Theremaybenothinginit，afterall。”
　　Hisvisitorsmiled。”Say，Mr。Sylvester，”hesaid，”you’reliketheyoung-onesusedtobewhenIwasaboy。There’dbeagangof’emwaitin’bytheschoolhousestepsandwhentheparticularvictimhoveinsightthey’dhailhimwith，’Ah，ha！YOU’REgoin’togetit！’’Waittillteacherseesyou！’andsoon。Coursethevictimwouldwanttoknowwhatitmeant。Allthesatisfactionhegotfromthemwas，’That’sallright！You’llfindout！Youjustwait！’
　　Andthepoorfellerputinthetimeaforethebellrunggoin’overallthethingsheshouldn’thavedoneandhad，andwonderin’whichitwasthistime。Youhintedtomeaweekagothattherewasasurprisin’possibilityloomin’upin’Bije’sfinancialaffairs。
　　AndeversincethenI’vebeenpuzzlin’mybrainstryin’toguesswhatcouldhappen。Ain’tdiscoveredanymoreofthoseCutShortbonds，haveyou？”
　　ThebondstowhichhereferredwerethoseofadefunctShortLinerailroad。AlargenumberofthesebondshadbeendiscoveredamongA。RodgersWarren’seffects；partofhis”tangledassets，”thecaptainhadtermedthem，differentiatingfromthe”tangible”
　　variety。”Abbie，myhousekeeper，hasbeenwritin’me，”hewenton，”abouthavin’thesewin’roompapered。Shewantsmyadviceconcernin’thestyleofpaper；saysitoughttobeprettyandoutofthecommon，butnottooexpensive。Ijudgewhatshewantsissomethin’thatlookslikemoneybutain’treallywuthmorethantencentsamile。
　　I’vebeenthinkin’I’dsendherabaleorsoofthosebonds；they’dfillthebillinthoserespects，wouldn’tthey？”
　　Sylvesterlaughed。”Theycertainlywould，Captain，”hereplied。”No，wehaven’tunearthedanymoreofthatsort。And，asforthismysteryofours，I’llgiveyoutheanswer——ifit’sworthgivingatall，inaveryshorttime。Meanwhile，yougohomeandforgetit。””Well，I’lltry。ButIguessitsticksoutonmyface，likeafourdays’toothache。ButIWON’Tworryaboutthat。Youknowbestwhethertotellmenowornot，and——well，I’mcarryin’aboutalltheworrymytonnage’llstand，as’tis。”
　　Hedrewalongbreath。Sylvesterregardedhimsympathetically。”Youmustn’ttakeyournephew’sandniece’streatmenttoomuchtoheart，”hesaid。”Oh，Idon’t。Thatis，IpretendIdon’t。AndIdotrynotto。
　　ButIkeepthinkin’，thinkin’，andwonderin’if’twouldhavebeenbetterifIhadn’tgonetheretoliveatall。Hihum！amanofmyagehadn’toughttomindwhatatwenty-year-oldgirlsays，ordoes；
　　’speciallywhenherkind，advisin’friendshaveshownherhowshe’sbeendeceivedandhypocrit-ted。Bytheway，speakin’ofhypocrites，Isupposethere’sjustasmuch’Dunnin’’asevergoin’onupthere？””Yes。Alittlemore，ifanything，I’mafraid。YournieceandMrs。
　　Dunnandherprecioussonaretogethernowsoconstantlythatpeopleareexpecting——well，youknowwhattheyexpect。””Icanguess。Ihopethey’llbedisapp’inted。””SodoI，butImustconfessI’mfearful。Malcolmhimselfisn’tsowise，buthismotheris——””AwholeBookofProverbs，hey？Iknow。She’sanableoldfrigate。
　　IdidthinkIhadhergunsspiked，butsheturned’emonmeunexpected。IthoughtIhadherandherboyinaclovehitch。I
　　knewsomethin’thatIwassartinsuretheywouldn’twantCarolinetoknow，andsheandMalcolmknewIknewit。Hertellin’Carolineofit，HERstoryofit，whenIwasn’ttheretocontradict，wasassmartapieceofmaneuverin’aseverwas。Ittookthewindoutofmysails，because，thoughI’mjustasrightasIeverwas，Carolinewouldn’tlistentome，norbelieveme，now。””She’lllearnbyexperience。””Yup。Butlearnin’byexperienceisagooddeallikeshippin’
　　greenaforethemast；it’llmakeanableseamanofyou，ifitdon’tkillyoufust。WhenIwasaboytherewasamaninourtownnameofNickersonCummin’s。Hewasmateofashipandsmartasaredpepperpoulticeonaskinnedheel。Hewasagreatchurchgoerwhenhewasashoreandalwayspreachin’brotherlyloveandkindnessandpattin’uslittleshaversonthehead，andsoon。Mostofthegrownfolksthoughthewasasortofsaint，andIthoughthewasmorethanthat。I’dhaveworshipedhim，Ical’late，ifmyMethodisttrainin’wouldhaveallowedmetoworshipanybodywhowa’n’tnamedinScriptur’。Ifthere’dbeenanapostleoraprophetchristenedNickersonI’dhavefellonmykneestothisCummin’sman，sure。So，whenIwenttoseaasacabinboy，atow-headedsnub-nosedlittlechapoffourteen，Iwasashappyasaclamathighwater’causeIwasgoin’intheshiphewasmateof。”
　　Hepaused。Therewasafrownonhisface，andhislowerjawwasthrustforwardgrimly。”Well？”inquiredSylvester。”Whathappened？””Hey？Oh，excuseme。WhenIgettothinkin’ofthatv’yageI
　　simmerinside，likeateakettleonahotstove。Theseconddayout——seasickandhomesickandsomiserableIwishedIcoulddieallatonceinsteadofbylingerin’spasms——Idroppedadishonthecabinfloorandbrokeit。Cummin’swasalonewithme，eatin’hisdinner；andhejumpedoutofhischairwhenIstoopedtopickupthepiecesandkickedmeunderthetable。WhenIcrawledout，hekickedmeagainandkeptitup。Whenhisfootgottiredheusedhisfist。’There！’sayshebetweenhisteeth，’Ical’latethat’lllearnyouthatcrockerycostsmoney。’”Itdid。Ineverbrokeanythingelseaboardthatship。Cummin’swasabullyandasneaktoeverybodybuttheoldman，andatoadytohim。Heneverstruckmeoranybodyelsewhentheskipperwasaround，buttherewasnothin’toomeanforhimtodowhenhethoughthehadasafechance。AndhetookpainstoletmeknowthatifIevertoldasoulathomehe’dkillme。I’dlearnedbyexperience，notonlyaboutthepriceofcrockery，butotherthings，thingsthatayoungsteroughtnottolearn——howtohateamansothatyoucanwaityearstogetevenwithhim，forone。I’msorryI
　　learnedthat，and，”dryly，”sowasCummin’s，later。ButIdidlearn，onceandforall，nottotakefolksontrust，nortosize’emupbytheiroutside，orthenoisetheymakeinprayer-meetin’，northewaytheycanspreadsoftsoapwhentheythinkit’snecessary。I’dlearnedthat，andI’dlearneditearlyenoughtobeofusetome，whichwasamercy。”Itwasahardlessonforme，”headded，reflectively；”butI
　　managedtocomeoutofitwithoutlettin’itbittermywholelife。
　　Idon’tmindsomuchCaroline’sbein’downonme。She’llknowbettersomeday，Ihope；andifshedon’t——well，I’monlyaside-
　　issueinherlife，anyhow，hoveinbyaccident，likethesectionofdogcollarinthesassage。ButIdohopeherlearnin’byexperiencewon’tcometoolatetosaveherfrom……whatshe’llbeawfulsorryforbyandby。””Itmust，”declaredthelawyer，withdecision。”Youmustseetoit，CaptainWarren。Youareherguardian。Sheisabsolutelyunderyourcharge。Shecandonothingofimportanceunlessyouconsent。””Yup。That’sso——foronemoreyear；justone，remember！Thenshe’llbeofage，andIcan’tsay’Boo！’Andhershareof’Bije’smoney’llbehers，too。Anddon’tyoubelievethatthatfacthasslippedSisterDunn’smemory。Iain’tondecktoheadheroffnow；
　　ifsheputsMalcolmuptogettin’Carolinetogiveherword，andCarolinegivesit——well，Iknowmyniece。She’shonorable，andshe’llsticktoherpromiseifitrunsherontherocks。AndHerMajestyDunnknowsthat，too。Therefore，thecatbein’away，shecal’latesnow’sthetimetomakesureofthecheese。””Butthecatcancomeback。Thesongsaysitdid，youknow。””Um-hm。Andgotanotherkick，Ishouldn’twonder。However，myclaws’llstaysharpforayearorthereabouts，and，ifitcomestoashindy，there’llbesometallscratchin’aforeIclimbatree。
　　Keepaweathereyeonwhatgoeson，won’tyou？””Iwill。Youcandependonme。””Ido。Andsay！forgoodness’sakesputmeoutofmymiseryregardin’thatrockorlighthouseon’Bije’schart，soon’severyousettlewhichitis。””Certainly！And，remember，don’tworry。Itmaybealighthouse，ornothingatall。Atallevents，I’llreportverysoon。”
　　CHAPTERXVI
　　But，inspiteofhispromise，Sylvesterdidnotreportduringthefollowingweekorthenext。Meanwhile，hisclienttriedhisbesttokeepthenewmysteryfromtroublinghisthoughts，andsucceededonlypartially。Thecaptain’sdaysandeveningswerequietandmonotonous。HeborrowedabookortwofromMrs。Hepton’smeagerlibrary，read，walkedagooddeal，generallyalongthewaterfront，andwrotedailyletterstoMissBaker。HeandPearsonweretogetherforatleastaportionofeachday。Theauthor，fightingdownhisdejectionanddiscouragement，sethimselfresolutelytoworkoncemoreonthenovel，andhisnauticaladviserwascalledinforfrequentconsultation。Thestory，however，progressedbutslowly。Therewassomethinglacking。Eachknewwhatthatsomethingwas，butneithernamedit。
　　OneeveningPearsonenteredtheroomtenantedbyhisfriendtofindthelatterseatedbesidethetable，hisshoespartiallyunlaced，andapairofbigslippersreadyforputtingon。”Captain，”saidthevisitor，”youlooksocomfortableIhatetodisturbyou。”
　　CaptainElisha，red-facedandpanting，desistedfromtheunlacingandstraightenedinhischair。”Whew！”hepuffed。”Jim，yourremarksprovethatyourexperienceoftheworldain’tasbigasitoughttobe。Whenyougettomyageandwaistmeasureyou’llrealizethatstoopin’overandcomfortdon’tgotogether。Ihopetobecomfortableprettysoon；butI
　　sha’n’tbetillthembootsareoff。Setdown。Theagony’llbeoverinaminute。”
　　Pearsondeclinedtosit。”Notyet，”hesaid。”Andyouletthoseshoesalone，untilyouhearwhatI’vegottosay。Anewspaperfriendofminehassentmetwoticketsfortheoperato-night。I
　　wantyoutogowithme。”
　　CaptainElishawassurprised。”Totheopera？”herepeated。”Why，that’sa——asortofsingin’
　　theaterain’tit？””Yes，you’refondofmusic；youtoldmeso。AndAidaisbeautiful。
　　Comeon！itwilldousbothgood。””Hum！Well，Idon’tknow。””Ido。Getready。”
　　Thecaptainlookedathiscaller’seveningclothes。”Whatdoyoumeanbygettin’ready？”heasked。”You’vegotonyourregimentals，openfrontandall。Myuniformisthehuntin’casekind；fitsinbetterwithchurchsociablesandSouthDenborono’theasters。IfIworeoneofthosevestslikeyoursAbbie’dmakemeputonaredflannellung-protectortokeepfromcatchin’
　　pneumonia。Andshe’dthink’twassinfulwastebesides，runnin’theriskofsp’ilin’acleanbiledshirtsoquick。Won’tIlooklikeanundertaker，sittin’alongsideofyou？””Notabit。IfitwilleaseyourmindI’llchangetoabusinesssuit。””Idon’tcare。YouknowhowIfeel；wehadalittletalkabouthatsaspellago，youremember。Ifyou’rewillin’totakeme’justasIam，withoutaplea，’asthehymn-tunesays，why，Ical’lateI’llsayyesandgo。SetdownandwaitwhileIgetonmyceremonials。”
　　Heretiredtothecurtainalcove，andPearsonheardhimrustlingabout，evidentlymakingahurriedchangeofraiment。Duringthisprocesshetalkedcontinuously。”Jim，”hesaid，”Iain’tbeentothetheaterbutoncesinceI
　　landedinNewYork。ThenIwenttoseeaplaynamed’TheHeartofaSailor。’Ha！ha！thatwasagreatshow！Evertakeitin，didyou？””No。Ineverdid。””Well，you’doughtto。It’sawonderofit’skind。Ilearnedmorethingsaboutlife-savin’and’longshorelifefromthatdraymathanyou’dbelievewaspossible。You’dhavegotsomep’intsforyourCap’nJimyarnfromthatplay；yousartinwould！Yes，indeed！WayIhappenedtogotoitwasonaccountofseein’aposteronafenceovernighwherethatMoriartytribelived。Theposterpicturedabarkashore，onherbeamends，inasealikethoseofftheHorn。
　　Onthebeachwasawholeparceloflife-saversfirin’offrocketsandbluelights。Keepin’theFourthofJuly，Ijudgedtheywas，forIcouldn’tseeanyotherreason。Thebarkwa’n’tmore’nahundredfootfrom’em，andifallhandsonboarddidn’tknowtheywasintroublebythattime，thentheydeservedtodrown。Anyhow，theywa’n’tlikelytoappreciatethecelebration。Ho！ho！Well，whenIrunafoulofthatposterIfeltIhadn’toughttoletanythinglikethatgetaway；soIhuntedupthetheater——itwa’n’tbutalittlewaysoff——andgotafrontseatforthatveryafternoon。””Wasituptotheadvertising？”askedPearson。”WASit？Hihum！Iwishyou’dbeenthere。More’specialIwishedsomeofthefolksfromhomehadbeenthere，forthewholebusinesswassupposedtohappenontheCape，andthey’dhaverealizedhowignorantweareabouttheplacewelivein。Theherowasastrappin’six-footer，sortofacombinationfishermanandparson，seemedso。Heworeileskinsinfairweatherandwentaroundpreachin’ordefyin’folksthatprovokedhimandmakin’lovetothedaughterofalong-hairedoldrelicthatcalledhimselfaninventor……Oh，consarnit！””What’sthematter？””Droppedmycollarbutton，asusual。CollarbuttonsareoneoftheOldHarry’spettraps。I’llbettheirresponsiblefor’mostasmanylapsesfromgraceastangledfishlines。Where……Ow！……
　　Allright；Ifounditwithmybarefoot，andedgeup，ofcourse。”
　　Aseriesofgruntsandshort-breathedexclamationsfollowed，indicatingthatthesuffererwasstrugglingwithatightcollar。”Goon，”commandedPearson。”Tellmesomemoreabouttheplay。””Hey？Oh，theplay。WherewasI？””Youweresayingthattheheroine’sfatherwasaninventor。””That’swhatHEsaidhewas，thoughheneverfurnishedanyproof。
　　Hisdaughterhelpedhimwithhisinventions，butifshe’dcuthishaironceinawhile’twouldhavebeenabetterwayofputtin’inthetime，’cordin’tomynotion。Andtherewasarichsquire，whomadehismoneybyspeculatin’inwickedness，andamortgage，and——I
　　don’tknowwhatall。AndthoseCapeCodfolks！andthehousestheylivedin！andthewaytheytalked！Oh，dear！oh，dear！Igotmymoney’swuththatafternoon。””Whataboutthewreck？Howdidthathappen？””Don’tknow。Ithappened’causeithadtobeintheplay，I
　　cal’late。Themortgage，oran’invention’orsomethin’，wasonboardthebarkandjustnaturallytookashortcutforhome，wayI
　　figgereditout。But，Jim，yououghttohaveseenthathero！Hepeeledoffhisileskin-slicker——he’dkeptitonallthroughthesunshine，butnow，when’twasrainin’andrainin’andwreckin’andthunderin’，heshedit——andjumpedinandsavedallhandsandtheship’scat。’Twasgreatbusiness！Nowonderthelife-saverssetofffireworks！Andthunder！Why，say，itneverstoppedthunderin’
　　inthatstormexceptwhensomebodyhadtomakeaheroicspeech；
　　thenitletupandgive’emachance。MostconsideratethundereverIheard。Andthelightnin’！andthewaythedustflewfromthebreakers！IwasgladIwent……There！”appearingfullydressedfrombehindthecurtains。”I’mreadyifyouare。DidI
　　talkyourheadoff？Iaskyourpardon；butthat’HeartofaSailor’touchedmine，Iguess。IknowIwasafraidI’dlaughuntilitstoppedbeatin’。Andallaroundthepeoplewerecryin’。Itwasenoughsightdamperamongsttheseatsthaninthoseclothwaves。”
　　ThepairwalkedovertoBroadway，boardedastreetcar，andalightedbeforetheMetropolitanOperaHouse。Pearson’sseatsweregoodones，welldownintheorchestra。CaptainElishaturnedandsurveyedthegreatinteriorandthebrilliantlygarbedaudience。”Whew！”hemuttered。”Thisisconsiderableofashowinitself，Jim。Theycouldputourtownhallinsidehereandthefolksontheroofwouldn’tbesohighasthoseinthatmainskys’lgalleryupaloftthere。Cantheyseeorhear，doyouthink？””Oh，yes。Theacceptedideaisthattheyaretherealmusiclovers。THEYcomefortheoperaitself。Someoftheotherscomebecause——well，becauseitistheproperthing。””Yes，yes；Isee。That’stherealarticlerightoverourheads，I
　　suppose。””Yes。That’sthe’DiamondHorseshoe。’””Allproperthingsthere，hey？””Why——er——yes，Isupposeso。Whatmakesyouask？””Nothingmuch。Iwasthinking’twasbetterAbbiewa’n’talongonthiscruise。She’dprobablywanttoputan’im’infrontofthat’proper。’Ienvythosewomen，Jim；THEYdidn’thavetostoptohuntupcollarbuttons，didthey。”
　　Hewassilentduringthefirstactoftheopera。Whenthecurtainfellhiscompanionaskedhowhelikedit。”Goodsingin’，”hereplied；”bestIeverheard。Doyouunderstandwhattheysay？””No。ButI’mfamiliarwiththestoryofAida，ofcourse。It’safavoriteofmine。Andthewordsdon’treallymatter。””Isupposenot。It’sthewaytheysayit。IhadanIrishmanworkin’roundmybarnonce，andTimBaileydrovedownfromBayporttoseeme。IwasoutandTimandtheIrishmanrunafoulofeachother。Timstutteredsothathemadeanoisewhenhetalkedlikeoneofthesegasolinebicyclesgoin’by。HewatchedMikesweepin’
　　outthehorsestallandhesays，’You’reapup——pup……Isayyou’reapup。’Hedidn’tgetanyfurther’causeMikewentforhimwiththebroom。Turnedoutlaterthathewastryin’tocomplimentthatIrishmanbysayin’hewasaparticularsortoffeller。Thesefolksonthestagemightbesayin’mostanythin’，andIwouldn’tknowit。ButIsha’n’tknock’emdown，forIlikethewayit’ssaid。WhentheAlmightygiveusmusichemorethanmadeupformakin’ussubjecttotoothache，didn’the。”
　　Pearsonboughtacopyofthelibretto，andthecaptainfollowedtheperformanceofthenexttwoactswithinterest。”Say，Jim，”hewhispered，withabroadgrin，”it’sagoodthingthisoperaideaain’tcarriedintoreallife。Ifyouhadtosingeverywordyousaid’twouldbesortofdistressin’，’speciallyifyouwasinahurry。Afust-ratesolowhenyouwasorderin’thecrewtoshortensailwouldbeahigholdbrimstoneanthem，I’llbetyou。Andthinkofthedinnertableatourboardin’house！Mrs。
　　VanandC。Dickensbothgoin’atonce，andMarmHeptonserenadin’
　　thewaitergirl！Ho！ho！Acatfightwouldn’tbeacircumstance。”
　　Betweenthethirdandthefourthactsthepairwentoutintothefoyer，where，ascendingtothenextfloor，theymadetheroundofthelongcurvebehindtheboxes，Pearsonpointingouttohisfriendthenamesoftheboxlesseesonthebrassplates。”There！”heobserved，as，thehalfcirclecompleted，theyturnedandstrolledbackagain，”isn’tthatanimposinglist，Captain？
　　Don’tyoufeelasifyouwereclosetotherealthing？””Godfreysmighty！”wasthesolemnreply；”Iwasjustthinkin’I
　　feltasifI’dbeenreadin’oneofthosemuck-rakin’yarnsinthemagazines！”
　　Thefoyerhaditsusualanimatedcrowd，andamongthemPearsonrecognizedacriticofhisacquaintance。Heofferedtointroducethecaptain，butthelatterdeclinedthehonor，sayingthathecal’latedhewouldn’tshovehisbowsinthistime。”Youheaveaheadandseeyourfriend，Jim，”headded。”I’llcometoanchorbythispillarandwatchthefleetgoby。I’llhavetowriteAbbieaboutallthis；she’llwanttoknowhowthefemalecraftwasrigged。”
　　Leftalone，heleanedagainstthepillarandwatchedthepeoplepassandrepassjustbehindhim。Twoyoungmenpausedjustbehindhim。Hecouldnothelpoverhearingtheirconversation。”Ipresumeyou’veheardthenews？”askedone，casually。”Yes，”repliedtheother，”Ihave。Thatis，ifyoumeanthenewsconcerningMalDunn。Thematerlearneditthisafternoonandsprungitatdinner。Noonewasgreatlysurprised。Formalannouncementmade，andallthatsortofthing，Ibelieve。Mal’stobecongratulated。””Hismotheris，youmean。Shemanagedthecampaign。Theoldladyissomestrategist，andI’dbackhertowinunderordinarycircumstances。ButIunderstandthesewerenotordinary；wiseowlofaguardiantobecircumvented，orsomethingofthatsort。””FromwhatIheartheDunnshaven’twonsomuchafterall。Therewasabigshrinkagewhenpapadied，sotheysay。Insteadofthreeorfourmillionsitpannedouttobeagooddeallessthanone。I
　　don’tknowmuchaboutit，becauseourfamilyandtheirshavedriftedapartsincetheymoved。””Humph！Iimaginewhateverthepan-outitwillbewelcome。TheDunnsaredangerouslyclosetotheraggededge；everybodyhasbeenontothatforsometime。AndittakesafewducatstokeepMalgoing。He’snoUncleRussellwhenitcomestoputtingbyfortherainyday。””Well，onthewhole，I’mrathersorryfor——theotherparty。Malisagoodenoughfellow，andhecertainlyisagamesport；but——”
　　Theymovedon，andCaptainElishaheardnomore。Butwhathehadheardwasquitesufficient。Hesatthroughtheremainderoftheoperainsilenceandansweredallhisfriend’squestionsandremarkscurtlyandabsently。
　　AstheysteppedintothetrolleyPearsonboughtaneveningpaper，notthePlanet，butadignifiedsheetwhichshunnedsensationalismanddevotedmuchspacetothedoingsofthesafe，sane，andultra-
　　respectableelement。Perceivingthathiscompanion，forsomereason，didnotcaretotalk，hereadasthecarmoveddowntown。
　　SuddenlyCaptainElishawasawakenedfromhisreveriebyhearinghisfriendutteranexclamation。Lookingup，thecaptainsawthathewasleaningbackintheseat，thepaperlyingunheededinhislap。”What’sthematter？”askedtheolderman，anxiously。
　　Pearsonstarted，glancedquicklyathisfriend，hesitated，andlookeddownagain。”Nothing——now，”heanswered，brusquely。”Wegetouthere。Come。”
　　Herose，pickedupthepaperwithahandthatshookalittle，andledthewaytothedoorofthecar。CaptainElishafollowed，andtheystrodeupthedesertedsidestreet。Pearsonwalkedsorapidlythathiscompanionwashardpushedtokeeppacewithhim。Whentheystoodtogetherinthedimlylithalloftheboardinghouse，thecaptainspokeagain。”Well，Jim，”heaskedinalowtone，”whatisit？Youmayaswelltellme。MaybeIcanguess，anyhow。”
　　Theyoungmanreachedupandturnedthegasfullon。Inspiteofthecoldfromwhichtheyhadjustcome，hisfacewaswhite。Hefoldedthepaperinhishand，andwithhisforefingerpointedtoitsuppermostpage。”Thereitis，”hesaid。”Readit。”
　　CaptainElishatookthepaper，drewhisspectaclecasefromhispocket，adjustedhisglassesandread。Theitemwasamongthoseundertheheadof”PersonalandSocial。”Itwaswhatheexpected。”Theengagementisto-dayannouncedofMissCarolineWarren，daughterofthelateA。RodgersWarren，thewell-knownbroker，toMr。MalcolmCorcoranDunn，ofFifthAvenue。MissWarren，itwillberemembered，wasoneofthemostcharmingofourseason-before-
　　last’sdebutantesand——”etc。
　　Thecaptainreadthebriefitemthrough。”Yes，”hesaid，slowly，”Isee。”
　　Pearsonlookedathiminamazement。”YouSEE！”herepeated。”You——Why！DIDYOUKNOWIT？””I’vebeenafraidofitforsometime。To-night，whenyouleftmealonethereinthequarter-deckofthatoperahouse，Ihappenedtoheartwoyoungchapstalkin’aboutit。SoyoumightsayIknew——
　　Yes。””Goodheavens！andyoucanstandthereand——Whatareyougoingtodoaboutit？””Idon’tknow——yet。””Areyougoingtopermithertomarrythat——THATfellow？””Well，Iain’tsartinthatIcanstopher。””MyGod，man！Doyourealize——andSHE——yourniece——why——””There！there！Jim。Irealizeitall，Ical’late。It’smybusinesstorealizeit。””Anditisn’tmine。No，ofcourseitisn’t；you’rerightthere。”
　　Heturnedandstrodetowardthefootofthestairs。”Holdon！”commandedthecaptain。”Holdon，Jim！Don’tyougooffha’fcocked。WhenIsaid’twasmybusinesstorealizethisthing，Imeantjustthatandnothin’more。Iwa’n’thintin’，andyououghttoknowit。Youdoknowit，don’tyou？”
　　Theyoungmanpaused。”Yes，”heanswered，afteraninstant’sstrugglewithhisfeelings；”yes，Ido。Ibegyourpardon，Captain。””Allright。Andhere’ssomethin’else；IjusttoldyouIwasn’tsartinIcouldstopthemarriage。That’sthetruth。ButIdon’trecollectsayin’I’dactuallyhauleddownthecolors，notyet。
　　Goodnight。””Goodnight，Captain。Ishouldn’thavemisunderstoodyou，ofcourse。But，asyouknow，Irespectedandadmiredyourniece。
　　Andthisthinghas——has——””Sortofknockedyouonyourbeamends，Iunderstand。Well，Jim，”
　　withasigh，”Iain’texactlyonanevenkeelmyself。”
　　Theyseparated，Pearsongoingtohisroom。AsCaptainElishawaspassingthroughthehallonthesecondfloor，heheardsomeonecallinghimbyname。Turning，hesawhislandlady’shead，bristlingwithcurlpapers，protrudingfrombehindthedoorattheotherendofthepassage。”CaptainWarren，”sheasked，”isthatyou？””Yes，ma’am，”repliedthecaptain，turningback。”Well，I’vegotamessageforyou。AMr。Sylvesterhas’phonedyoutwicethisevening。Hewishestoseeyouathisofficeattheearliestpossiblemoment。HesaysitisVERYimportant。”
　　CHAPTERXVII
　　Nineo’clockisanearlyhourforaNewYorklawyerofprominencetobeathisplaceofbusiness。Yet，whenCaptainElishaaskedtheofficeboyofSylvester，KuhnandGravesiftheseniorpartnerwasin，hereceivedanaffirmativeanswer。”Yes，sir，”saidTim，respectfully。Hismannertowardthecaptainhadchangedsurprisinglysincethelatter’sfirstcall。”Yes，sir；
　　Mr。Sylvester’sin。Heexpectsyou。I’lltellhimyou’rehere。
　　Sitdownandwait，please。”
　　CaptainElishasatdown，buthedidnothavetowaitlong。Theboyreturnedatonceandusheredhimintotheprivateoffice。
　　Sylvesterwelcomedhimgravely。”Yougotmymessage，then，”hesaid。”Ispenthourslasteveningchasingyouby’phone。AndIwaspreparedtobeginagainthismorning。””So？That’swhyyou’reondecksoearly？Didn’tsleephere，didyou？Well，Ical’lateIknowwhatyouwanttotalkabout。Youain’ttheonlyonethatreadsthenewspapers。””Thenewspapers？Greatheavens！itisn’tinthenewspapers，isit？
　　Itcan’tbe！”
　　Heseemedmuchperturbed。CaptainElishalookedpuzzled。”Courseitis，”hesaid。”ButIhearditaforeIsawit。PerhapsyouthinkItakeitprettyeasy。MaybeIactasifIdid。Butyouexpectedit，andsodidI，soweain’texactlysurprised。And，”
　　seriously，”Irealizethatit’snojokeaswellasyoudo。Butwe’vegotayeartofightin，andnowwemustplanthecampaign。
　　Ididcal’latetoseeCarolinethismornin’。Then，ifIheardfromherownlipsthat’twasactuallyso，Ididn’tknow’sIwouldn’tdropinandgiveSisterCorcoran-Queen-Victoria-Dunnafewplainfactsaboutitnotbein’ahealthyinvestmenttohurrymatters。
　　You’rewantin’toseemeheadedmeoff，andIcomehereinstead。”
　　Thelawyerlookedathiminastonishment。”Seehere，CaptainWarren，”hedemanded，”whatdoyouimagineI
　　askedyoutocomeherefor？””Why，totalkaboutthatmiserableengagement，sartin。Poorgirl！
　　I’vebeenawakeha’fthenightthinkin’ofthemessshe’sbeenledinto。Andshebelievesshe’shappy，Isuppose。”
　　Sylvestershookhishead。”Isee，”hesaid，slowly。”Youwouldthinkitthat，naturally。No，Captain，itisn’ttheengagement。
　　It’smoreseriousthanthat。””Moreseriousthan——MOREserious！Why，whatonearth？Hey？Mr。
　　Sylvester，hasthatrock-lighthousebusinesscometosomethin’
　　afterall？”
　　Thelawyernodded。”Ithas，”hereplied。”Iwanttoknow！AndI’dalmostforgotit，nothearin’fromyou。
　　It’sarock，too，Ijudge，bythelooksofyourface。Humph！……
　　Isitverybad？””I’mafraidso。”
　　Thecaptainpulledhisbeard。”Well，”hesaid，wearily，afteramoment，”IguesslikelyIcanbearit。I’vehadtobearsomethingsinmytime。Anyhow，I’lltry。Heaveaheadandgetitoverwith。I’mready。”
　　Insteadofanswering，Sylvesterpushedanelectricbuttononhisdesk。Theofficeboyansweredthering。”HaveMr。KuhnandMr。Gravesarrived？”askedthelawyer。”Yes，sir。Bothofthem，sir。””TellthemCaptainWarrenishere，andaskthemtojoinusintheinnerroom。RemindMr。Gravestobringthepapers。And，Tim，rememberthatnoneofusistobedisturbed。Doyouunderstand？””Yes，sir，”saidTimanddeparted。
　　CaptainElisharegardedhisfriendwithsomedismay。”Say！”heexclaimed，”thisMUSTbeserious，ifittakestheskipperandbothmatestohandleit。”
　　Sylvesterdidnotsmile。”Itis，”heanswered。”Come。”
　　Heledthewayintotheroomopeningfromtherearofhisown。Itwasalargeapartmentwithalongtableinthecenter。Mr。Kuhn，briskandbusiness-like，wasalreadythere。Heshookhandswithhisclient。Ashedidso，Graves，dignifiedandpreciseasever，entered，carryingasmallportfoliofilledwithpapers。”Mornin’，Mr。Graves，”saidthecaptain；”gladtoseeyou，evenundersuchdistressin’circumstances，astheundertakersaidtothesickman。Feelin’allrightagain，Ihope。Nomorecoldsornothin’likethat？””No。Thankyou。Iamquitewell，atpresent。””That’shearty。Ifyouandmedon’tdoanymorebuggyridin’inCapeCodtyphoons，we’lllastaspellyet，hey？Whatyougotthere，thedeathwarrant？”referringtotheportfolioanditscontents。
　　Mr。Gravesevidentlydidnotconsiderthisflippancyworthareply，forhemadenone。”Sitdown，gentlemen，”saidSylvester。
　　Thefourtookchairsatthetable。Gravesuntiedandopenedtheportfolio。CaptainElishalookedathissolemncompanions，andhislipstwitched。”You’llexcuseme，”heobserved，”butIfeelasifIwasgoin’tobetriedforpiracyonthehighseas。Hasthecourtanyobjectiontotobaccosmoke？I’mputtin’theemphasisstrongonthe’tobacco，’”
　　headded，”becausethisisacigaryougivemeyourself，Mr。
　　Sylvester，lasttimeIwasdownhere。””No，indeed，”repliedtheseniorpartner。”Smoke，ifyouwish。Nooneherehasanyobjection，unlessitmaybeGraves。””Oh，Mr。Gravesain’t。HeandIfireduptogetherthatnightwefustmet。Hotsmoketastedgratefulafterallthecoldwaterwe’dhadpouredontousinthatstorm。Gravesisallright。He’sasportin’character，likemyself。Maybehe’lljineus。Gotanothercigarinmypocket。”
　　Buttheinvitationwasdeclined。The”sportingcharacter”mightdeigntorelaxamidproperandfittingsurroundings，butnotinthesacredprecinctsofhisoffice。Sothecaptainsmokedalone。”Well，”heobserved，afterafewpreliminarypuffs，”goon！Don’tkeepmeinsuspenders，asthefellersaid。Wheredidthelightnin’
　　strike，andwhat’sthedamage？”
　　Sylvestertookacardfromhispocketandreferredtoapenciledmemorandumonitsback。”CaptainWarren，”hebegan，slowly，”asyouknow，andasdirectedbyyou，mypartnershereandIhavebeenengagedformonthsincarefullygoingoveryourbrother’seffects，estimatingvalues，tabulatingandsortinghisvariouspropertiesandsecurities，separatingthegoodfromtheworthless——andtherewas，aswesawataglance，asurprisingamountofthelatter——””Um-hm，”interruptedthecaptain，”CutShortbondsandthelikeofthat。Iknow。Excuseme。Goon。””Yes。Precisely。Andthereweremanyjustasvalueless。Butwehavebeengraduallygettingthoseoutofthewayandlistingandappraisingtheremainder。Itwasatangle。Yourbrother’sbusinessmethods，especiallyoflateyears，weredecidedlyunsystematicandslipshod。Itmayhavebeentheconditionofhishealthwhichpreventedhisattendingtothemasheshould。Or，”hehesitatedslightly，”itmayhavebeenthathewassecretlyingreattroubleandmentaldistress。Atallevents，thetaskhasbeenahardoneforus。But，largelyowingtoGravesandhispatientwork，ourreportwaspracticallyreadyamonthago。”
　　Hepaused。CaptainElisha，whohadbeenlisteningattentively，nodded。”Yes，”hesaid；”youtoldme’twas。Whatdoesthewholethingtotupto？What’sthefinalfigger，Mr。Graves？”
　　Thejuniorpartneradjustedhiseyeglassestohisthinnose。”Ihavethemhere，”hesaid。”Thelistofsecurities，etcetera，isratherlong，but——””Nevermindthemnow，Graves，”interruptedKuhn。”Theamount，roughlyspeaking，isclosetooverouroriginalestimate，halfamillion。”
　　Thecaptaindrewabreathofrelief。”Well，”heexclaimed，”that’sallrightthen，ain’tit？That’snopoorhousepension。”
　　Sylvesteranswered。”Yes，”hesaid，”that’sallright，asfarasitgoes。””Humph！Well，Ical’late_I_couldmakeitgototheendoftheroute；andthenhaveenoughleftforareturnticket。Say！”withanotherlookatthesolemnfacesofthethree，”whatIStherow？
　　Iftheestateiswuthha’famillion，what’sthematterwithit？””Thatiswhatweareherethismorningtodiscuss，Captain。A
　　monthago，asIsaid，weconsideredourreportpracticallyready。
　　Thenwesuddenlyhappenedonthetrailofsomethingwhich，uponinvestigation，upsetallourcalculations。Iftrue，itthreatened，nottomentionitseffectupontheestate，toprovesodistressingandpainfultous，RodgersWarren’sfriendsandlegaladvisers，thatwedecidednottoalarmyou，hisbrother，bydisclosingoursuspicionsuntilweweresuretherewasnomistake。Ididdropyouahint，youwillremember——””Iremember。NOWwe’recomin’totherock！””Yes。CaptainWarren，IthinkperhapsIoughttowarnyouthatwhatmypartnersandIareabouttosaywillshockandhurtyou。
　　I，personally，knewyourbrotherwellandrespectedhimasanhonorablebusinessman。Alawyerlearnsnottoputtoomuchtrustinhumannature，but，Iconfess，this——this——”
　　Hewasevidentlygreatlydisturbed。CaptainElisha，regardinghimintently，nodded。”Ijudgeit’ssortofhardforyoutogoon，Mr。Sylvester，”hesaid。”I’llhelpyouallIcan。YouandMr。KuhnandMr。Gravesherehavefoundoutsomethin’thatain’texactlystraightin’Bije’sdoin’s？AmIright？””Yes，CaptainWarren，youare。””Somethin’thatdon’thelphischaracter，hey？””Yes。””Somethin’she’s，donethat’s——well，tospeakplain，that’scrooked？””I’mafraidthere’snodoubtofit。””Humph！”Thecaptainfrowned。Hiscigarhadgoneout，andheidlytwistedthestumpbetweenhisfingers。”Well，”hesaid，withasigh，”ourfamily，gen’rallyspeakin’，hasalwayshelditsheadprettyhigh。Dadwaspoor，buthepridedhimselfonbein’straightasaplumbline。And，asformother，she……”Then，lookingupquickly，heasked，”Doesanybodyoutsideknowaboutthis？””Noonebutourselves——yet。””Yet？Isitgoin’tobenecessaryforanybodyelsetoknowit？””Wehopenot。Butthereisapossibility。””Iwasthinkin’aboutthechildren。””Ofcourse。Soareweall。””Um-hm。PoorCaroline！sheputherfatheronasortofaltarandboweddownaforehim，asyoumightsay。Anysortofdisgracetohisnamewouldaboutkillher。Asforme，”withanothersigh，”I
　　ain’tsomuchsurprisedasyoumightthink。Iknowthatsoundstoughtosayaboutyourownbrother，butI’vebeenafraidallalong。Yousee，’Bijealwayssteeredprettyclosetotheedgeofthechannel。Hehadideasabouthonestyandfairdealin’inbusinessthatdidn’tjibewithmine。Wesplitonjustthat，asI
　　toldyou，Mr。Graves，whenyouandIfustmet。HegotsomeSouthDenborofolkstoinvestmoneyalongwithhim；sortofsavin’saccount，theyfiggeredit；butIfoundouthewasusin’ittospeculatewith。Sothat’swhywehadourrow。Itookpainstoseethatthemoneywaspaidback，butheandIneverspokeafterwards。
　　Furasmyownmoneywasconcerned，Ihadn’tanykick，but……
　　However，I’mtalkin’toomuch。Goon，Mr。Sylvester，I’mreadytohearwhateveryou’vegottosay。””Thankyou，Captain。Youmakeiteasierforme。Itseemsthatyourbrother’sfirststeptowardwealthandsuccesswastakenaboutnineteenyearsago。Then，somehoworother，probablythroughacombinationofluckandshrewdness，heobtainedagrant，aconcessionfromtheBrazilianGovernment，thelongtermleaseofagood-sizedtractoflandontheupperAmazon。Itwasveryvaluablebecauseofitsrubbertrees。””Hey？”CaptainElishaleanedforward。”Saythatagain！”hecommandedsharply。
　　Sylvesterrepeatedhisstatement。”HegottheconcessionbypayingtwentythousanddollarstothegovernmentofBrazil，”hecontinued。”Toraisethetwentythousandheformedastockcompanyoftwohundredandfiftysharesatonehundreddollarseach。Onehundredoftheseshareswereinhisownname。Fiftywereinthenameofone’ThomasA。Craven，’aclerkatthattimeinhisoffice。Cravenwasonlyadummy，however。DoyouunderstandwhatImeanbyadummy？””Icanguess。Sortofawoodenimagethatmovedwhen’Bijepulledthestrings。Likeoneofthesestrawdirectorsthatclutteruptheinsurancecompanies，’cordin’tothepapers。Yes，yes；Iunderstandwellenough。Goahead！goahead！””That’sit。ThefiftyshareswereinCraven’sname，buttheyweretransferredinblankandinMr。Warren’ssafe。Togetherwithhisownhundred，theygavehimcontrolandavotingmajority。Thatmuchweknowbytherecords。””Isee。Butthisrubbercon——contraptionwa’n’treallywuthanything，wasit？””Worthanything！CaptainWarren，Igiveyoumywordthatitwasworthmorethanalltherestoftheinvestmentsthatyourbrothermadeduringhislifetime。””NO！”Theexclamationwasalmostashout。”Why，yes，decidedlymore。Doesthatsurpriseyou，Captain？”
　　CaptainElishadidnotanswer。Hewasregardingthelawyerwithadazedexpression。Hebreathedheavily。”What’sthematter？”demandedthewatchfulKuhn，hisgazefixeduponhisclient’sface。”Doyouknowanything——”
　　Thecaptaininterruptedhim。”Goon！”hecommanded。”Buttellmethisfust:Whatwasthenameofthisrubberconcernof’Bije’s？””TheAkraeRubberCompany。””Isee……Yes，yes……Akry，hey！……Well，whataboutit？Tellmetherest。””Forthefirstyearortwothiscompanydidnothing。Then，inMarch，ofthethirdyear，thepropertywasreleasedbyMr。WarrentopersonsinPara，whoweretodevelopandoperate。Thetermsofhisnewleasewereveryadvantageous。Royaltiesweretobepaidonaslidingscale，and，fromtheveryfirst，theywerelarge。TheAkraeCompanypaidenormousdividends。””Did，hey？Iwanttoknow！””Yes。Infact，fortwelveyearsthecompany’sroyaltiesaveraged$50，000yearly。””Whe-e-w！”CaptainElishawhistled。”Fiftythousandayear！”herepeatedslowly。”’Bije！’Bije！””Yes。AndthreeyearsagotheAkraeCompanysolditslease，soldoutcompletelytotheParapeople，forsevenhundredandfiftythousanddollars。””Godfreysmighty！Well，”afteramoment，”that’swhatI’dcallamiddlin’fairprofitonatwentythousanddollarinvestment——nottomentionthedividends。””Captain，”Sylvesterleanedforwardnow；”Captain，”herepeated，”itisthatsaleandthedividendswhicharetroublingus。ItoldyouthattheAkraeCompanywasorganizedwithtwohundredandfiftysharesofstock。Yourbrotherheldonehundredinhisownnameandfiftytransferredtohimbyhisdummy，Craven。WhatIdidnottellyouwasthattherewereanotherhundredshares，heldbysomeone，someonewhopaidtenthousanddollarsforthem——weknowthat——andwas，therefore，entitledtotwo-fifthsofeverydollarearnedbythecompanyduringitsexistence，andtwo-fifthsoftheamountreceivedforthesaleofthelease。Sofaraswecanfindout，thisstockholderhasneverreceivedonecent。”
　　Theeffectofthisamazingannouncementupontheuniniatedmemberofthecouncilwasnotasgreatasthelawyersexpectedittobe。”Youdon’ttellme！”washissolecomment。
　　Gravesbrokeinimpatiently:”Ithink，CaptainWarren，”hedeclared，”thatyouprobablydonotrealizewhatthismeans。Besidesprovingyourbrotherdishonest，itmeansthatthisstockholder，whoeverhemayhavebeen——””Hey？What’sthat？Don’tyouknowwhohewas？””No，wedonot。Thenameuponthestubofthetransferbookhasbeenscratchedout。”
　　CaptainElishalookedthespeakerintheface，thenslowlyturnedhislookupontheothertwofaces。”Scratchedout？”herepeated。”Whoscratcheditout？”
　　Gravesshruggedhisshoulders。”Yes，yes，”saidthecaptain。”Youdon’tknow，butwe’reallentitledtoguess，hey？……Humph！””Ifthispersonisliving，”beganSylvester，”itfollowsthat——””Holdonaminute！Idon’tknowmuchaboutcorporations，ofcourse——that’smoreinyourlinethan’tisinmine——butIwanttoaskonequestion。Yousaythiswhat-d’ye-call-it——thisAkraethingamajig——wassoldout，hull，canvasandriggin’，toacrowdinBrazil？It’sgoneoutofbusinessthen？It’sdead？””Yes。But——””Wait！Ain’titcustomary，whenasalelikethisismade，toturnoverallthestock，certificatesandall？Sometimesyougetstockinthenewcompanyinexchange；Iknowthat。Buttocompletethetrade，wouldn’tthisextryhundredsharesbeturnedin？Orsomesharpquestionin’doneif’twa’n’t？”
　　HeaddressedthequerytoSylvester。Thelatterseemedmoretroubledthanbefore。”That，”hesaidwithsomehesitation，”isoneofthedelicatepointsinthistalkofours，CaptainWarren。AcertificateforthemissinghundredsharesWASturnedin。Itwasdatedatthetimeoftheoriginalissue，madeoutinthenameofoneEdwardBradley，andtransferredonthebackbyhimtoyourbrother。Thatis，itwaspresumablysotransferred。””Presumably。Pre-sumably？Youmean——？””Imeanthatthiscertificateis——well，letussay，ratherqueer。
　　Tobeginwith，nooneknowswhothisBradleyis，orwas。Hisnameappearsnowhereexceptonthatcertificate，unless，ofcourse，itdidappearonthestubwherethescratchinghasbeendone；wedoubtthat，forreasons。Nobodyeverheardoftheman；andhistransfertoyourbrotherwasmade，andthecertificatesignedbyhim，onlythreeyearsago，whentheAkraeCompanysoldout。Itwilltaketoolongtogointodetails；butthankstothekindnessoftheParaconcern，whichhasofficesinthiscity——wehavebeenabletoexaminethisBradleycertificate。Expertshaveexaminedit，also。
　　Andtheytellus——”
　　Hepaused。”Well，whatdotheytell？”demandedthecaptain。”Theytellusthat——that，intheiropinion，thecertificatewasneverissuedatthetimewhen，bythisdate，itpresumestohavebeen。Itwasmadeoutnolongeragothanfiveyears，probablyless。ThesignatureofBradleyonthebackis——is——well，Ihatetosayit，CaptainWarren，butthehandwritingonthatsignatureresemblesverycloselythatofyourbrother。”
　　CaptainElishawassilentforsomemoments。Theothersdidnotspeak，butwaited。EvenGraves，betweenwhomandhisclienttherewaslittleincommon，feltthegeneralsympathy。
　　Atlengththecaptainraisedhishead。”Well，”hesaidslowly，”weain’tchildren。Wemightaswellcallthingsbytheirrightnames。’Bijeforgedthatcertificate。””I’mafraidthereisnodoubtofit。””Dear！dear！dear！Why，theyputfolksinstate’s，prisonforthat！””Yes。Butadeadmanisbeyondprisons。””That’sso。ThenIdon’tsee——””Youwill。Youdon’tgraspthefullmeaningofthisaffairevenyet。IftheBradleycertificateisaforgery，afraudfrombeginningtoend，thenthepresumptionisthattherewasneveranysuchpersonasBradley。ButSOMEONEpaidtenthousanddollarsforonehundredAkraeshareswhenthecompanywasformed。THAT
　　certificatehasneverbeenturnedin。Somepersonorpersons，somewhere，holdonehundredsharesofAkraeRubberCompanystock。
　　Think，now！Supposethatsomeoneturnsupanddemandsallthathehasbeencheatedoutofforthepastseventeenyears！Thinkofthat！””Well……Iamthinkin’ofit。Igotthescentofwhatyouwasdrivin’atfiveminutesago。AndIdon’tseethatweneedtobeafraid。Hecouldhaveput’Bijeinjail；but’Bijeisalreadyservin’alongersentencethanhecouldgivehim。Sothatdisgraceain’tbearin’downonus。And，ifIunderstandaboutsuchthings，hisclaimisagainsttheAkraeCompany，andthat’sdead——deadasthemanthatstartedit。Maybehecouldputinakeeper，orareceiver，orsomesuchcritter，butthere’snothin’lefttokeeporreceive。Ain’tIright？””Youare。Oryouwouldbe，butforonething，thereallyinexplicablethinginthiswholemiserableaffair。Yourbrother，CaptainWarren，wasdishonest。Hetookmoneythatdidn’tbelongtohim，andheforgedthatcertificate。Buthemusthaveintendedtomakerestitution。Hemusthavebeenconscience-strickenandmoretobepitied，perhaps，thancondemned。Nodoubt，whenhefirstbegantowithholdthedividendsandusethemoneywhichwasnothis，heintendedmerelytoborrow。Hewasalwaysoptimisticandalwaysplungingindesperateandsometimesrathershadyspeculationswhich，hewassure，wouldturnoutfavorably。Iftheyhad——if，forinstance，theSouthShoreTrolleyCombinehadbeenputthrough——Youknewofthat，didyou？””I’vebeentoldsomethin’aboutit。Goon！””Well，itwasnotputthrough，sohishopestherewerefrustrated。
　　Andthatwasbutoneofhisschemes。However，whenthesaleoftheCompanywasconsummated，hedidanextraordinarything。Hemadeoutandsignedhispersonalnote，payabletotheAkraeCompany，foreverycenthehadmisappropriated。Andwefoundthatnoteinhissafeafterhisdeath。Thatwaswhatfirstarousedoursuspicions。
　　NOW，CaptainWarren，doyouunderstand？”
　　CaptainElishadidnotunderstand，thatwasevident。Hislookofwonderingamazementtraveledfromonefacetotheothersaboutthetable。”ANOTE！”herepeated。”’BijeputhisNOTEinthesafe？Anotepromisin’topayallhe’dstole！Andleftittherewhereitcouldbefound？Why，that’sprettynighunbelievable，Mr。Sylvester！Hemightjustaswellhaveconfessedhiscrookednessandbedonewithit。””Yes。Itisunbelievable，butitistrue。Gravescanshowyouthenote。”
　　Thejuniorpartnerproducedaslipofpaperfromtheportfolioandregardeditfrowningly。”Ofallthepiecesofsheerlunacy，”heobserved，”thatevercameundermyobservation，thisistheworst。Hereitis，CaptainWarren。”
　　Heextendedthepaper。CaptainElishawaveditaside。”Idon’twanttoseeit——notyet，”heprotested。”Iwanttothink。
　　IwanttogetatthereasonifIcan。Whydidhedoit？””Thatiswhatwe’vebeentryin’tofind——thereason，remarkedKuhn，”andwecanonlyguess。Sylvesterhastoldyoutheguess。RodgersWarrenintended，orhoped，tomakerestitutionbeforehedied。””Yes。Knowin’’Bije，Icanseethat。Hewasweak，thatwashismaintrouble。Hedidn’tmeantobecrooked，buthiskneeswa’n’tstrongenoughtokeephimstraightwhenitcometoahardpush。
　　ButhemadehisnotepayabletoaCompanythatwasalreadysoldout，soitain’tgoodfornothin’。Now，why——”
　　Gravesstruckthetablewithhisopenhand。”Hedoesn’tunderstandatall，”heexclaimed，impatiently。”CaptainWarren，listen！ThatnoteismadepayabletotheAkraeCompany。Againstthatcompanysomeunknownstockholderhasanapparentclaimfortwo-fifthsofalldividendseverpaidandtwo-
　　fifthsofthesevenhundredandfiftythousandreceivedforthesale。Withaccruedinterest，thatclaimamountstooverfivehundredthousanddollars。””Yes，but——””ThatnotebindsRodgersWarren’sestatetopaythatclaim。Hisownpersonalestate！Andthatestateisnotworthoverfourhundredandsixtythousanddollars！Ifthisstockholdershouldappearandpresshisclaim，yourbrother’schildrenwouldbe，notonlypenniless，butthirtythousanddollarsindebt！There！I
　　thinkthatisplainenough！”
　　Heleanedback，grimlysatisfiedwiththeeffectofhisstatement。
　　CaptainElishastaredstraightbeforehim，unseeingly，thecolorfadingfromhischeeks。Thenheputbothelbowsonthetableandcoveredhisfacewithhishands。”Yousee，Captain，”saidSylvester，gently，”howveryseriousthesituationis。Graveshasputitbluntly，butwhathesaysisliterallytrue。Ifyourbrotherhaddeliberatelyplannedtohandhischildrenovertothemercyofthatmissingstockholder，hecouldn’thavedoneitmorecompletely。”
　　Slowlythecaptainraisedhishead。Hisexpressionwasastrangeone；agitatedandshocked，butwithacuriouslookofrelief，almostoftriumph。”Atlast！”hesaid，solemnly。”Atlast！Nowit’sALLplain！””All？”repeatedSylvester。”Youmean——？””Imeaneverything，allthat’sbeenpuzzlin’meandtroublin’myheadsincetheverybeginnin’。Allofit！NOWIknowwhy！Oh，’Bije！’Bije！’Bije！”
　　Kuhnspokequickly。”Captain，”hesaid，”Ibelieveyouknowwhotheownerofthatonehundredsharesis。Doyou？”
　　CaptainElishagravelynodded。”Yes，”heanswered。”Iknowhim。””What？””Youdo？””Whoisit？
　　Thequestionswereblurtedouttogether。Thecaptainlookedatthethreeexcitedfaces。Hehesitatedandthen，takingthestubofapencilfromhispocket，drewtowardhimamemorandumpadlyingonthetableandwrotealineupontheuppermostsheet。Tearingoffthepage，hetossedittoSylvester。”That’sthename，”hesaid。