第61章

"Ho, ho!" he roared."An unprotected female, eh? 'Cordin' to my notion it's the male that needs protection when Melissa's around.

I've seen Lute Small standin' in the teller's cage, tongue-tied and with the sweat standin' on his forehead, while Melissa gave him her candid opinion of anybody that would vote to allow alcohol to be sold by doctors in this town.And 'twas ten minutes of twelve Saturday mornin', too, and there was eight men waitin' their turn in line, and nary one of them or Lute either had the spunk to ask Melissa to hurry.Ho, ho! 'unprotected female' is good!"He had his laugh out and then added: "But there's no doubt that Charlie's goin' to be popular with the women.Why, even Maud seems to take a shine to him.Said she was surprised to have me show such good judgment.Course she didn't really mean she was surprised," he hastened to explain, evidently fearing that even an old friend like Jed might think he was criticizing his idolized daughter."She was just teasin' her old dad, that's all.But Icould see that Charlie kind of pleased her.Well, he pleases me and he pleases the cashier and the directors.We agree, all of us, that we're mighty lucky.I gave you some of the credit for gettin'

him for us, Jed," he added magnanimously."You don't really deserve much, because you hung back so and wouldn't tell his name, but I gave it to you just the same.What's a little credit between friends, eh? That's what Bluey Batcheldor said the other day when he came in and wanted to borrow a hundred dollars on his personal note.Ho! ho!"Captain Sam's glowing opinion of his paragon was soon echoed by the majority of Orham's population.Charlie Phillips, although quiet and inclined to keep to himself, was liked by almost every one.In the bank and out of it he was polite, considerate and always agreeable.During these first days Jed fancied that he detected in the young man a certain alert dread, a sense of being on guard, a reserve in the presence of strangers, but he was not sure that this was anything more than fancy, a fancy inspired by the fact that he knew the boy's secret and was on the lookout for something of the sort.At all events no one else appeared to notice it and it became more and more evident that Charlie, as nine-tenths of Orham called him within a fortnight, was destined to be the favorite here that, according to his sister, he had been everywhere else.

Of course there were a few who did not, or would not, like him.

Luther Small, the deposed bank clerk, was bitter in his sneers and caustic in his comments.However, as Lute loudly declared that he was just going to quit anyhow, that he wouldn't have worked for old Hunniwell another week if he was paid a million a minute for it, his hatred of his successor seemed rather unaccountable.Barzilla Small, Luther's fond parent, also professed intense dislike for the man now filling his son's position in the bank."I don't know how 'tis," affirmed Barzilla, "but the fust time I see that young upstart I says to myself: 'Young feller, you ain't my kind.' This remark being repeated to Captain Sam, the latter observed: 'That's gospel truth and thank the Lord for it.'"Another person who refused to accept Phillips favorably was Phineas Babbitt.Phineas's bitterness was not the sort to sweeten over night.He disliked the new bank clerk and he told Jed Winslow why.

They met at the post office--Phineas had not visited the windmill shop since the day when he received the telegram notifying him of his son's enlistment--and some one of the group waiting for the mail had happened to speak of Charlie Phillips."He's a nice obligin' young chap," said the speaker, Captain Jeremiah Burgess.

"I like him fust-rate; everybody does, I guess."Mr.Babbitt, standing apart from the group, his bristling chin beard moving as he chewed his eleven o'clock allowance of "Sailor's Sweetheart," turned and snarled over his shoulder.

"I don't," he snapped.

His tone was so sharp and his utterance so unexpected that Captain Jerry jumped.

"Land of Goshen! You bark like a dog with a sore throat," he exclaimed."Why don't you like him?""'Cause I don't, that's all."

"That ain't much of a reason, seems to me.What have you got against him, Phin? You don't know anything to his discredit, do you?""Never you mind whether I do or not."

Captain Jerry grunted but seemed disinclined to press the point further.Every one was surprised therefore when Jed Winslow moved across to where Phineas was standing, and looking mildly down at the little man, asked: "Do you know anything against him, Phin?""None of your business.What are you buttin' in for, Shavin's?""I ain't.I just asked you, that's all.DO you know anything against Charlie Phillips?""None of your business, I tell you."

"I know it ain't.But do you, Phin?"

Each repetition of the question had been made in the same mild, monotonous drawl.Captain Jerry and the other loungers burst into a laugh.Mr.Babbitt's always simmering temper boiled over.

"No, I don't," he shouted."But I don't know anything in his favor, neither.He's a pet of Sam Hunniwell and that's enough for me.Sam Hunniwell and every one of his chums can go to the devil.

Every one of 'em; do you understand that, Jed Winslow?"Jed rubbed his chin.The solemn expression of his face did not change an atom."Thank you, Phin," he drawled."When I'm ready to start I'll get you to give me a letter of introduction."Jed had been fearful that her brother's coming might lessen the intimate quality of Ruth Armstrong's friendship with and dependence upon him.He soon discovered, to his delight, that these fears were groundless.He found that the very fact that Ruth had made him her sole confidant provided a common bond which brought them closer together.Ruth's pride in her brother's success at the bank and in the encomiums of the townsfolk had to find expression somewhere.She could express them to her landlord and she did.