Maud interrupted."Just a moment, Charlie," she said."Let me tell him what Father said last night.When he went out he left me crying and so miserable that I wanted to die.He had found Charlie's letter and we--we had had a dreadful scene and he had spoken to me as I had never heard him speak before.And, later, after he came back I was almost afraid to have him come into the room where I was.But he was just as different as could be.He told me he had been thinking the matter over and had decided that, perhaps, he had been unreasonable and silly and cross.Then he said some nice things about Charlie, quite different from what he said at first.And when we had made it all up and I asked him what had changed his mind so he told me it was you, Jed.He said he came to you and you put a flea in his ear.He wouldn't tell me what he meant, but he simply smiled and said you had put a flea in his ear."Jed, himself, could not help smiling faintly.
"W-e-e-ll," he drawled, "I didn't use any sweet ile on the job, that's sartin.If he said I pounded it in with a club 'twouldn't have been much exaggeration.""So we owe you that, too," continued Maud."And, afterwards, when Daddy and I were talking we agreed that you were probably the best man in Orham.There!"And she stooped impulsively and kissed him.
Jed, very much embarrassed, shook his head."That--er--insect Iput in your pa's ear must have touched both your brains, Ical'late," he drawled.But he was pleased, nevertheless.If he was a fool it was something to have people think him a good sort of fool.
It was almost four o'clock when Jed's next visitor came.He was the one man whom he most dreaded to meet just then.Yet he hid his feelings and rose with hand outstretched.
"Why, good afternoon, Major!" he exclaimed."Real glad to see you.
Sit down."
Grover sat."Jed," he said, "Ruth tells me that you know of my good fortune.Will you congratulate me?"Jed's reply was calm and deliberate and he did his best to make it sound whole-hearted and sincere.
"I sartin do," he declared."Anybody that wouldn't congratulate you on that could swap his head for a billiard ball and make money on the dicker; the ivory he'd get would be better than the bone he gave away....Yes, Major Grover, you're a lucky man."To save his life he could not entirely keep the shake from his voice as he said it.If Grover noticed it he put it down to the sincerity of the speaker.
"Thank you," he said."I realize my luck, I assure you.And now, Jed, first of all, let me thank you.Ruth has told me what a loyal friend and counselor you have been to her and she and I both are very, very grateful."Jed stirred uneasily."Sho, sho!" he protested."I haven't done anything.Don't talk about it, please.I--I'd rather you wouldn't.""Very well, since you wish it, I won't.But she and I will always think of it, you may be sure of that.I dropped in here now just to tell you this and to thank you personally.And I wanted to tell you, too, that I think we need not fear Babbitt's talking too much.
Of course it would not make so much difference now if he did;Charlie will be away and doing what all decent people will respect him for doing, and you and I can see that Ruth does not suffer.
But I think Babbitt will keep still.I hope I have frightened him;I certainly did my best."
Jed rubbed his chin.
"I'm kind of sorry for Phin," he observed.
"Are you? For heaven's sake, why?"
"Oh, I don't know.When you've been goin' around ever since January loaded up to the muzzle with spite and sure-thing vengeance, same as an old-fashioned horse pistol used to be loaded with powder and ball, it must be kind of hard, just as you're set to pull trigger, to have to quit and swaller the whole charge.
Liable to give you dyspepsy, if nothin' worse, I should say."Grover smiled."The last time I saw Babbitt he appeared to be nearer apoplexy than dyspepsia," he said.
"Ye-es.Well, I'm sorry for him, I really am.It must be pretty dreadful to be so cross-grained that you can't like even your own self without feelin' lonesome....Yes, that's a bad state of affairs....I don't know but I'd almost rather be 'town crank'
than that."
The Major's farewell remark, made as he rose to go, contained an element of mystery.
"I shall have another matter to talk over with you soon, Jed," he said."But that will come later, when my plans are more complete.
Good afternoon and thank you once more.You've been pretty fine through all this secret-keeping business, if you don't mind my saying so.And a mighty true friend.So true," he added, "that Ishall, in all probability, ask you to assume another trust for me before long.I can't think of any one else to whom I could so safely leave it.Good-by."One more visitor came that afternoon.To be exact, he did not come until evening.He opened the outer door very softly and tiptoed into the living-room.Jed was sitting by the little "gas burner"stove, one knee drawn up and his foot swinging.There was a saucepan perched on top of the stove.A small hand lamp on the table furnished the only light.He did not hear the person who entered and when a big hand was laid upon his shoulder he started violently.
"Eh?" he exclaimed, his foot falling with a thump to the floor.
