e whether he's heard anything
or not, Sam," he suggested eagerly. "No matter what he's heard, it
ain't so, because there couldn't have been anything stolen. There
was only four hundred missin'. I've found that and you've got it
back; so that settles it, don't it?"

"It certainly would seem as if it did," observed Grover.
"Congratulations, Captain Hunniwell. You're fortunate that so
honest a man found the money, I should say."

The captain merely grunted. The odd expression was still on his
face. Jed turned to the other two.

"Er--er--Major Grover," he said, "if--if you hear any yarns now
about money bein' missin'--or--or stolen you can contradict 'em
now, can't you?"

"I certainly can--and will."

"And you'll contradict 'em, too, eh, Phin?"

Babbitt jerked his shoulder from Grover's grasp and strode to the
door.

"Let me out of here," he snarled. "I'm goin' home."

No one offered to detain him, but as he threw open the door to the
outer shop Leonard Grover followed him.

"Just a moment, Babbitt," he said. "I'll go as far as the gate
with you, if you don't mind. Good afternoon, Jed. Good afternoon,
Captain, and once more--congratulations. . . . Here, Babbitt, wait
a moment."

Phineas did not wait, but even so his pursuer caught him before he
reached the gate. Jed, who had run to the window, saw the Major
and the hardware dealer in earnest conversation. The former seemed
to be doing most of the talking. Then they separated, Grover
remaining by the gate and Phineas striding off in the direction of
his shop. He was muttering to himself and his face was working
with emotion. Between baffled malice and suppressed hatred he
looked almost as if he were going to cry. Even amid his own
feelings of thankfulness and relief Jed felt a pang of pity for
Phineas Babbitt. The little man was the incarnation of spite and
envy and vindictive bitterness, but Jed was sorry for him, just as
he would have been sorry for a mosquito which had bitten him. He
might be obliged to crush the creature, but he would feel that it
was not much to blame for the bite; both it and Phineas could not
help being as they were--they were made that way.

He heard an exclamation at his shoulder and turned to find that
Captain Sam had also been regarding the parting at the gate.

"Humph!" grunted the captain. "Phin looks as if he'd been eatin'
somethin' that didn't set any too good. What's started him to
obeyin' orders from th