To my surprise they looked at each other and laughed. Captain Dean shook his head. “No,” he said, “you're mistook, Ros. The town don't know you sold it. I didn't tell 'em because I wanted George in command of that bank afore the row broke loose. I larned of the sale myself, by chance, over to Ostable and I never told anybody except Dorindy Rogers and her fool of a husband. I'll see that they keep still tongues in their heads. And as for the Lane--well, that won't be closed. Colton don't own it no more.” “Don't OWN it,” I repeated. “Don't own it! He does. I sold it to him myself.” “Yes. And George, here, bought it back not an hour ago. We saw His Majesty--sick in bed he was, but just as high and mighty and independent as ever--and George bought back the land and the Lane for thirty-five hundred dollars. The old man didn't seem to give a durn about it any more. He'd had his own way, he said, and that was all he cared about. Besides, he ain't goin' to stay in Denboro much longer. The old lady--his wife--is sick of the place and he only come here on her account. He cal'lates that New York is good enough for him. I cal'late 'tis. Anyhow, Denboro won't hang onto his coattails to hold him back. Tell Ros the whole story, George.” George told it, beginning with his receipt of his father-in-law's telegram and his hurried return to the Cape. He had gone directly to Captain Dean and confessed the whole thing. The captain had behaved like a trump, I learned. Instead of denouncing his daughter's husband he had forgiven him freely. Then they had gone to see Colton and George had bought the land. “And I shall give it to the town,” he said. “It's the least I can do. You wonder where the money came from, Ros? I guess you ain't seen the newspapers. There was a high old time in the stock market yesterday and Louisville and Transcontinental climbed half-way to the moon. From being a pauper I'm pretty well fixed.” “I'm heartily glad of it, George,” I said. “But there is one thing I don't understand. You say you learned of my selling the land before you reached Denboro. Captain Jed says no one but he and my people knew it. How did you find it out?” Again my two callers looked at each other. “Why, somebody--a friend of yours--come to me at the Ostable station and dragged Nellie and me off the train. We rode with that person the rest of the way and--the said person told us what had happened and begged us to help you. Seemed to have made a middling good guess that I COULD help, if I would.” “A person--a friend of mine! Why, I haven't any friend, any friend who knew the truth, or could guess.” “Yes, you have.” “Who was it?” George laughed aloud and Captain Jed laughed with him. “I guess I shan't tell you,” said the former. “I promised I wouldn't.” CHAPTER XXIV