that he was tired and
guessed he'd stay at home and "turn in early." Mr. Tidditt departed
grumbling. After he had gone the captain drew his chair nearer the
center table, took from his pocket a sheet of notepaper, and proceeded
to read what was written on its pages. It was a letter which he had
received nearly a month before and had not yet answered. During the past
week he had read it many times. The writing was cramped and blotted and
the paper cheap and dingy. The envelope bore the postmark of a small
town in Indiana, and the inclosure was worded as follows:

CAPTAIN CYRUS WHITTAKER.

DEAR SIR: I suppose you will be a good deal surprised to hear from me,
especially from way out West here. When you bought the old house of
Seth, he and I was living in Concord, N. H. He couldn't make a go of his
business there, so we came West and he has been sick most of the time
since. We ain't well off like you, and times are hard with us. What I
wanted to write you about was this. My cousin Mary Thomas, Mary Thayer
that was, is still living in Concord and she is poor and needs help,
though I don't suppose she would ask for it, being too proud. False
pride I call it. Me and Seth would like to do something for her, but we
have a hard enough job to keep going ourselves. Mary married a man
by the name of Henry Thomas, and he turned out to be a miserable
good-for-nothing, as I always said he would. She wouldn't listen to
me though. He run off and left her seven year ago last April, and I
understand was killed or drowned somewheres up in Montana. Mary and
[several words scratched out here] got along somehow since, but I don't
know how. While we lived in Concord Seth sort of kept an eye on her, but
now he can't of course. She's a good girl, or woman rather, being most
forty, and would make a good housekeeper if you should need one as I
suppose likely you will. If you could help her it would be an act of
charity and you will be rewarded Above. Seth says why not write to her
and tell her to come and see you? He feels bad about her, because he is
so sick I suppose. And he knows you are rich and could do good if you
felt like it. Her father's name was John Thayer. I wouldn't wonder if
you used to know her mother. She was Emily Richards afore she married
and they used to live in Orham.

Yours truly,

ELIZABETH HOWES.

P.S.--Mary's address is Mrs. Mary Thomas, care Mrs. Oliver, 128 Blank
Street, Concord, N. H.

N.B.--Seth won't say so