ch."

Captain Jed grinned. "Well," he said, slowly, "I don't object to that in
him. He seems to be a fighter and that's all right. Maybe if I was one
of his tribe in New York I should like him. But I ain't. And you ain't,
Ros. We're both of us country folks, livin' here, and he's a city shark
buttin' into the feedin' grounds. He wants to hog the whole place and
you and I say he shan't. I'm thankful to him for one thing: his comin'
here has waked you up, and it's goin' to make a man of you, or I miss my
guess."

I did not answer.

"You mustn't get mad because I talk this way," he went on. "I'm old
enough to be your dad, Ros Paine, and I know what I'm talkin' about. I
never took much of a shine to you in the old days. You was too much of
what the story books call a 'gentleman' to suit me. I've had to scratch
all my life for what I've got, but I've got it. When a young, able
feller like you was contented to loaf around as you did and take no
interest in nothin', I, naturally, figgered he was no-account. I see
now I was wrong. All you needed was somethin' to stir you up and set you
goin'. KEEP goin', that's my advice to you. And so long as you do, and
don't bend when the pressure gets hard, you'll be somebody afore you
die. And the friends you've made'll stand back of you."

"How about the enemies I have made?"

"Enemies? I suppose likely you have made some enemies, but what of it?
I've made enemies all my life. It ain't because I'm popular here in
Denboro that I'm what I am. Now is it?"

The truthful answer would have been no. Captain Dean was not popular,
but he was respected even by the many who disliked and disagreed with
him. I hesitated, trying to think what to say.

"You know 'tain't that," he said. "Popularity I never had, though it's
a pleasant enough thing and sometimes I wish--But there, this ain't
experience meetin'. I'm glad you're here in this bank. You're smart, and
George says you are worth more than Henry Small ever was, even so early.
If you really are what it begins to look as if you are I'm glad for
Denboro. Maybe there'll be somebody besides George fit to run this town
after I'm gone."

I smiled. The last remark was so characteristic that it was funny. He
was turning away, but he noticed the smile and turned back.

"That's a joke, hey?" he asked.

"Captain," I said, "you are not consistent. When you and I first talked
about the Lane you said that you would not blame me if I closed it. If
it