"
"Not as much as that--no. Although I've known the absent-minded,
careless critter to have over two hundred knockin' around among his
tools and chips and glue pots. Probably he had some to start with,
and he got the rest by gettin' folks around town and over to
Harniss to cash his checks. Anthony Hammond over there asked me a
little while ago, when I met him down to the wharf, if I thought
Shavin's Winslow was good for a hundred and twenty-five. Said Jed
had sent over by the telephone man's auto and asked him to cash a
check for that much. Hammond said he thought 'twas queer he hadn't
cashed it at our bank; that's why he asked me about it."
"Humph! But why should he give his own money away in that fashion?
And confess to stealing and all that stuff? I never heard of such
a thing."
"Neither did anybody else. I've known Jed all my life and I never
can tell what loony thing he's liable to do next. But this beats
all of 'em, I will give in."
"You don't suppose--you don't suppose he is doing it to help you,
because you are his friend? Because he is afraid the bank--or you--
may get into trouble because of--well, because of having been so
careless?"
Captain Sam laughed once more. "No, no," he said. "Gracious king,
I hope my reputation's good enough to stand the losin' of four
hundred dollars. And Jed knows perfectly well I could put it back
myself, if 'twas necessary, without runnin' me into the poorhouse.
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