Captain Cy took it in a dazed fashion and drew a long breath.

Then he tore open the envelope and read the following: DEAR CAPTAIN WHITTAKER: The bearer of this is Emily Richards Thomas.

She is seven, going on eight, but old for her years.

Her mother was Mary Thomas that used to be Mary Thayer.

It was her you wrote to about keeping house for you, but she had been dead a fortnight before your letter come.