t was."

He clenched his fist.

"Damn you!" he shouted, furiously. "You liar! You sneak! After I--"

"That is enough, Captain. This has gone far enough. I have sold the
land--for what seemed to me a good reason--and your calling me names
will not change the situation. I don't care to hear them. You had better
go."

"WHAT?"

"I say you had better go."

"_I_ go? You'll put me out?"

"No, certainly not. But there is nothing to be gained by a quarrel, and
so, for both our sakes, I think you had better go away."

For a moment I thought he would strike me. Then his fist fell heavily
upon the table. His lips were quivering like those of an infirm person.
He looked old, and I had never before considered him an old man.

"What made you do it?" he cried, desperately. "What made you do it? Is
it all settled? Can't you back out?"

"No."

"But--but why didn't you sell to me--to the town? If you had to sell why
didn't you do that? Why did you go to him?"

"Because he would pay me what I needed; because his price was higher
than any you or the town could offer."

"How did you know that? My heavens above! I'd have paid--I'd have paid
most anything--out of my own pocket, I would. I tell you this meant
everything to me. I'm gettin' along in years. I ain't been any too well
liked here in Denboro, and I knew it. You think that didn't make no
difference to me, maybe I pretended it didn't, but it did; by the
Almighty, it did! I intended for folks to be thankful to me for--I--Oh,
WHY did you do it, Ros?"

I shook my head. I was sorry for him now--sorry and astonished. He
had given me a glimpse of the real Jedediah Dean, not the pompous,
loud-voiced town politician and boss, but the man desirous of fighting
his way into the esteem and liking of his neighbors.

"I'm sorry, Captain," I said. "If I had known--if I had had time to
think, perhaps I might have acted differently. But I had no time. I
found that I must have the money which that land would bring and that I
had to have it immediately. So I went where I knew I could get it."

"Money? You needed money? Why didn't you come to me? I'd have lent it to
you."

"You?"

"Yes, me. What do you cal'late I've been backin' you all this summer
for? What did I get you that job in my bank for?"

"YOU? George Taylor engaged me for that place."

"Maybe so. But do you suppose he did it on his own hook? HE couldn't
hire you unless the directors said so and the directors don't say