第125章

He was man enough to do that and I honor him for it.If he'd only come to me then it would have been a mighty sight better.I'd have understood when I heard about your sellin' Colton the land, and Iwouldn't have made a jackass of myself by treatin' you as I done.

You! the man that sacrificed yourself to keep my girl from breakin'

her heart! When I think what you saved us all from I--I-- By the Almighty, Ros Paine! I'll make it up to you somehow.I will! Iswear I will!"

He turned away and looked out of the window.George laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I am the one to make it up, Cap'n," he said, solemnly."If I live I'll make it up to Ros here, and to you, and to Nellie, God bless her! I expected you would never speak to me again when I'd told you.Telling you--next to telling Nellie--was the toughest job Iever tackled.But I'll make it up to you both, and to Ros.Thank the Lord, it ain't too late to make it up to him!""We'll both make it up to him, George," replied Captain Jed."As far as we can, we will.If he wants to come back to the bank this minute he can.We'll be proud to have him.But I cal'late," with a smile, "he'll have bigger fish to fry than we can give him.If what we've just heard is true, he will.""I don't know what you mean," I answered."And as for the bank--well, you forget one thing: I sold the Shore Lane and the town knows it.How long would the other directors tolerate me in that bank, after that, do you think?"To my surprise they looked at each other and laughed.Captain Dean shook his head.

"No," he said, "you're mistook, Ros.The town don't know you sold it.I didn't tell 'em because I wanted George in command of that bank afore the row broke loose.I larned of the sale myself, by chance, over to Ostable and I never told anybody except Dorindy Rogers and her fool of a husband.I'll see that they keep still tongues in their heads.And as for the Lane--well, that won't be closed.Colton don't own it no more.""Don't OWN it," I repeated."Don't own it! He does.I sold it to him myself.""Yes.And George, here, bought it back not an hour ago.We saw His Majesty--sick in bed he was, but just as high and mighty and independent as ever--and George bought back the land and the Lane for thirty-five hundred dollars.The old man didn't seem to give a durn about it any more.He'd had his own way, he said, and that was all he cared about.Besides, he ain't goin' to stay in Denboro much longer.The old lady--his wife--is sick of the place and he only come here on her account.He cal'lates that New York is good enough for him.I cal'late 'tis.Anyhow, Denboro won't hang onto his coattails to hold him back.Tell Ros the whole story, George."George told it, beginning with his receipt of his father-in-law's telegram and his hurried return to the Cape.He had gone directly to Captain Dean and confessed the whole thing.The captain had behaved like a trump, I learned.Instead of denouncing his daughter's husband he had forgiven him freely.Then they had gone to see Colton and George had bought the land.

"And I shall give it to the town," he said."It's the least I can do.You wonder where the money came from, Ros? I guess you ain't seen the newspapers.There was a high old time in the stock market yesterday and Louisville and Transcontinental climbed half-way to the moon.From being a pauper I'm pretty well fixed.""I'm heartily glad of it, George," I said."But there is one thing I don't understand.You say you learned of my selling the land before you reached Denboro.Captain Jed says no one but he and my people knew it.How did you find it out?"Again my two callers looked at each other.

"Why, somebody--a friend of yours--come to me at the Ostable station and dragged Nellie and me off the train.We rode with that person the rest of the way and--the said person told us what had happened and begged us to help you.Seemed to have made a middling good guess that I COULD help, if I would.""A person--a friend of mine! Why, I haven't any friend, any friend who knew the truth, or could guess.""Yes, you have."

"Who was it?"

George laughed aloud and Captain Jed laughed with him.

"I guess I shan't tell you," said the former."I promised Iwouldn't."