bank. As George and Nellie were "keeping company" it seemed likely
that Captain Jed would be gratified in this, as in all other desires.
He was a born boss, and did his best to run the town according to his
ideas. Captain Elisha Warren, who lived over in South Denboro and was
also a director in the bank, covered the situation when he said: "Jed
Dean is one of those fellers who ought to have a big family to order
around. The Almighty gave him only one child and so he adopted Denboro
and is bossin' that."

"I want to talk to you, Ros," repeated Captain Jed. "Come here."

He led the way to the settee by the calico and dress goods counter. I
put the unread letter in my pocket and followed him.

"Set down," he ordered. "Come to anchor alongside."

I came to anchor.

"How's your mother?" he asked. "Matilda was cal'latin' to go down and
set with her a spell this afternoon, if she didn't have anything else to
do--if Matilda didn't, I mean."

Matilda was his wife. In her husband's company she was as dumb as a
broken phonograph; when he was not with her she talked continuously,
as if to get even. A call from Matilda Dean was one of the additional
trials which made Mother's invalid state harder to bear.

"Course she may not come," Jedediah hastened to say. "She's pretty busy
these days. But if she don't have anything else to do she will. I told
her she'd better."

"Mother will be charmed," I said. Captain Jed was no fool and he looked
at me sharply.

"Um; yes," he grunted. "I presume likely. You're charmed, too, ain't
you?"

I was not expecting this. I murmured something to the effect that I was
delighted, of course.

"Sartin. Well, that's all right. I didn't get you on this settee to
charm you. I want to talk business with you a minute."

"Business! With me?"

"Yup. Or it may be business later on. I've been thinkin' about that
Shore Lane, the one that runs through your land. Us town folks use that
a whole lot. I cal'late most everybody's come to look at it as a reg'lar
public road to the beach."

"Why, yes, I suppose they have," I said, puzzled to know what he was
driving at. "It is a public road, practically."

"No, 'tain't, neither. It's a private way, and if you wanted to you
could shut it off any day. A good many folks would have shut it off
afore this."

"Oh, I guess not."

"I guess yes. I'd shut it off myself. I wouldn't have Tom, Dick and
Harry drivin' fish wagons and tip carts full of seaweed throug