are for anything else or anybody else. . . .
Oh, of course I don't mean just that, you know. I do care for Sis
and Babbie. But--they're different."

"I understand, Charlie."

"No, you don't. How can you? Nobody can understand, least of all
a set old crank like you, Jed, and a confirmed bachelor besides.
Beg pardon for contradicting you, but you don't understand, you
can't."

Jed gazed soberly at the floor.

"Maybe I can understand a little, Charlie," he drawled gently.

"Well, all right. Let it go at that. The fact is that I'm at a
crisis."

"Just a half minute, now. Have you said anything to Maud about--
about how you feel?"

"Of course I haven't," indignantly. "How could I, without telling
her everything?"

"That's right, that's right. Course you couldn't, and be fair and
honorable. . . . Hum. . . . Then you don't know whether or not
she--er--feels the same way about--about you?"

Charles hesitated. "No-o," he hesitated. "No, I don't know, of
course. But I--I feel--I--"

"You feel that that part of the situation ain't what you'd call
hopeless, eh? . . . Um. . . . Well, judgin' from what I've heard,
I shouldn't call it that, either. Would it surprise you to know,
Charlie, that her dad and I had a little talk on this very subject
not so very long ago?"

Evidently it did surprise him. Charles gasped and turned red.

"Captain Hunniwell!" he exclaimed. "Did Captain Hunniwell talk
with you about--about Maud and--and me?"

"Yes."

"Well, by George! Then he suspected--he guessed that-- That's
strange."

Jed relinquished the grip of one hand upon his knee long enough to
stroke his chin.

"Um . . . yes," he drawled drily. "It's worse than strange, it's--
er--paralyzin'. More clairvoyants in Orham than you thought there
was; eh, Charlie?"

"But why should he talk with you on that subject; about anything
so--er--personal and confidential as that? With YOU, you know!"

Jed's slow smile drifted into sight and vanished again. He
permitted himself the luxury of a retort.

"Well," he observed musingly, "as to that I can't say for certain.
Maybe he did it for the same reason you're doin' it now, Charlie."

The young man evidently had not thought of it in just that light.
He looked surprised and still more puzzled.

"Why, yes," he admitted. "So I am, of course. And I do talk to
you about things I never would think of mentioning to other people.
And Ruth says she does. That's que