"Dig for the Truth"

First Airdate:February 6, 1970

Writer: Ruth Flippen

Director: Lee Phillips

Guest stars: Dan Tobin - Mr. Hampton
Renie Riano - Miss Stoddard
John Garisson - Andrew


Rating: 3.5 bells

Synopsis:

The trouble begins after Captain Gregg tells Candy and Jonathan that his great-great-grandfather Ephram Elias Gregg  founded Schooner Bay Grammar School on March 15, 1741, and not Joshua Stoddard.

Candy mentions that in school, and Miss Stoddard, her teacher, tells her that she was wrong. But Candy keeps to her assertion that a Gregg was the founder of the school and not a Stoddard. Miss Stoddard is indignant about her insubordination. And her anger grows even more after Jonathan tells her the same.

Miss Stoddard gets both children by the hands and brings them to the school principal. He should punish them for their insubordination. And he does by suspending them for the rest of day from school so that they could get over this.

After the kids get home, they have a discussion with their mother about the facts. Carolyn isn't very happy over the interfering of the Captain so she confronts him with that. He tells her that his great-great-father was the founder, and she doen't believe him, telling the Captain that she will write the fact that a Stoddard was the founder.

A short time later after she has left her room, Captain Gregg changes her article. Now Carolyn is in trouble after this change. She gets phone calls, one from Claymore, who is very happy that one of his ancestors was the founder. And one from Mr. Hampton who is very unhappy.

She can't finish that call because the Captain interrupts her. Now the conversation is well under way again about the real founder.

After no proof is found in the attic, Mrs. Muir is even more convinced that a Stoddard was the founder of the school. So she leaves the attic and goes to meet Miss. Stoddard and Mr. Hampton.

Captain Gregg is unhappy, too, so he has a chat with Claymore about finding proof. He wouldn't want anyone to call Mrs. Muir a liar. They don't found any proof in Claymore's safe, so both head for the school grounds to dig for the corner stone.

At the same time, Miss Stoddard, Mr. Hampton, and Mrs. Muir arrived at school. While their discussion is underway, Claymore discovers the corner stone after Mr. Hampton lands on it.  Now they have proof that the founder of the school was Ephram Elias Gregg.

The Captain is sitting on the stairs, Carolyn by his side. "Any questions, Madam?" he asks.
Carolyn says that although Miss Stoddard wasn't very unhappy that it wasn't her ancestor who founded school, she was happy that the school turned out to be older than they had thought.

Later at home in Gull Cottage, the Captain finds the proof and gives it Mrs. Muir to read. The letter says it wasn't March 15th. but March 19th, 1741. Captain Gregg wants Carolyn to inform the historical society at once. But she cuts him off and says that they should let lie the corner stone. Daniel agrees and vanishes, but is back after Carolyn leaves the room. He begins to change the article again.

Favorite moments:

Where the Captain told the children that his great-great-grandfather was the founder of the school.
On the school steps where Carolyn stands beside the Captain, and they look into each other's faces.
And at the end where Carolyn tells the Captain they should let the corner stone lie and the Captain agrees, but with the ulterior motive of changing the article again.

General Comments:
I think this is an episode which shows how involved the Gregg family is in Schooner Bay.

Contributed by Anne-Marie Heuser