egal advisers, that we decided not to alarm you, his
brother, by disclosing our suspicions until we were sure there was no
mistake. I did drop you a hint, you will remember--"

"I remember. _Now_ we're comin' to the rock!"

"Yes. Captain Warren, I think perhaps I ought to warn you that what my
partners and I are about to say will shock and hurt you. I, personally,
knew your brother well and respected him as an honorable business man. A
lawyer learns not to put too much trust in human nature, but, I confess,
this--this--"

He was evidently greatly disturbed. Captain Elisha, regarding him
intently, nodded.

"I judge it's sort of hard for you to go on, Mr. Sylvester," he said.
"I'll help you all I can. You and Mr. Kuhn and Mr. Graves here have
found out somethin' that ain't exactly straight in 'Bije's doin's? Am I
right?"

"Yes, Captain Warren, you are."

"Somethin' that don't help his character, hey?"

"Yes."

"Somethin's he's, done that's--well, to speak plain, that's crooked?"

"I'm afraid there's no doubt of it."

"Humph!" The captain frowned. His cigar had gone out, and he idly
twisted the stump between his fingers. "Well," he said, with a sigh,
"our family, gen'rally speakin', has always held its head pretty high.
Dad was poor, but he prided himself on bein' straight as a plumb line.
And, as for mother, she...." Then, looking up quickly, he asked, "Does
anybody outside know about this?"

"No one but ourselves--yet."

"Yet? Is it goin' to be necessary for anybody else to know it?"

"We hope not. But there is a possibility."

"I was thinkin' about the children."

"Of course. So are we all."

"Um-hm. Poor Caroline! she put her father on a sort of altar and bowed
down afore him, as you might say. Any sort of disgrace to his name
would about kill her. As for me," with another sigh, "I ain't so much
surprised as you might think. I know that sounds tough to say about
your own brother, but I've been afraid all along. You see, 'Bije always
steered pretty close to the edge of the channel. He had ideas about
honesty and fair dealin' in business that didn't jibe with mine. We
split on just that, as I told you, Mr. Graves, when you and I fust met.
He got some South Denboro folks to invest money along with him; sort of
savin's account, they figgered it; but I found out he was usin' it to
speculate with. So that's why we had our row. I took pains to see that
the money was paid back, but he and I never spoke aft