itten since; afraid of stopping the
golden egg supply, I presume. . . . But there," he added, "that's
enough of that. Jed, how could you do it--just for me? Of course
I had come to realize that your heart was as big as a bushel
basket, and that you and I were friends. But when a fellow gives
up four hundred dollars of his own money, and, not only does that,
but deliberately confesses himself a thief--when he does that to
save some one else who, as he knew, had really been a thief and who
he was pretty sure must have stolen again--why, Jed, it is
unbelievable. Why did you do it? What can I say to you?"

Jed held up a protesting hand.

"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, I
think 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? I
do 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