didn’tknow——Whew！Idon’tknowWHATIdidn’tknow！Butwhatonearthhasshegonetothestorefor？Andlastnighttoo，yousay？“
　　“Yes。Shadrach，I’vebeenthinkin’andallIcanthinkofisthat——
　　that——“
　　“Well——what？“
　　“That——thatshesuspicionshowthingsarewithus——somebodythatdoessuspicionhasdroppedahintandshehas——hasgoneupto——“
　　“Todowhat？Chuckitoverboard！Speakitout！Todowhat？“
　　“Tolookatthebooksorsomethin’。Sheknowsthecombinationofthesafe，yourecollect。“
　　CaptainShadrach’seyesandmouthopenedsimultaneously。Hemadeadiveforthehooksonthebedroomwall。
　　“Jumpin’fireofbrimstone！“heroared。“Givememyclothes！“
　　Ahalf-hourlateraninterestedperson——and，sofarasthatgoes，atleasteverysecondpersoninSouthHarnisswouldhavebeeninterestedhadheorshebeenawareofwhatwasgoingon——aninterestedand，ofcourse，unscrupulouspersonpeepinginundertheshadesofHamiltonandCompany’swindowwouldhaveseenacurioussight。Thispersonwouldhaveseentwoelderlymensittingoneuponawoodenchairandtheotheruponawoodenpackingcaseandwearingguilty，nottosayhang-dog，expressions，whileayoungwomanstandinginfrontofthemdeliveredpointedandpersonalremarks。
　　CaptainShadrachandZoeth，followingtheirniecetothestore，hadpeepedinandseenhersittingatthedesk，thesafeopen，andaccountbooksandpapersspreadoutbeforeher。AboardintheplatformcreakedbeneaththeCaptain’sweightytreadandMarylookedupandsawthem。Beforetheycouldretreatormakeuptheirmindswhattodo，shehadruntothedoor，thrownitopen，andorderedthemtocomein。Neitheranswered——theycouldnotatthemoment。
　　Thecertaintythatsheknewwhattheyhadtriedsohardtoconcealkeptthemtongue-tied。
　　“Comein！“repeatedMary。“Comein！Andshutthedoor！“
　　Theycamein。AlsoCaptainShadrachshutthedoor。Justwhyheobeyedorderssomeeklyhecouldnothavetold。Hisniecegavehimlittletimetothink。
　　“Ididnotexactlyexpectyou，“shesaid，“but，onthewhole，Iamgladyoucame。Nowsitdown，bothofyou，andlistentome。Whatdoyoumeanbyit？“
　　Zoethsat，withoutaword。Shadrach，however，madeafeebleattempttobluster。
　　“WhatdoWEmeanbyit？“herepeated。“WhatdoYOUmean，youmean！
　　Perusin’uphereinthemiddleofthenightwithoutawordtoyourUncleZoethandme，and——andhaulin’openthatsafe——and——“
　　AgainMaryinterrupted。
　　“Bestill，UncleShad！“shecommanded。“Sitdown！Sitdownonthatboxandlistentome！That’sright。Nowtellme！Whyhaveyoubeentellingmefibsforalmostayear？Answerme！Whyhaveyou？“
　　ZoethlookedatShadrachandthelatterlookedathim。
　　“Fibs？“stammeredMr。Hamilton。“Fibs？Why——why，Mary-’Gusta！“
　　“Yes，fibs。Imightuseastrongerwordandnotexaggerateverymuch。Youhaveledmetothinkthatbusinesswasgood，thatyouweredoingaswellorbetterthanwhenIwasherewithyou。Iaskedyouoverandoveragainandyouinvariablygavemethatanswer。AndnowIknowthatduringallthattimeyouhavescarcelybeenabletomakeendsmeet，thatyouhavebeenworryingyourselvessick，thatyou——“
　　CaptainShadcouldstanditnolonger。
　　“Weain’t，neither！“hedeclared。“Ineverwasbetterinmylife。
　　Iain’thadadoctorformore’nayear。AndthenIonlyhadhimfortheheaves——forthehorse——ahorsedoctor，Imean。Whatareyoutalkin’about！Sicknothin’！IfthatswabofanIsaiahhas——“
　　“Stop，UncleShad！Itoldyoutolisten。Andyouneedn’ttrytochangethesubjectortopretendIdon’tknowwhatIamtalkingabout。Idoknow。Andasforpretending——well，therehasbeenpretendingenough。Whatdoyoumean——youandUncleZoeth——bysendingmeofftoschoolandtoEuropeanddeclaringupanddownthatyoudidn’tneedmehereathome？“
　　“Wedidn’tneedyou，Mary-’Gusta，“vowedZoetheagerly。“Wegotalongfust-ratewithoutyou。AndwewantedyoutogotoschoolandtoEurope。Yousee，itmakesusfeelproudtoknowourgirlisgettin’afineeducationandseein’theworld。Itain’tanymorethanshedeserves，butitmakesusfeelawfulpleasedtoknowshe’sgettin’it。“
　　“Andasforthestore，“brokeintheCaptain，“Ical’lateyou’vebeenpawin’overthembooksandthey’vekindof——kindofgonetoyourhead。Idon’twonderatit，thistimeofnight！HamiltonandCompany’sallright。Wemaybealittlemitebehindinsomeofourbills，but——er——but……DON’Tlookatmelikethat，Mary-’Gusta！
　　Whatdoyoudoitfor？Stopit，won’tyou？“
　　Maryshookherhead。
　　“No，UncleShad，“shesaid，“Ishan’tstopit。IknowallaboutHamiltonandCompany’scondition；perhapsIknowitbetterthanyoudo。ThisisthefifthnightthatIhavebeenworkingoverthosebooksandIshouldknow，atleast。“
　　“TheFIFTHnight！Doyoumeantosay——“
　　“ImeanthatIknewyouwouldn’ttellmewhatIwantedtoknow；I
　　hadtoseethesebooksformyselfandatnightwastheonlytimeI
　　coulddoit。Butnevermindthatnow，“sheadded。“We’lltalkofthatlater。Otherthingscomefirst。UncleShadandUncleZoeth，I
　　knownotonlyabouttheaffairsofHamiltonandCompany，butaboutmyownaswell。“
　　Zoethleanedforwardandstaredather。Heseemedtocatchthesignificanceoftheremark，forhelookedfrightened，whereasShadrachwasonlypuzzled。
　　“You——youknowwhat，Mary-’Gusta？“falteredZoeth。“Youmean——“
　　“Imean，“wentonMary，“thatIknowwherethemoneycamefromwhichhaspaidmyschoolbillsandformyclothesandmytravelingthingsandalltherest。IknowwhosemoneyhaspaidallmybillseversinceIwassevenyearsold。“
　　Shadrachrosefromhischair。Hewasasfrightenedashispartnernow。
　　“Whatareyoutalkin’about，Mary-’GustaLathrop？“heshouted。“Youknow！Youdon’tknownothin’！Youstopsayin’suchthings！Whydon’tyoustopher，ZoethHamilton？“
　　Zoethwasspeechless。Marywentonasiftherehadbeennointerruption。
　　“Iknow，“shesaid，“thatIhaven’tapennyofmyownandneverdidhaveandthatyoutwohavedoneitall。Iknowallaboutit——atlast。“
　　Ifthesetwomenhadbeencaughtstealingtheycouldnothavelookedmoreguilty。If，insteadofbeingremindedthattheirniecehadspenttheirmoney，theyhadbeenaccusedofmisappropriatingherstheycouldnothavebeenmoreshakenordumbfounded。CaptainShadrachstoodbeforeher，hisfaceafieryredandhismouthopeningandshuttinginvainattemptsatarticulation。Zoeth，histhinfingersextendedinappeal，wasthefirsttospeak。
　　“Mary-’Gusta，“hestammered，“don’ttalkso！PLEASEdon’t！“
　　Marysmiled。“Oh，yes，Ishall，UncleZoeth，“shesaid。“Imeantodomorethantalkfromnowon，butImusttalkalittlefirst。I’mnotgoingtotrytotellyouwhatitmeanstometolearnafteralltheseyearsthatIhavebeendependentonyouforeverythingIhavehad，homeandluxuriesandeducationandopportunities。Irealizenowwhatsacrificesyoumusthavemade——“
　　“Weain’t，neither！“roaredtheCaptain，infranticprotest。“Weain’t，Itellyou。Somebody’sbeentellin’lies，ain’tthey，Zoeth？
　　Why——“
　　“Hush，UncleShad！SomeoneHASbeentellingme——er——fibs——Isaidthatatthebeginning；butthey’renotgoingtotellmeanymore。I
　　knowthetruth，everybitofit，aboutFather’slosinghismoneyinstocksand——UncleShad，whereareyougoing？“
　　CaptainShadwashalfwaytothedoor。Heansweredoverhisshoulder。
　　“I’mgoin’home，“hevowed，“andwhenIgetthereI’mgoin’tochokethatdummedtattle-taleofanIsaiahChase！I’lltalktoYOUafterI’vedoneit。“
　　Maryranafterhimandcaughthisarm。
　　“Comeback，UncleShad！“sheordered。“Comeback，sitdown，anddon’tbefoolish。Idon’twantyoutotalktome！Iamgoingtotalktoyou，andI’mnothalfthroughyet。Besides，itwasn’tIsaiahwhotoldme，itwasJudgeBaxter。“
　　“JudgeBaxter！Why，theeverlastin’old——“
　　“Hush！Hecouldn’thelptellingme，Imadehimdoit。Bestill，bothofyou，andI’lltellyouallaboutit。“
　　Shedidtellthem，beginningwithhermeetingwithMr。GreenattheHowedinner，thenofherstopatOstableandtheinterviewwithBaxter。
　　“SoIhavefounditallout，yousee，“shesaid。“I’mnotgoingtotrytothankyou——Icouldn’t，ifIdidtry。ButIamgoingtotakemyturnattheworkandtheworry。Tobeginwith，ofcourse，youunderstandthatIamthroughwithBostonandschool，throughforever。“
　　Therewasanexcitedandvolubleprotest，ofcourse，butshepaidnoheedwhatevertocommandsorentreaties。
　　“Iamthrough，“shedeclared。“Ishallstayhereandhelpyou。I
　　amonlyagirlandIcan’tdomuch，perhaps，butItrulybelieveI
　　candosomething。Iamasortofsilentpartnernow；youunderstandthat，don’tyou？“
　　Shadrachlookeddoubtfulandanxious。
　　“IfIhadmyway，“hedeclared，“you’dgostraightbacktothatschoolandstaytherelong’swecouldrakeorscrapeenoughtogethertokeepyouthere。AndIknowZoethfeelsthesame。“
　　“Isartindo，“agreedZoeth。
　　Marylaughedsoftly。“Butyouhaven’tyourway，yousee，“shesaid。
　　“YouhavehaditforeversolongandnowIamgoingtohavemine。
　　Yournewsilentpartnerisgoingtobegintobossyou。“
　　Forthefirsttimesinceheenteredthedoorofhisstorethatnight——ormorning——Shadrachsmiled。Itwasn’tabroadsmilenoraverygayone，butitwasasmile。
　　“Um——ya-as，“hedrawled。“Iwanttoknow，Mary’-Gusta！Iamgettin’somealonginyears，butmymemoryain’tfailedmuch。IfI
　　couldrememberanydayorhourorminutesinceZoethandmeh’istedyouintotheoldbuggytodriveyoufromOstablehere——ifIcouldrememberaminuteofthattimewhenyouHADN’Tbossedus，I——well，I’dputitdowninthelogwitharedinkcirclearoundit。No，sir-ee！You’vebeenOURskipperfromthestart。“