第124章

I was still trying when I heard footsteps approaching the door, the small door at the side, not the big one in front.I did not rise to open the door, nor did I turn my head.The visitor was Lute, probably, and if I kept still he might think I was not within and go away again.

The door opened."Here he is," said a voice, a voice that Irecognized.I turned quickly and sprang to my feet.Standing behind me was Captain Jedediah Dean and with him George Taylor--George Taylor, who should have been--whom I had supposed to be in Washington with his bride!

"Here he is," said Captain Jed, again."Well, Ros, we've come to see you."But I paid no attention to him.It was his companion I was staring at.What was he doing here?

"George!" I cried."GEORGE!"

He stepped forward and held out his hand.He was smiling, but there was a look in his eye which expressed the exact opposite of smiles.

"Ros," he said, quietly, "Ros Paine, you bull-headed, big-hearted old chump, how are you?"But I could only stare at him.Why had he come to Denboro? What did his coming to me mean? Why had he come with Captain Jed, the man who had vowed that he was done with me forever? And why was the captain looking at me so oddly?

"George!" I cried in alarm, "George, you haven't--you haven't made a fool of yourself? You haven't--"Captain Jed interrupted me."He ain't the fool, Ros," he said.

"That is, he ain't now.I'm the fool.I ought to have known better.Ros, I--I don't know's you'll give it to me, but anyhow I'm goin' to ask it; I beg your pardon.""Ros," said Taylor, before I could reply, "don't stand staring as if you were petrified.Sit down and let me look at you.You pig-headed old idiot, you! What do you mean by it? What did you do it for?"He pushed me into the chair I had just vacated.Captain Dean took another.George remained standing.

"He IS petrified, I do believe!" he exclaimed.

But my petrification was only temporary.I was beginning to understand, and to be more alarmed than ever.

"What are you doing here in Denboro?" I demanded.

Captain Jed answered for him."He's here because I telegraphed for him yesterday," he said."I wired him to come straight home and take charge of the bank.I had fired you, like the dumb fool I was, and I wanted him to take command.He got here on the mornin'

train."

I remembered what Phin Cahoon had said about the telegram and the captain's making him promise not to mention the name of the person to whom it was sent.It was George, of course.If I had been in a normal state of mind when Phin told me I should have guessed as much.

Taylor took up the conversation."Yes, I got here," he said."And when I got here--or a little before--" with a glance at the captain--"I found out what had been going on since I left.You old chump, Ros Paine! What did you do it for?"I looked at him and then at his companion.What I saw there confirmed my worst suspicions.

"George," I said, "if you have told him you must be crazy.""I was crazy not to tell him before.I was crazy not to guess what you had been up to.But I didn't suppose anybody would be crazy enough to do what you did, Ros.I didn't imagine for a minute that you would be crazy enough to throw away your job and get yourself into the trouble you knew was sure to come, just to help me.To help ME, by the Lord! Ros! Ros! what can I say to you!""You've said enough, and more than enough," I answered, bitterly.

"I did what I did so that you might keep your secret.I did it to help you and Nellie.And if you had kept still no one need ever have known, no one but you and I, George.And now you--""Shut up, Ros!" he interrupted."Shut up, I tell you! Why, confound you, what do you think I am? Do you suppose I would let you sacrifice yourself like that, while I set still and saw you kicked out of town? What do you think I am?""But what was the use of it?" I demanded."It was done.Nothing you could say would change it.For Nellie's sake--""There! there!" broke in Captain Jed, "Nellie knows.George told her the day they was married.He told her before they was married.