dy knows who the woman was. 'Bout time for her to speak up, I should
think. Teacher," turning to Miss Dawes, "you was at the Whittaker place
when Mr. Atkins and Emily's father come for her, I understand. I wish
I'd have been there. It must have been wuth seein'."

"It was," replied Miss Dawes. She had kept silent throughout the various
discussions of the week following the town meeting, but now, thus
appealed to, she answered promptly.

Angeline's news created a sensation. The schoolmistress immediately
became the center of interest.

"Is that so? Was you there, teacher? Well, I declare!" The questions and
exclamations flew round the table.

"Tell us, teacher," pleaded Keturah. "Wasn't Heman grand? I should so
like to have heard him. Didn't Cap'n Whittaker look ashamed of himself?"

"No, he did not. If anyone looked ashamed it was Mr. Atkins and his
friends. Perhaps I ought to tell you that my sympathies are entirely
with Captain Whittaker in this affair. To give that little girl up to a
drunken scoundrel like her father would, in my opinion, be a crime."

The boarders and the landlady gasped. Asaph grinned and nudged Bailey
under the table. Keturah was the first to recover.

"Well!" she exclaimed. "Everybody's got a right to their opinion, of
course. But I can't see the crime, myself. And as for the drunkenness,
I'd like to know who's seen Mr. Thomas drunk. Cyrus Whittaker SAYS he
has, but--"

She waved her hand scornfully. Phoebe rose from her chair.

"I have seen him in that condition," she said. "In fact, I am the person
he insulted. I saw Captain Whittaker knock him down, and I honored
the captain for it. I only wished I were a man and could have done it
myself."

She left the room, and, a few moments later, the house. Mr. Tidditt
chuckled aloud. Even Bailey dared to look pleased.

"There!" sneered the widow Tripp. "Ain't that--Perhaps you remember that
Cap'n Whittaker got her the teacher's place?"

"Yes," put in Miss Phinney, "and nobody knows WHY he got it for her.
That is, nobody has known up to now. Maybe we can begin to guess a
little after this."

"She was at his house, was she?" observed Keturah. "Humph! I wonder why?
Seems to me if _I_ was a young--that is, a single woman like her, I'd
be kind of careful about callin' on bachelors. Humph! it looks funny to
me."

Asaph rose and pushed back his chair.

"I cal'late she called to see Emily," he said sharply. "The child was
her scholar, and I