第30章

ButIcouldonlystareathim。WhyhadhecometoDenboro？Whatdidhiscomingtomemean？WhyhadhecomewithCaptainJed，themanwhohadvowedthathewasdonewithmeforever？Andwhywasthecaptainlookingatmesooddly？

"George！"Icriedinalarm，"George，youhaven’t——youhaven’tmadeafoolofyourself？Youhaven’t——"

CaptainJedinterruptedme。"Heain’tthefool，Ros，"hesaid。

"Thatis，heain’tnow。I’mthefool。Ioughttohaveknownbetter。Ros，I——Idon’tknow’syou’llgiveittome，butanyhowI’mgoin’toaskit；Ibegyourpardon。"

"Ros，"saidTaylor，beforeIcouldreply，"don’tstandstaringasifyouwerepetrified。Sitdownandletmelookatyou。Youpig—

headedoldidiot，you！Whatdoyoumeanbyit？Whatdidyoudoitfor？"

HepushedmeintothechairIhadjustvacated。CaptainDeantookanother。Georgeremainedstanding。

"HeISpetrified，Idobelieve！"heexclaimed。

Butmypetrificationwasonlytemporary。Iwasbeginningtounderstand，andtobemorealarmedthanever。

"WhatareyoudoinghereinDenboro？"Idemanded。

CaptainJedansweredforhim。"He’sherebecauseItelegraphedforhimyesterday，"hesaid。"Iwiredhimtocomestraighthomeandtakechargeofthebank。Ihadfiredyou，likethedumbfoolIwas，andIwantedhimtotakecommand。Hegothereonthemornin’

train。"

IrememberedwhatPhinCahoonhadsaidaboutthetelegramandthecaptain’smakinghimpromisenottomentionthenameofthepersontowhomitwassent。ItwasGeorge，ofcourse。IfIhadbeeninanormalstateofmindwhenPhintoldmeIshouldhaveguessedasmuch。

Taylortookuptheconversation。"Yes，Igothere，"hesaid。"AndwhenIgothere——oralittlebefore——"withaglanceatthecaptain——"IfoundoutwhathadbeengoingonsinceIleft。Youoldchump，RosPaine！Whatdidyoudoitfor？"

Ilookedathimandthenathiscompanion。WhatIsawthereconfirmedmyworstsuspicions。

"George，"Isaid，"ifyouhavetoldhimyoumustbecrazy。"

"Iwascrazynottotellhimbefore。Iwascrazynottoguesswhatyouhadbeenupto。ButIdidn’tsupposeanybodywouldbecrazyenoughtodowhatyoudid，Ros。Ididn’timagineforaminutethatyouwouldbecrazyenoughtothrowawayyourjobandgetyourselfintothetroubleyouknewwassuretocome，justtohelpme。TohelpME，bytheLord！Ros！Ros！whatcanIsaytoyou！"

"You’vesaidenough，andmorethanenough，"Ianswered，bitterly。

"IdidwhatIdidsothatyoumightkeepyoursecret。IdidittohelpyouandNellie。Andifyouhadkeptstillnooneneedeverhaveknown，noonebutyouandI，George。Andnowyou——"

"Shutup，Ros！"heinterrupted。"Shutup，Itellyou！Why，confoundyou，whatdoyouthinkIam？DoyousupposeIwouldletyousacrificeyourselflikethat，whileIsetstillandsawyoukickedoutoftown？WhatdoyouthinkIam？"

"Butwhatwastheuseofit？"Idemanded。"Itwasdone。Nothingyoucouldsaywouldchangeit。ForNellie’ssake——"

"There！there！"brokeinCaptainJed，"Nellieknows。Georgetoldherthedaytheywasmarried。Hetoldherbeforetheywasmarried。

HewasmanenoughtodothatandIhonorhimforit。Ifhe’donlycometomethenitwouldhavebeenamightysightbetter。I’dhaveunderstoodwhenIheardaboutyoursellin’Coltontheland，andI

wouldn’thavemadeajackassofmyselfbytreatin’youasIdone。

You！themanthatsacrificedyourselftokeepmygirlfrombreakin’

herheart！WhenIthinkwhatyousavedusallfromI——I——BytheAlmighty，RosPaine！I’llmakeituptoyousomehow。Iwill！I

swearIwill！"

Heturnedawayandlookedoutofthewindow。Georgelaidahandonhisshoulder。

"Iamtheonetomakeitup，Cap’n，"hesaid，solemnly。"IfIliveI’llmakeituptoRoshere，andtoyou，andtoNellie，Godblessher！IexpectedyouwouldneverspeaktomeagainwhenI’dtoldyou。Tellingyou——nexttotellingNellie——wasthetoughestjobI

evertackled。ButI’llmakeituptoyouboth，andtoRos。ThanktheLord，itain’ttoolatetomakeituptohim！"

"We’llbothmakeituptohim，George，"repliedCaptainJed。"Asfaraswecan，wewill。Ifhewantstocomebacktothebankthisminutehecan。We’llbeproudtohavehim。ButIcal’late，"withasmile，"he’llhavebiggerfishtofrythanwecangivehim。Ifwhatwe’vejustheardistrue，hewill。"

"Idon’tknowwhatyoumean，"Ianswered。"Andasforthebank——

well，youforgetonething：IsoldtheShoreLaneandthetownknowsit。Howlongwouldtheotherdirectorstoleratemeinthatbank，afterthat，doyouthink？"

Tomysurprisetheylookedateachotherandlaughed。CaptainDeanshookhishead。

"No，"hesaid，"you’remistook，Ros。Thetowndon’tknowyousoldit。Ididn’ttell’embecauseIwantedGeorgeincommandofthatbankaforetherowbrokeloose。Ilarnedofthesalemyself，bychance，overtoOstableandInevertoldanybodyexceptDorindyRogersandherfoolofahusband。I’llseethattheykeepstilltonguesintheirheads。AndasfortheLane——well，thatwon’tbeclosed。Coltondon’townitnomore。"

"Don’tOWNit，"Irepeated。"Don’townit！Hedoes。Isoldittohimmyself。"

"Yes。AndGeorge，here，boughtitbacknotanhourago。WesawHisMajesty——sickinbedhewas，butjustashighandmightyandindependentasever——andGeorgeboughtbackthelandandtheLaneforthirty—fivehundreddollars。Theoldmandidn’tseemtogiveadurnaboutitanymore。He’dhadhisownway，hesaid，andthatwasallhecaredabout。Besides，heain’tgoin’tostayinDenboromuchlonger。Theoldlady——hiswife——issickoftheplaceandheonlycomehereonheraccount。Hecal’latesthatNewYorkisgoodenoughforhim。Ical’late’tis。Anyhow，Denborowon’thangontohiscoattailstoholdhimback。TellRosthewholestory，George。"

Georgetoldit，beginningwithhisreceiptofhisfather—in—law’stelegramandhishurriedreturntotheCape。HehadgonedirectlytoCaptainDeanandconfessedthewholething。Thecaptainhadbehavedlikeatr

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