Dinner was late that day, and they had just finished when Jasper arrived.  Then out upon the verandah he heard the remarkable story.  It was Betty who told it, while David and the captain sat smoking near by.  He was shown the letter as well, the cause of all the excitement.  Jasper read it over several times, and then stepping over to David he grasped his hand.

“Allow me to congratulate you, sir,” he began.  “Such good luck does not come to many in this country.  I am so thankful that your plans are to be carried out after all.”

“And they are to consult me, and carry out my every wish,” David replied.  “It is so stated there,” and he pointed to the letter.

The enthusiasm of the old man was so intense and childlike that Jasper had not the heart to say one word that would in any way dampen his joy.  To him, however, the whole thing was a great puzzle.  Was it a joke, he wondered, which some people were playing upon this simple-minded man?  A company was mentioned, but its name was not given.  And further, why should any company be willing to pay five thousand dollars for David’s idea, which was not new?  It had been successfully carried out in other localities.  Surely a concern which was able to make such a liberal offer must have full and accurate knowledge about hydro-electric plants and what they had accomplished in the past.  And why should David be made Honorary President of the company?  Was Robert Westcote, the stranger, the cause of it all?  He had not heard from him since the day of their visit to Mrs. Bean’s, and but for the cheque which he had received he would have been inclined to consider the whole thing as a hoax.

Jasper kept his thoughts, however, to himself, and sat for some time on the verandah taking but little part in the conversation.  Betty and the captain did most of the talking, while David sat near with a happy expression upon his face.

“When are you thinking of starting housekeeping on your own account?” the captain enquired.  “You’ll be so mighty important now that you won’t want to stay with us any longer.”

“Don’t you worry, Captain,” Betty laughingly replied.  “We’re not going to leave you just yet.  You see, we haven’t any house to go to, and it will take the rest of the summer to make arrangements.”

When Jasper left the Haven he walked slowly down the road toward the post office thinking over carefully all that he had just heard.  Every day he had been expecting news from Mr. Westcote, giving information as to what was expected of him.  Hitherto he had been disappointed.  But to-day he was rewarded when the postmaster, in addition to his daily paper, handed him out a letter.  Jasper felt that this was the one he had been looking for, and he hurried out of the building and carted homeward.  Reaching a shady tree by the side of the road, he sat down upon the ground and tore open the letter.  A week of thought and inactivity had made him anxious to know something more of what was expected of him, and he was quite certain that now the veil was to be lifted and the mystery partly solved.