Hopwood blushed like a schoolgirl. He was silent a moment and then looked Jarred squarely in the eye. “You know what I think of Vic and I think she likes me. She never seems to think of me as being a Wait, but if we should marry some day, it would end all thought of the feud.”
Jarred looked at him thoughtfully. “If I thought that could be true, I would agree to anything,” he said slowly. “I have been wondering lately what would become of Vic. I am not as strong as I was and I cannot last forever. She won’t give me any reason, but she says she will never go back to her father, and I think she means it. She’ll be terribly alone in the world when I am gone.”
“I know why she won’t go back and I think she is right,” Hopwood replied with a dark frown. “Would that be satisfactory to you then?” he asked wistfully.
Jarred placed his hand affectionately on Hopwood’s shoulder. “Hopwood, as far as I know there are only two men in the world to whom I am indebted—you and Mr. Burton. You have done me innumerable good services, and he brought Vic to me the night she fell off her horse. Both of you want me to give it up. I am going to do it and pay a part of both debts.”
Hopwood jumped to his feet and grasped the old man’s hand. “Now I can go about my business. We’ll speak of the other some other time,” he added with a blush.
“No need to put it off,” Jarred said. “All I ask is that you wait till Vic has grown up. If she will have you then, there is nothing in all the world that would please me more.”
Hopwood wrung his hand once more and ran out of the house.
CHAPTER XXIII
A CLOSE CALL
When Scott turned his head and saw that man standing just at the end of the tunnel a great lump rose in his throat and his knees almost gave way under him. He wanted to run but he could not move. The next instant he recognized Hopwood and the reaction was so great that he sat down limply in his tracks and stared helplessly.
“You might as well kill a fellow as scare him to death, Hopwood,” he exclaimed when he had recovered his breath.