Cy Whittaker's Place

called for the twen

anksgiving eve. But for the men, on week days, there is little to do except to "putter" about the house, banking its foundations with dry seaweed as a precaution against searching no'theasters, whitewashing the barns and outbuildings, or fixing things in the vegetable cellar where the sticks of smoked herring hang in rows above the barrels of cabbages, potatoes, and turnips. The fish weirs, most of them, are taken up, lest the ice, which w

on. Lem Myrick had resigned from the school committee, not waiting until spring, as he had announced that he should do. Then there was the usual sentim

lace would be, he was certain, a calamity which would stagger the township. Therefore he was a busy man and made many calls upon his fellow citizens, not to influence their votes-he was caref

ement and help, being-as was his habit at such

me no more. I guess I'd better get right up afore the votin' begins and tell 'em my health ain't str

e all ready for the funeral. Might have the doctor walkin' ahead, wipin' his eyes, and the joyful undertaker

ade you thi

and talked three quarters of an hour steady at everyone. That would fit me for the scrap heap in

thusiasm for me, somehow. I just hint at my bein' a candidate and folk

ce Noah got the ark off the ways, or along there. And there ain't been any opposition to you yet, except that time when Uncle 'Bial Stickney woke up in the wrong place and hollered 'No,' out of principle, thinkin' he was to home with

e the meeting. Many names had been proposed at Simmons's and elsewhere, but some of those named had refused to run, and others had not, after further consider

n't have no more-I mean no unsuitable man to fill such an important place as that. The welfare of our

nd Bailey hurried to the Cy Whittaker place with the news. Captain Cy was in the woodshed building a doll house for Bos

tt was al

new school committee man's as good as

n laid dow

eated. "You don't say

. "He's come forward and say

ey? I wonder who po

e pleased with THAT kind of a candidate and so he won't have to do any more huntin'.

ind are that Providence is workin' with 'em? Seems to me 'twould be more satis

Asaph. "You ain't findin' fault with

ood! Nobody can say he i

a leading cranberry grower, and very prominent in the church. A mild, easygoing person was Mr. Snow, with an almost too kee

ls you?" aske

I generally figure that I can see through a doughnut, when there's a light behind the

llis, I guess.

rius is on the

Atkins thought he'd be a go

he Atkins memorial window. The light from it make

an, nor nobody else, c

s break out. Fellers, this committee voted in Phoebe Dawes by just two votes to one, and one of the two was Lem Myrick. Darius was against her. Now with Tad and his 'Providence' putt

as a thousand of brick. I don't see why you worry abo

easily and kicked a c

een with the bull. Not that I loved the critter for his own sake, but because all Greaserdom was out to down him. From what I hear, this Phoebe Dawes-for all her pesky down-East stubbornness-is teachin' pretty well, and anyhow she's

d the pair in

near the top of the barrel as Darius Ellis, and only one or two

own clerk, "are you popular e

ind out. You and Bailey 'l

we wil

goes for politics and popularity. I may be president yet; you can't tel

Captain Cyrus Whittaker was "out" for the school committee. The captain began his electioneering at

the Australian packet service. He had common sense, independence, and considerable influence in the town. Next to Congressman Atkins

'late I'll stand in with you, Cy. I ain't got anything against 'Lonzo, but-but-well, consarn it! maybe

seldom went to church, and was entirely lackin

derminin' this town's constitution? Oh, sartin, I'm with

of the painting contract, intimated that other favors might be forthcoming, and then,

ly, if I was a painter doin' a good, high-class trade, and a one-hoss barber tried to dictate to me, I shouldn't bo

was ind

k hard for you now, Cap'n Whittaker. 'Lonzo Snow's an elder and all that, but I can't help it. Anyway, his

soon became worthy of respectful consideration. For a while Tad Simpson scoffed at the opposition; then he began to work openly for Mr. Snow. Later he marsh

bad for me and for you fellers, too. I wish he was home to run things himself, but he's got business down South there-some property he owns or s

y-five years, and this tussle against odds, reminding him of other tussles during his first seasons in business, arou

aily gain, or loss, in votes, as if she were his own age. She understood a little of all this, and tried hard to understand the rest, preaching between times to Georgianna how "the

the land in Orham, Massachusetts, which had been willed to her by her own mother. There was a note with the will in which Mrs. Thomas stated that no one save herself had known of this land, not even her husband. She had not told him because she feared that, like everything else, it would be sold and the money wasted in dissipation. "He suspected

thless, and unsalable at present. The taxes had been regularly paid each year by Mary Thomas, who

ea menagerie. However, if this section ever does get to be the big summer resort folks are prophesying for it, you may sell out

le, the county seat, returning the same evening, and saying nothing t

and evening of that day. It was to be a surprise for Emily, and, after school was over, some of her particular friends among the scholars were to come in, there was to be a cake w

Board of Strategy, preparing the list of guests. His cunning in ascertaining from the unsu

se you was goin' to clear out and

frightened and moist in a moment, "I a

elong look at the members of the "Board," then present. "But just suppose you and

Bailey on a scrap of paper. The list was a long one and, wh

r people present, Bailey and Asaph, of course, and the "regulars" from the perfect boarding house, who had been invited because it was fairly certain tha

a knock at the dining-room door, and Georgianna, opening it, was petrified to behold, standing upon the step, no less a personage than

moving his silk hat and stepping into the room. "

on she was not alone, Messrs. Bangs and Tidditt being also

u, Heman. Here, give us your hat. Pull up to the table. When did

but I stopped over at Harniss on business and drove across. Ahem! Yes. The housekeeper informed me that my daughter was here, and, seeing the lights and hearing t

o Bailey that he "cal'lated" Heman had had a hurry-up distress signal from Simpson; to which sage observation Mr. Bangs replied with a vigoro

f politics. He was urbanity itself. He drew up to the table, partook of the ic

turah. "And him so nice and everyday and sociable. And when C

with a dubious s

uble," she said. "I've preached to Bailey more

" ordered Captain Cy. But M

uty and pleasure to propose a toast." He held his lemonade glass aloft. "Permit me," he proclaimed, "to wi

the captain, carried away by enth

in his public life seemed at a loss for words. "What?" he

ly Richards THAYER! Haw! haw! She ain't a Thayer, Heman; her last name's Thomas. She's Emily Richards Thayer's granddaughter tho

rn their gaze upon the great man he had sunk back in his chair, the glass of lemonade was upset

" asked the captain anxiou

ressman

I'm afraid I've soiled your cloth. It was

th his handkerchief.

hurt by a bath, even a lemon one. Well, you've all heard the toast. Full glasses,

ven the front parlor. Not since the days when that sacred apartment had been desecrated by the irreverent city boarders, during the Howes regime, had its wal

p?" gushed Miss Phinney. "Don't it

't! If they keep on playin' that Copenhagen and you stand

but she faced the threatened danger nevert

im and, though he hated to leave such a-er-delightful gathering, he really felt that, under the circumstances, his departure would be for

ights. Thought he ought to be here quick, I shouldn't wonder. He

s. Tripp, who was looking over h

hat wa

nd he never seemed to notice, but went right on. If 'Licia hadn't picked it up, that nice new hat would have bee