em surprised."

"I'm not," replied the lady. "I expected something of that sort."

Captain Cy wheeled from the window.

"You DID?" he asked.

"Yes. Miss Phinney said the other day she had heard that that man
was going to give his daughter a beautiful present. She was very
enthusiastic about his generosity and self-sacrifice. I asked who told
her and she said Mr. Simpson."

"Oh! Tad? Is that so!" The captain looked at her.

"Yes. And I think there is no doubt that Simpson had orders to make the
'generosity' known to as many townspeople as possible."

"Hum! I see. You figure that Thomas cal'lates 'twill help his popularity
and make his case stronger; is that it?"

"Not exactly. I doubt if he ever thought of such a thing himself. But
some one thought for him--and some one must have supplied the money."

"Well, they say he's to work up in Boston."

"I know. But no one can tell where he works. Captain Whittaker, this is
Mr. Atkins's doing--you know it. Now, WHY does he, a busy man, take such
an interest in getting this child away from you?"

Captain Cy shook his head and smiled.

"Teacher," he said, "you're dead set on taggin' Heman with a mystery,
ain't you?"

"Miss Dawes," asked the forgetful Bailey, "when you and me went drivin'
t'other day did you find out anything from--"

Phoebe interrupted quickly.

"Mr. Bangs," she said, "at what time do we distribute Christmas presents
at your boarding house? I suppose you must have many Christmas secrets
to keep. You keep a secret SO well."

Mr. Bangs turned red. The hint concerning secret keeping was not wasted.
He did not mention the drive again.

A little later Captain Cy found Bos'n busily playing with the doll he
had given her. The other, her father's gift, was nowhere in sight.

"I put her back in the box," said the child in reply to his question.
"She was awful pretty, but I think I'm goin' to love this one best."

The remark seems a foolish thing to give comfort to a grown man, but
Captain Cy found comfort in it, and comfort was what he needed.

He needed it more as time went on. In January the court gave its
decision. The captain's appointment as guardian was revoked. With
the father alive, and professedly anxious to provide for the child's
support, nothing else was to be expected, so Mr. Peabody said. The
latter entered an appeal which would delay matters for a time, two or
three months perhaps; meanwhile Captain Cy was to retain custody of
Bos'n.