"I took an interest in this family long ago, and stopped in the valley over night, on purpose to visit the old gentleman. I had no idea he would ever leave the farm, and was surprised to find strangers here, more so than you could have been at seeing me. Tell me now where the Wilcox family can be found?"
"That is more, by half, than I know myself," answered the farmer. "I bought the farm, paid cash down for everything, land, stock, furniture, and all."
"But where did they go?" cried Jacob, breathless with suspense.
"To Portland; they took one wagon load of things, and when the teamster came back, he said they were left in the hold of a schooner lying at the wharf."
"But where was she bound?—what was her name?"
"That was exactly what we asked the teamster, but he could tell nothing about it; and from that day to this, no person in these parts has ever heard a word about them!"
Jacob arose and supported himself by his chair.
"And is this all? Gone, no one knows where? Is this all?"
"All that I or any one else can tell you," answered the kind-hearted farmer.
"But the teamster, where is he?"