, the task of restoring to a worthy man his own, shall be
carried on to the bitterest extremity. I have put my hand to the plow,
and it shall not be withdrawn. And, furthermore, I go to my work at
Washington determined to secure for my native town the appropriation
which it so sorely needs. I shall secure it if I can, even though--" and
the sarcasm was hugely enjoyed by his listeners--"I am, as I seem likely
to be, deprived of the help of the 'committee,' self-appointed at our
recent town meeting. If I fail--and I do not conceal the fact that I
may fail--I am certain you will not blame me. Now I should like to shake
each one of you by the hand."

The hands were shaken, and the train bore the Atkins delegation away.
And, on the day following, Mr. Thomas, the prodigal father, also left
town. A position in Boston had been offered him, he said, and he felt
that he must accept it. He would come back some of these days, with the
warrant from the court, and get his little girl.

"Position offered him! Um--ya-as!" quoth Dimick the cynical, in
conversation with Captain Cy. "Inspector of sidewalks, I shouldn't
wonder. Well, please don't ask me if I think Heman sent him to Boston
so's to have him out of the way, and 'cause he'd feel consider'ble safer
than if he was loose down here. Don't ask me that, for, with my strict
scruples against the truth I might say, No. As it is, I say nothin'--and
wink my port eye."

The ten-day visit ended, Mr. Tidditt returned to Bayport. On the
afternoon of his return he and Bailey called at the Whittaker place,
and there they were joined by Miss Dawes, who had been summoned to the
conclave by a note intrusted to Bos'n.

"Now, Ase," ordered Captain Cy, as the quartet gathered in the sitting
room, "here we are, hangin' on your words, as the feller said. Don't
keep us strung up too long. What did you find out?"

The town clerk cleared his throat. When he spoke, there was a trace of
disappointment in his tone. To have been able to electrify his audience
with the news of some startling discovery would have been pure joy for
Asaph.

"Well," he began, "I don't know's I found out anything much. Yet I did
find out somethin', too; but it don't really amount to nothin'. I hoped
'twould be somethin' more'n 'twas, but when nothin' come of it except
the little somethin' it begun with, I--"

"For the land sakes!" snapped Bailey Bangs, who was a trifle envious of
his friend's position in the center of the