mas, he had that, too, and there was other things that reminded
Phoebe of him. So she don't say nothin' to nobody, but she writes to
this woman askin' for more partic'lars and a photograph of the missin'
one. The partic'lars come, but the photograph didn't; the wife didn't
have none, I b'lieve. But there was enough to send Phoebe hotfoot to Mr.
Peabody. And Peabody he writes to his lawyer friend in Butte, Montana.
And the Butte man he--"

"Well, the long and short of it is," cut in Tidditt, "that it looked
safe and sartin that Thomas HAD married the Arizona woman while his real
wife, Bos'n's ma, was livin', and had run off and left her same as he
did Mary. And the funny part of it is--"

"The funny part of it is," declared Bangs, drowning his friend's voice
by raising his own, "that somebody out there, some scalawag friend of
this Thomas, must have got wind of what was up, and sent word to him.
'Cause, when they went to hunt for him in Boston, he'd gone, skipped,
cut stick. And they ain't seen him since. He was afraid of bein' took up
for bigamist, you see--for bein' a bigamy, I mean. Well, you know what
I'm tryin' to say. Anyhow, if it hadn't been for me and Phoebe--"

"YOU and Phoebe!" snorted Asaph. "You had a whole lot to do with it,
didn't you? You and Aunt Debby 'll do to go together. I understand she's
cruisin' round makin' proclamations that SHE was responsible for the
whole thing. No, sir-ree! it's Phoebe Dawes that the credit belongs to,
and this town ain't done nothin' but praise her since it come out. You
never see such a quick come-about in your life--unless 'twas Heman's.
But you knew all this afore, Whit. Peabody must have told you."

Captain Cy had listened to his friends' story with a face expressive of
the most blank astonishment. As he learned of the trip to Trumet and
its results, his eyes and mouth opened, and he repeatedly rubbed his
forehead and muttered exclamations. Now, at the mention of his lawyer's
name, he seemed to awaken.

"Hold on!" he interrupted, waving his hand. "Hold on! By the big dipper!
this is--is--Where IS Peabody? I want to see him."

"Here I am, captain," said the attorney. He had been out to the barn to
superintend the stabling of the span, but for the past five minutes had
been standing, unnoticed by his client, on the threshold of the dining
room.

"See here," demanded Captain Cy, "see here, Peabody; is this yarn true?
IS it, now? this about--about Phoebe and all?"