“That's what I meant. You kept your promise to me and I shan't forget it. Nor the town won't forget it, neither. Would you mind tellin' me just what happened between you and His Majesty?” “Not at all. He said he wanted to buy the Shore Lane strip and I refused to sell it to him. He said I was crazy and an infernal robber and I told him to go to the devil.” “WHAT! you didn't!” “I did.” Captain Jed slapped his knee and shouted in delight. He insisted on shaking hands with me. “By the great and everlastin'!” he declared, between laughs, “you're all right, Ros Paine! I said you was and now I'll swear to it. Told old Colton to go to the devil! If that ain't--oh, I wish I'd been there!” I went on sand-papering a valve plug. He walked up and down the floor, chuckling. “Well,” he said, at last, “you've made yourself solid in Denboro, anyhow. And I told you you shouldn't lose nothin' by it. The Selectmen held a meetin' last night and they feel, same as me, that that Shore Lane shan't be shut off. You understand what that means to you, don't you?” I looked at him, coolly. “No,” I answered. “You don't! It means the town's decided to buy that strip of land of yours. Definitely decided, practically speakin'. Now what'll you sell it to us for?” I put down the valve plug. “Captain,” said I, “that land is not for sale.” “Not for SALE? What do you mean by that?” “I mean that I have decided not to sell it, for the present, at least. Neither to Colton nor any one else.” He could not believe it. Of course I would not sell it to Colton. Colton was a stuck-up, selfish city aristocrat who thought all creation ought to belong to him. But the town was different. Did I realize that it was the town I lived in that was asking to buy now? The town of which I was a citizen? Think of what the town had done for me. “Very well,” I answered. “I'm willing to think. What has it done for me?” It had--it had--well, it had done a whole lot. As a citizen of that town I owed it a--a-- “Look here, Captain Dean,” I interrupted, “there's no use in our arguing the matter. I have decided not to sell.” “Don't talk so foolish. Course you'll sell if you get money enough.” “So Colton said, but I shan't.” “Ros, I ain't got any authority to do it, but I shouldn't wonder if I could get you three hundred dollars for that strip.” “It isn't a question of price.” “Rubbish! Anything's a question of price.” “This isn't. If it was I probably should have accepted Mr. Colton's offer of six hundred and fifty.” “Six hun--! Do you mean to say he offered you six hundred and fifty dollars for that little mite of land, and you never took him up?” “Yes.” “Well, you must be a . . . Humph! Six hundred and fifty! The town can't meet no such bid as that, of course.” “I don't expect it to.” He regarded me in silence. He was chagrined and angry; his florid face was redder than ever; but, more than all, he was puzzled.