。Soshedon"tsaynothin"tonobody，butshewritestothiswomanaskin"formorepartic"larsandaphotographofthemissin"one。Thepartic"larscome，butthephotographdidn"t；thewifedidn"thavenone，I
b"lieve。ButtherewasenoughtosendPhoebehotfoottoMr。
Peabody。AndPeabodyhewritestohislawyerfriendinButte，Montana。AndtheButtemanhe——“
“Well，thelongandshortofitis，“cutinTidditt，“thatitlookedsafeandsartinthatThomasHADmarriedtheArizonawomanwhilehisrealwife，Bos"n"sma，waslivin"，andhadrunoffandlefthersameashedidMary。Andthefunnypartofitis——“
“Thefunnypartofitis，“declaredBangs，drowninghisfriend"svoicebyraisinghisown，“thatsomebodyoutthere，somescalawagfriendofthisThomas，musthavegotwindofwhatwasup，andsentwordtohim。"Cause，whentheywenttohuntforhiminBoston，he"dgone，skipped，cutstick。Andtheyain"tseenhimsince。Hewasafraidofbein"tookupforbigamist，yousee——forbein"abigamy，Imean。Well，youknowwhatI"mtryin"tosay。Anyhow，ifithadn"tbeenformeandPhoebe——“
“YOUandPhoebe！”snortedAsaph。“Youhadawholelottodowithit，didn"tyou？YouandAuntDebby"lldotogotogether。I
understandshe"scruisin"roundmakin"proclamationsthatSHEwasresponsibleforthewholething。No，sir-ree！it"sPhoebeDawesthatthecreditbelongsto，andthistownain"tdonenothin"butpraisehersinceitcomeout。Youneverseesuchaquickcome-
aboutinyourlife——unless"twasHeman"s。Butyouknewallthisafore，Whit。Peabodymusthavetoldyou。“
CaptainCyhadlistenedtohisfriends"storywithafaceexpressiveofthemostblankastonishment。AshelearnedofthetriptoTrumetanditsresults，hiseyesandmouthopened，andherepeatedlyrubbedhisforeheadandmutteredexclamations。Now，atthementionofhislawyer"sname，heseemedtoawaken。
“Holdon！”heinterrupted，wavinghishand。“Holdon！Bythebigdipper！thisis——is——WhereISPeabody？Iwanttoseehim。“
“HereIam，captain，“saidtheattorney。Hehadbeenouttothebarntosuperintendthestablingofthespan，butforthepastfiveminuteshadbeenstanding，unnoticedbyhisclient，onthethresholdofthediningroom。
“Seehere，“demandedCaptainCy，“seehere，Peabody；isthisyarntrue？ISit，now？thisabout——aboutPhoebeandall？”
“Certainlyit"strue。Isupposedyouknewit。Youdidn"tseemsurprisedwhenItoldyouthecasewassettled。“
“Surprised？Why，no！IthoughtHemanhad——Nevermindthat。
Landoflove！SHEdidit。She！”
Hesatweaklydown。Thelawyerlookedanxious。
“Mr。Tidditt，“hewhispered，“Ithinkperhapshehadbetterbeleftaloneforthepresent。He"sjustupfromasickbed，andthishasbeenatryingforenoon。Comeinagainthisafternoon。Ishalltrytopersuadehimtotakeanap。“
TheBoardofStrategy，itscuriosityunsatisfied，departedreluctantly。WhenMr。Peabodyreturnedtothesittingroomhefoundthatnapswerefar，indeed，fromthecaptain"sthoughts。Thelatterwaspacingthesitting-roomfloor。
“Whereisshe？”hedemanded。“Shewasstandin"onthestepswithHeman。Haveyouseenhersince？”
Hisfriendwastroubled。
“Why，yes，I"veseenher，“hesaid。“Ihavebeentalkingwithher。
Shehasgoneaway。“
“GoneAWAY！Where？Whatdoyoumean？Sheain"t——ain"tleftBayport？”
“No，no。WhatintheworldshouldsheleaveBayportfor？Shehasgonetoherboardinghouse，Iguess；atallevents，shewasheadedinthatdirection。“
“Whydidn"tsheshakehandswithme？Whatmadehergooffandnotsayaword？Oh，well，IguesslikelyIknowthewhy！”Hesigheddespondently。“Itoldhernevertocomehereagain。“
“Youdid？Whatintheworld——“
“Well，forwhatIthoughtwasgoodreasons；allonheraccounttheywas。Andyetshedidcomeback，andkeptcomin"，evenafterAseblabbedthewholething。However，Is"posethatwasjusttohelpGeorgianna。Oh，hum！IAManoldfool。“
Thelawyerinspectedhimseriously。
“Well，captain，“hesaidslowly，“ifitisanycomfortforyoutoknowthatyourreasonisn"tthecorrectoneforMissDawes"sgoingaway，Icanassureyouonthatpoint。Ithinkshewentbecauseshewasgreatlydisappointed，anddidn"twishtoseeyoujustnow。“
“Disappointed？Whatdoyoumean？”
“Humph！Ididn"tmeantotellyouyet，butIjudgethatI"dbetter。NooneknowsitherebutMissDawesandI，andprobablynoonebutusthreeneedeverknowit。Yousee，thefactisthattheArizonawoman，DesireHiggins，isn"tMrs。Thomasatall。Heisn"thermissinghusband。“
“What？”
“Yes，it"sso。Really，itwastoomuchofacoincidencetobepossible，andyetitcertainlydidseemthatitwouldprovetrue。
ThisHigginswomanwas，apparently，soanxioustofindhermissingmanthatshewasreadytorecognizealmostanydescription；andtheslightlamenessandthefactofhishavingbeeninMontanahelpedalong。Ifwecouldhavegottenaphotographsooner，thequestionwouldhavebeensettled。Onlylastweek，whileIwasinBoston，I
gotwordfromthedetectiveagencythataphotohadbeenreceived。
Iwenttoseeitimmediately。Therewassomeresemblance，butnotenough。HenryThomaswasneverMr。Higgins。“
“But——but——theysayThomashasskippedout。“
“Yes，hehas。That"sthequeerpartofit。AttheplacewhereheboardedwelearnedthathegotaletterfromArizona——trusttheaveragelandladytolookatpostmarks——thatheseemedgreatlyagitatedallthatday，andleftthatnight。Noonehasseenhimsince。Whyhewentisapuzzle。Where，wedon"tcare。Solongashekeepsoutofourway，that"senough。“
CaptainCydidnotcare，either。HesurmisedthatMr。Atkinsmightprobablyexplainthedisappearance。Andyet，oddlyenough，thisexplanationwasnotthetrueone。TheHonorableHemansolemnlyassuredthecaptainthathehadnotcommunicatedwithEmily"sfather。Heintendedtodoso，asapartofthecompactagreeduponatthehotel，butthemanhadfled。Andthemysteryisstillunsolved。ThesuppositionisthattherereallywasawifesomewhereintheWest。WhoorwhereshewasnoBayporterknows。HenryThomashasnevercomebacktoexplain。
“ItoldMissDawesofthephotographandwhatitproved，“wentonPeabody。“Shewasdreadfullydisappointed。Shecouldhardlyspeakwhensheleftme。Iurgedhertocomeinandseeyou，butshewouldn"t。Evidentlyshehadsetherheartonhelpingyouandthechild。Itistoobad，because，practicallyspeaking，weoweeverythingtoher。ThereislittledoubtthattheinquirysetonfootbyherscaredtheThomasfellowintoflight。Andshehasworkednightanddaytoaidus。Sheisaverycleverwoman，CaptainWhittaker，andagoodone。Youcan"tthankherenough。
Here！whatareyouabout？”
CaptainCystrodepasthimintothediningroom。Thehatrackhungonthewallbythesidedoor。Hesnatchedhiscapfromthepeg，andwasstrugglingintohisovercoat。
“Whereareyougoing？”demandedthelawyer。“Youmustn"tattempttowalknow。Youneedrest。“
“Rest！I"llrestbyandby。JustnowI"vegotbusinesstoattendto。Letgoofthatpea-jacket。“
“But——“
“Nobutsaboutit。I"llseeyoulater。Solong。“
Hethrewopenthedoorandhurrieddownthewalk。Thelawyerwatchedhiminamazement。Thenaslowsmileoverspreadhisface。
“Captain，“hecalled。“CaptainWhittaker。“
CaptainCylookedbackoverhisshoulder。“Whatdoyouwant？”heasked。
Mr。Peabody"sfacewasnowintenselysolemn，buttherewasatwinkleinhiseye。
“Ithinkshe"sattheboardinghouse，“hesaiddemurely。“I"mprettycertainyou"llfindherthere。“
Alltheregularsattheperfectboardinghousehad，ofcourse，attendedthereceptionattheCyWhittakerplace。Noneofthem，withtheexceptionoftheschoolmistress，hadasyetreturned。
Dinnerhadbeenforgottenintheexcitementofthegreatday，andKeturahandAngelineandMrs。Tripphadstoppedinatvariousdwellingsalongthemainroad，tocomparenotesonthecaptain"sappearanceandtheAtkinsaddress。AsaphandBaileyandAlpheusSmalleywereatSimmons"s。
CaptainCyknewbetterthantoattempthishurriedtripbywayoftheroad。Hehadnodesiretobeheldupandcongratulated。Hewentacrosslots，intherearofbarnsandorchards，wadingthroughdriftsandclimbingfencesasnosaneconvalescentshould。Butthecaptainatthatmomentwassufferingfromtheformofinsanityknownasthefixedidea。Shehaddoneallthisforhim——forHIM。
Andhislastmessagetoherhadbeenaninsult。
HeapproachedtheBangspropertybythestablelane。Noonelocksdoorsinourvillage，andthoseoftheperfectboardinghousewereunfastened。Heenteredbywayofthesideporch，justashehaddonewhenGabeLumley"sdepotwagonfirstdepositedhiminthatyard。Butnowheenteredontiptoe。Thediningroomwasempty。
Hepeepedintothesittingroom。There，bythecentertable，satPhoebeDawes，herelbowonthearmofherchair，andherheadrestingonherhand。
“Ahem！Phoebe！”saidCaptainCy。
Shestarted，turned，andsawhimstandingthere。Hereyeswerewet，andtherewasahandkerchiefinherlap。
“Phoebe，“saidthecaptainanxiously，“haveyoubeencryin"？”
Sheroseontheinstant。Agreatwaveofredsweptoverherface。
Thehandkerchieffelltothefloor，andshestoopedandpickeditup。
“Crying？”sherepeatedconfusedly。“Why，no，ofcourse——ofcoursenot！I——Howdoyoudo，CaptainWhittaker？I"m——we"reallverygladtoseeyouhomeagain——andwell。“
Sheextendedherhand。CaptainCyreachedforwardtotakeit；thenhehesitated。
“Idon"tthinkI"doughttoletyoushakehandswithme，Phoebe，“
hesaid。“NotuntilIbegyourpardon。“
“Begmypardon？Why？”
Heabsentlytookthehandandheldit。
“ForthewordIsenttoyouwhenIwentaway。"Twasanawfulthingtosay，butImeantitforyoursake，youknow。Honest，Idid。“
Shelaughednervously。
“Oh！that，“shesaid。“Well，Ididthinkyouwereratherparticularastoyourvisitors。ButMr。Tiddittexplained，andthen——Youneedn"tbegmypardon。Iappreciateyourthoughtfulness。Iknewyoumeanttobekindtome。“
“That"swhatIdid。Butyoudidn"tobeyorders。Youkeptcomin"。
Now，why——“
“Why？Didyousupposethat_I_caredforthemaliciousgossipof——
suchpeople？Icamebecauseyouwereintrouble，andIhopedtohelpyou。And——andIthoughtIhadhelped，untilafewminutesago。“
Herlipquivered。Thatquiverwenttothecaptain"sheart。
“Helped？”hefaltered。“Helped？Why，you"vedonesomuchthatI
can"teverthankyou。You"vebeentheonlyrealhelperI"vehadinallthismiserablebusiness。You"vestoodbymeallthrough。“
“Butitwasallwrong。Heisn"tthemanatall。Didn"tMr。
Peabodytellyou？”
“Yes，yes，hetoldme。Whatdifferencedoesthatmake？Peabodybehanged！Heain"tinthis。It"syouandme——don"tyousee？Whatmadeyoudoallthisforme？”
Shelookedatthefloorandnotathimassheanswered。
“Why，becauseIwantedtohelpyou，“shesaid。“I"vebeenaloneintheworldeversincemotherdied，yearsago。I"vehadfewrealfriends。Yourfriendshiphadcometomeanagreatdealtome。Thesplendidfightyouweremakingforthatlittlegirlprovedwhatamanyouwere。Andyoufoughtsobravelywhenalmosteveryonewasagainstyou，Icouldn"thelpwantingtodosomethingforyou。HowcouldI？Andnowithascometonothing——mypartofit。I"msosorry。“
“Itain"t，neither。It"scometoeverything。Phoebe，Ididn"tmeantosayverymuchmorethantobegyourpardonwhenIheadedforhere。ButI"vegotto——I"vesimplygotto。Thiscan"tgoon。
Ican"thaveyoukeepcomin"toseeme——andBos"n。Ican"tkeepmeetin"youeveryday。ICAN"T。“
Shelookedup，asiftospeak，butsomething，possiblytheexpressioninhisface，causedhertolookquicklydownagain。
Shedidnotanswer。
“Ican"tdoit，“continuedthecaptaindesperately。“"Tain"tforwhatfolksmightsay。Theywouldn"tsaymuchwhenIwasaround，I
tellyou。Itain"tthat。It"sbecauseIcan"tbeartohaveyoujustafriend。Eitheryoumustbemore"nthat，or——orI"llhavetogosomewhereselse。IrealizedthatwhenIwasinWashin"tonandcruisin"toCaliforniaandback。I"veeithergottotakeBos"nandgoawayforgood，or——or——“
Shewouldnothelphim。Shewouldnotspeak。
“Yousee？”hegroaned。“Yousee，Phoebe，whatanoldfoolIam。
Ican"taskyoutomarryme，mefifty-five，androughfromknockin"
roundtheworld，andyou，youngandeducated，andalady。Iain"tfoolenoughtoasksuchathingasthat。Andyet，Icouldn"tstayhereandmeetyoueveryday，andbyandbyseeyoumarrysomebodyelse。Bythebigdipper，Icouldn"tdoit！Sothat"swhyIcan"tshakehandswithyouto-day——noranymore，exceptwhenIsaygood-
byforkeeps。“
Thenshelookedup。Thecolorwasstillbrightinherface，andhereyesweremoist，butshewassmiling。
“Can"tshakehandswithme？”shesaid。“Please，whathaveyoubeendoingforthelastfiveminutes？”
CaptainCydroppedherhandasifhisownhadbeenstruckwithparalysis。
“Goodland！”hestammered。“Ididn"tknowIdidit；honesttruth，Ididn"t。“
Phoebe"ssmilewasstillthere，faint，butverysweet。
“Whydidyoustop？”shequeried。“Ididn"taskyouto。“
“WhydidIstop？Why，becauseI——I——IdeclareI"mashamed——“
Shetookhishandandclaspeditwithbothherown。
“I"mnot，“shesaidbravely，hereyesbrighteningasthewonderandincredulousjoygrewinhis。“I"mveryproud。Andvery，veryhappy。“
TherewastobeabigsupperattheCyWhittakerplacethatnight。
Itwasanimpromptuaffair，arrangedonthespurofthemomentbyCaptainCy，who，inspiteofthelawyer"sprotestsandanxietyconcerninghishealth，wentserenelyupanddownthemainroad，invitingeverybodyhemetorcouldthinkof。Thecaptain"sfacewasasradiantasaspringsunrise。Hissmile，asAsaphsaid，“prettynighcuttheupperhalfofhisheadoff。“Peoplewhohadotherengagements，andwould，underordinarycircumstances，haverefusedtheinvitation，couldn"tsaynotohishearty，“Can"tcome？
Courseyou"llcome！Manalive！IWANTyou。“
“Invalid，ishe？”observedJosiahDimick，afterreceivingandacceptinghisowninvitation。“Well，IwishtothunderIcouldbetookdownwiththesamekindofdisease。I"dbewillin"tolingeralongwithitquiteaspellifitpumpedmeasfullofjoyasWhitseemstobe。Don"tgivelaughin"gastokeepoffpneumonia，dothey？No？Well，I"dliketoknowthenameofhismedicine，that"sall。“
Supperwastobereadyatsix。Georgianna，assistedbyKeturahBangs，Mrs。SylvanusCahoon，andothervolunteers，wasgloriouslybusyinthekitchen。Thetableinthediningroomreachedfromoneendofthebigapartmenttotheother。Guestswouldbegintoarriveshortly。WilyMr。Peabody，guessingthatCaptainCymightprefertobealone，hadtakentheBoardofStrategyoutridingbehindthespan。
Inthesittingroom，aroundthebaseburnerstove，werethreepersons——CaptainCy，Bos"n，andPhoebe。MissDaweshad“comeearly，“atthecaptain"surgentappeal。Nowshewassittingintherocker，atonesideofthestove，gazingdreamilyattheruddylightbehindtheisinglasspanes。Shelookedquietly，blissfullycontentedandhappy。Atherfeet，onthebraidedmat，satBos"n，playingwithLonesome，whopurredlazily。Thelittlegirlwashappy，too，forwasnotherbelovedUncleCyrusathomeagain，withalldangeroftheirseparationendedforevermore？
AsforCaptainCyhimself，theradiantexpressionwasstillonhisface，brighterthanever。HelookedacrossatPhoebe，whosmiledbackathim。ThenheglanceddownatBos"n。Andallatonceherealizedthatthiswasthefulfillmentofhisdream。Herewashis“picture“；thesittingroomwasnowashehadalwayslovedtothinkofit——asitusedtobe。Hewasinhisfather"schair，Phoebeintheonehismotherusedtooccupy，andbetweenthem——justwherehehadsatsooftenwhenaboy——thechild。TheCyWhittakerplacehadagain，andatlast，comeintoitsown。
Hedrewalongbreath，andlookedabouttheroom；atthestove，thelamp，theold，familiarfurniture，athisgrandfather"sportraitoverthemantel。Then，inaflashofmemory，hisfather"swordscamebacktohim，andhesaid，laughingaloudfrompurehappiness：
“Bos"n，rundowncellarandgetmeapitcherofcider，won"tyou？——
there"sagoodfeller。“
End