gh. Did you know that?"

But Miss Dawes was indignant.

"Captain Whittaker," she declared, "one would think you were a hundred
years old to hear you. You are always calling yourself an old man. Does
Mr. Atkins call himself old? And he is older than you."

"Well, I'm over fifty, Phoebe." In spite of the habit for which he had
just been reproached, the captain found this a difficult statement to
make.

"I know. But you're younger than most of us at thirty-five. You see, I'm
confessing, too," she added with a laugh and a little blush.

Captain Cy made a mental calculation.

"Twenty years," he said musingly. "Twenty years is a long time. No, I'm
old. And worse than that, I'm an old fool, I guess. If I hadn't been I'd
have stayed in South America instead of comin' here to be hooted out of
the town I was born in."

The teacher stamped her foot.

"Oh, what SHALL I do with you!" she exclaimed. "It is wicked for you to
say such things. Do you suppose that Mr. Atkins would find it necessary
to work as he is doing to beat a fool? And, besides, you're not
complimentary to me. Should I, do you think, take such an interest in
one who was an imbecile?"

"Well, 'tis mighty good of you. Your comin' here so to help Bos'n's
fight along is--"

"How do you know it is Bos'n altogether? I--" She stopped suddenly, and
the color rushed to her face. She rose from the rocker. "I--really, I
don't see how we came to be discussing such nonsense," she said. "Our
ages and that sort of thing! Captain Cyrus, I wish you would go to
Washington. I think you ought to go."

But the captain's thoughts were far from Washington at that moment. His
own face was alight, and his eyes shone.

"Phoebe," he faltered unbelievingly, "what was you goin' to say? Do you
mean that--that--"

The side door of the house opened. The next instant Mr. Tidditt, a
dripping umbrella in his hand, entered the sitting room.

"Hello, Whit!" he hailed. "Just run in for a minute to say howdy." Then
he noticed the schoolmistress, and his expression changed. "Oh! how be
you, Miss Dawes?" he said. "I didn't see you fust off. Don't run away on
my account."

"I was just going," said Phoebe, buttoning her jacket. Captain Cy
accompanied her to the door.

"Good-by," she said. "There was something else I meant to say, but I
think it is best to wait. I hope to have some good news for you soon.
Something that will send you to Washington with a light heart. Perhaps I
shall hear