. . . Hum. . . . Then you don't know whether or not
she--er--feels the same way about--about you?"
Charles hesitated. "No-o," he hesitated. "No, I don't know, of
course. But I--I feel--I--"
"You feel that that part of the situation ain't what you'd call
hopeless, eh? . . . Um. . . . Well, judgin' from what I've heard,
I shouldn't call it that, either. Would it surprise you to know,
Charlie, that her dad and I had a little talk on this very subject
not so very long ago?"
Evidently it did surprise him. Charles gasped and turned red.
"Captain Hunniwell!" he exclaimed. "Did Captain Hunniwell talk
with you about--about Maud and--and me?"
"Yes."
"Well, by George! Then he suspected--he guessed that-- That's
strange."
Jed relinquished the grip of one hand upon his knee long enough to
stroke his chin.
"Um . . . yes," he drawled drily. "It's worse than strange, it's--
er--paralyzin'. More clairvoyants in Orham than you thought there
was; eh, Charlie?"
"But why should he talk with you on that subject; about anything
so--er--personal and confidential as that? With YOU, you know!"
Jed's slow smile drifted into sight and vanished again. He
permitted himself the luxury of a retort.
"Well," he observed musingly, "as to that I can't say for certain.
Maybe he did it for the same reason you're doin' it now, Charlie.
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