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. 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 I wouldn'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! I swear 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