Lawton. For a moment he
stared half-puzzled at Mr. Lawton's pistol. Then he moistened his lips.

"Suppose I should refuse?" he asked.

With a wan smile, Mr. Lawton rubbed his left hand over his long chin.

"In that case," he said, "I shall summon five men whom I hold outside.
They will search the house, having searched you first. If they do not
find the letter, I shall give you one more chance to produce it."

"Of course you realize your action is illegal?" my father interrupted.

Mr. Lawton laughed.

"We've beaten about the bush long enough," he said. "Will I have to
remind you again that I didn't come to hear you talk? Come to the point.
Will you give up that paper?"

With a sigh of resignation, my father fumbled in his breast pocket. When
he spoke, it seemed a weak appeal to justify his action.

"Under the circumstances, what else can I do?" he demanded, "though it
seems hard when I had given my word not to part with it."

He produced a long, sealed document, which he handed across the table.
Mr. Lawton's eyes glistened with anticipation as he took it. He held it
over the table to scan the seal.

"Damn all your caution, Sims!" he exclaimed exultantly. "We've got it just
as I said we would! Didn't I tell you--"

His voice choked. He burst into a violent fit of sneezing. My father had
thrown the contents of his snuff box into Mr. Lawton's face.

If his chair had been of hot iron, he could not have moved more quickly.
Almost the same moment, Mr. Lawton's pistol was in my father's hand,
cocked and primed and pointed at Mr. Sims.

"Brutus," said my father, "unburden Mr. Sims of his weapons. Lawton, a
breath of night air may relieve you. Let us go to the window and reflect
on the slip that may occur between the container and the nose. My son,
give Mr. Lawton your arm. Assist me to open the shutters. Now Mr. Lawton,
call to your men. Tell them they may go. Louder, louder, Mr. Lawton.
Surely your voice has more strength. My ears have been weary this long
time with its clamor."

V

Even today, as I pen these lines, the picture comes back with the same
intensity, but little mellowed or softened with the years. The gaunt old
room that had entertained so many guests, emptied of its last one, with
nothing but the faint chill that had come through the opened window to
remind one of their presence--the fitful light of the two candles that
had begun spluttering in the tall brass sticks--Brutus with quiet
ad