'"
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.
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