"Don't say anything," he stammered."Don't! It's--it's all foolishness, anyhow.""Foolishness! It's--oh, I don't know what it is! And to sacrifice your reputation and your character and your friendship with Captain Hunniwell, all for me! I can't understand it.""Now--now--now, Charlie, don't try to.If I can't understand myself more'n half the time, what's the use of your strainin' your brains? I--I just took a notion, that's all.I--""But, Jed, why did you do it--for me? I have heard of men doing such things for--for women, sacrificing themselves to save a woman they were in love with.You read of that in books and--yes, Ithink I can understand that.But for you to do it--for ME!"Jed waved both hands this time."Sshh! sshh!" he cried, in frantic protest.His face was a brilliant crimson and his embarrassment and confusion were so acute as to be laughable, although Phillips was far from laughing."Sshh, sshh, Charlie," pleaded Jed."You--you don't know what you're talkin' about.You're makin' an awful fuss about nothin'.Sshh! Yes, you are, too.I didn't have any notion of tellin' Sam I stole that four hundred when I first gave it to him.I was goin' to tell him I found it, that's all.That would keep him bottled up, I figgered, and satisfied and then--then you and I'd have a talk and I'd tell you what I'd done and--well, some day maybe you could pay me back the money; don't you see? Ido hope," he added anxiously, "you won't hold it against me, for thinkin' maybe you had taken it.Course I'd ought to have known better.I would have known better if I'd been anybody but Shavin's Winslow.HE ain't responsible.""Hush, Jed, hush! But why did you say you had--kept it?""Eh? Oh, that was Sam's doin's.He commenced to ask questions, and, the first thing I knew, he had me on the spider fryin' over a hot fire.The more I sizzled and sputtered and tried to get out of that spider, the more he poked up the fire.I declare, I never knew lyin' was such a job! When I see how easy and natural it comes to some folks I feel kind of ashamed to think what a poor show I made at it.Well, Sam kept pokin' the fire and heatin' me up till I got desperate and swore I stole the money instead of findin' it.And that was hoppin' out of the fryin' pan INTO the fire," he drawled reflectively.
Charles smiled."Captain Sam said you told him you took the money to buy a suit of clothes with," he suggested.
"Eh? Did I? Sho! That was a real bright idea of mine, wasn't it?
A suit of clothes.Humph! Wonder I didn't say I bought shoe laces or collar buttons or somethin'....Sho!...Dear, dear!
Well, they say George Washin'ton couldn't tell a lie and I've proved I can't either; only I've tried to tell one and I don't recollect that he ever did that....Humph!...A suit of clothes....Four hundred dollars....Solomon in all his glory would have looked like a calico shirt and a pair of overalls alongside of me, eh?...Humph!"Phillips shook his head."Nevertheless, Jed," he declared, "Ican't understand why you did it and I never--never shall forget it.
Neither will Ruth.She will tell you so to-morrow."Jed was frightened."No, no, no, she mustn't," he cried, quickly.
"I--I don't want her to talk about it.I--I don't want anybody to talk about it.Please tell her not to, Charlie! Please! It's--it's all such foolishness anyhow.Let's forget it.""It isn't the sort of thing one forgets easily.But we won't talk of it any more just now, if that pleases you better.I have some other things to talk about and I must talk about them with some one.I MUST--I've got to."Jed looked at him.The words reminded him forcibly of Ruth's on that day when she had come to the windmill shop to tell him her brother's story and to discuss the question of his coming to Orham.
She, too, had said that she must talk with some one--she MUST.
"Have--you talked 'em over with--with your sister?" he asked.
"Yes.But she and I don't agree completely in the matter.You see, Ruth thinks the world of me, she always did, a great deal more than I deserve, ever have deserved or ever will.And in this matter she thinks first of all of me--what will become of me provided--well, provided things don't go as I should like to have them.That isn't the way I want to face the question.I want to know what is best for every one, for her, for me and--and for some one else--most of all for some one else, I guess," he added.
Jed nodded slowly."For Maud," he said.
Charles looked at him."How on earth--?" he demanded."What in blazes are you--a clairvoyant?""No-o.No.But it don't need a spirit medium to see through a window pane, Charlie; that is, the average window pane," he added, with a glance at his own, which were in need of washing just then.
"You want to know," he continued, "what you'd ought to do now that will be the right thing, or the nighest to the right thing, for your sister and Babbie and yourself--and Maud.""Yes, I do.It isn't any new question for me.I've been putting it up to myself for a long time, for months; by, George, it seems years.""I know.I know.Well, Charlie, I've been puttin' it up to myself, too.Have you got any answer?""No, none that exactly suits me.Have you?""I don't know's I have--exactly."
"Exactly? Well, have you any, exact or otherwise?""Um....Well, I've got one, but...but perhaps it ain't an answer.Perhaps it wouldn't do at all.Perhaps...perhaps...""Never mind the perhapses.What is it?"
"Um....Suppose we let it wait a little spell and talk the situation over just a little mite.You've been talkin' with your sister, you say, and she don't entirely agree with you.""No.I say things can't go on as they've been going.They can't.""Um-hm.Meanin'--what things?"
