“Yes, he was,” he said. “That is, I think he was. He was away from here when I skipped out, and he didn't get back till '61 or thereabouts.”
“Well, anyhow,” went on Asaph, “that's all I could find out. Seth and me went rummagin' through town records from way back to glory, him gassin' away and stringin' along about this old settler and that, till I 'most wished he'd choke himself with the dust he was raisin'. We found John's grandad's will, and Emily's dad's will, and John's own will, and that's all. John left everything he had and all he might become possessed of to his wife and baby and their heirs 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?”