I got it straight, or pretty average straight. Mandy Baker
told me, and Peke Card's wife, Mary Lizbeth, told her, who got it right
from Lute Craven who works in the post-office uptown, and Lute got it
from Noah Coffin. You know, he't drives the ark you come over in from
Paulmouth. Well! Noah was at Paulmouth depot as he always is of
course when the clam train stops at five-thutty-five. He says he
didn't see Cap'n Abe nor nobody that looked like him board that train
yest'day mornin'."
"Why, Betty!" Louise could only gasp. This house-that-Jack-built
narrative quite took her breath away.
"Besides," went on Betty; "there's more to it. Cap'n Abe's chest was
took back to the depot by Perry Baker when he brought your trunks over,
sure 'nough. And Perry Baker says he shipped that chest to Boston for
your uncle, marked to be called for. It went by express."
"But--but what of it?" asked the puzzled girl.
"Humph! Stands to reason," declared Mrs. Gallup, "that Cap'n Abe
wouldn't have done no such foolish thing as that.
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