he said what I just said she said, didn't she?"

Mr. Winslow nodded. "Um-hm," he admitted, "she said--er--all of
that."

"All of it? Was there some more?"

"'Cordin' to Gabe there was. 'Cordin' to him she said . . . she
said . . . er . . . Hum! this brush ain't much better'n the other.
Seem to be comin' down with the mange, both of 'em."

"Gracious king! Consarn the paint brushes! Tell me what Melissa
said."

"Oh, yes, yes. . . . Well, 'cordin' to Gabe she said 'twas a
comfort to know there was a place in this town where an unprotected
female could go and not be insulted."

Captain Sam's laugh could have been heard across the road.

"Ho, ho!" he roared. "An unprotected female, eh? 'Cordin' to my
notion it's the male that needs protection when Melissa's around.
I've seen Lute Small standin' in the teller's cage, tongue-tied and
with the sweat standin' on his forehead, while Melissa gave him her
candid opinion of anybody that would vote to allow alcohol to be
sold by doctors in this town. And 'twas ten minutes of twelve
Saturday mornin', too, and there was eight men waitin' their turn
in line, and nary one of them or Lute either had the spunk to ask
Melissa to hurry. Ho, ho! 'unprotected female' is good!"

He had his laugh out and then added: "But there's no doubt that
Charlie's goin' to be popular with the women. Why, even Maud seems
to take a shine to him. Said she was surprised to have me show
such good judgment. Course she didn't really mean she was
surprised," he hastened to explain, evidently fearing that even an
old friend like Jed might think he was criticizing his idolized
daughter. "She was just teasin' her old dad, that's all. But I
could see that Charlie kind of pleased her. Well, he pleases me
and he pleases the cashier and the directors. We agree, all of us,
that we're mighty lucky. I gave you some of the credit for gettin'
him for us, Jed," he added magnanimously. "You don't really
deserve much, because you hung back so and wouldn't tell his name,
but I gave it to you just the same. What's a little credit between
friends, eh? That's what Bluey Batcheldor said the other day when
he came in and wanted to borrow a hundred dollars on his personal
note. Ho! ho!"

Captain Sam's glowing opinion of his paragon was soon echoed by the
majority of Orham's population. Charlie Phillips, although quiet
and inclined to keep to himself, was liked by almost every one. In
the bank and ou