ou 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 I wouldn't."

CHAPTER XXIV

They left me soon after this. I tried to make them tell who the
mysterious friend might be, but they refused. The kind things they said
and the gratitude they both expressed I shall never forget. They did not
strenuously urge me to return to the bank, and that seemed strange to
me.

"The job's yours if you want it, Ros," said Captain Jed. "We'd be only
too happy to have you if you'd come--any time, sooner or later. But I
don't think you will."

"No," I answered, "I shall not. I have made other plans. I am going to
leave Denboro."

That did not seem to surprise them and I was still more puzzled. They
shook hands and went away, promising to call at the house that evening
and bring Nellie.

"She wants to thank you, too, Ros," said George.

After they had gone I sat by the big door, looking out at the bay,
smooth and beautiful in the afternoon sunlight, and thinking of what
they had told me. For Mother's sake I was very glad. It would be easier
for her, after I had gone; the townspeople would be friendly, instead
of disagreeable. For her sake, I was glad. For myself nothing seemed to
make any difference. George Taylor's words--those he had spoken to me
that fateful evening when I found him with the revolver beside him--came
back to me over and over. "Wait until your time comes. Wait until the
girl comes