eirs forever. He died poorer'n poverty.
What's the use of a will when you ain't got nothin' to leave?"

"Why!" exclaimed Captain Cy. "The answer to that's easy. John was goin'
to sea, and, more'n likely, intended to have a shy at the diggin's afore
he got back. So, if he did make any money, he wanted his wife and baby
to have it."

"Well, what they got wan't wuth havin'. Emily had to scrimp along and
do dressmakin' till she died. She done fairly well at that, though,
and saved somethin' and passed it over to Mary. And Mary married Henry
Thomas, after she went with the Howes tribe to Concord, and he got rid
of it for her in double quick time--all but the Orham land."

"So that was all you could find out, hey, Ase?" asked the captain.
"Well, it's at least as much as I expected. You see, teacher, these
story-book notions don't work out when it comes to real life."

Miss Dawes was plainly disappointed.

"I wish we knew more," she said. "Who was on this ship with Mr. Thayer?
And who sent the news of his death home?"

"Oh, I can tell you that," said Asaph. "'Twas some one-hoss doctor out
there, gold minin' himself, he was. John died of a quick fever. Got cold
and went off in no time. Seth remembered that much, though he couldn't
remember the doctor's name. He said, if I wanted to learn more about
the Thayers, I might go see--Humph, well, never mind that. 'Twas just
foolishness, anyhow."

But Phoebe persisted.

"To see whom?" she asked. "Some one you knew? A friend of yours?"

Asaph turned red.

"Friend of mine!" he snarled. "No, SIR! she ain't no friend of mine, I'm
thankful to say. More a friend of Bailey's, here, if she's anybody's.
One of his pets, she was, for a spell. A patient of his, you might say;
anyhow, he prescribed for her. 'Twas that deef idiot, Debby Beasley, Cy;
that's who 'twas. Her name was Briggs afore she married Beasley, and
she was hired help for Emily Thayer, when Mary was born, and until John
died."

Captain Cy burst into a roar of laughter. Bailey sprang out of his
chair.

"De--Debby Beasley!" he stammered. "Debby Beasley!"

"She was that deef housekeeper Bailey hired for me, teacher," explained
the captain. "I've told you about her. Ho! ho! so that's the end of
the mystery huntin'. We go gunnin' for Heman Atkins, and we bring down
Debby! Well, Ase, goin' to see the old lady?"

Mr. Tidditt's retort was emphatic.

"Goin' to SEE her?" he repeated. "I guess not! Godfrey scissors! I told