" she said. "He didn't
tell me until I knew already. I guessed it. Then I asked for the whole
truth, and he told me."

"The whole truth? _Caroline!_"

He wrung his hands.

"Yes, Uncle, the whole truth. I know you now. I thought I knew you
before; but I didn't--not half. I do now."

"Oh, Caroline!" he stepped toward her and then stopped, frantic and
despairing. "Caroline! Caroline!" he cried again, "can you ever forgive
me? You know--you must know I ain't ever meant to keep it. It's all
yours. I just didn't give it to you right off because ... because....
Oh, Sylvester, tell her I never meant to keep it! Tell her!"

The lawyer shook his head. "I did tell her," he said, with another
shrug, "and she tells me she won't accept it."

"What?" the captain's eyes were starting from his head. "What? Won't
take it? Why, it's hers--hers and Steve's! It always has been! Do you
cal'late I'd rob my own brother's children? _Don't_ talk so foolish!
I won't hear such talk!"

Caroline was close to tears, but she was firm.

"It isn't ours," she said. "It is yours. Our father kept it from you all
these years. Do you suppose we will keep it any longer?"

Captain Elisha looked at her determined face; then at the lawyer's--but
he found no help there. His chin thrust forward. He nodded slowly.

"All right! all right!" he said, grimly. "Sylvester, is your shop goin'
to be open to-morrer?"

"Guess not, Captain," was the puzzled reply. "It's Thanksgiving. Why?"

"But Graves'll be to home, won't he? I could find him at his house?"

"I presume you could."

"All right, then! Caroline Warren, you listen to me: I'll give you till
two o'clock to make up your mind to take the money that belongs to you.
If you don't, I swear to the Lord A'mighty I'll take the fust train, go
straight to New York, hunt up Graves, make him go down to the office and
get that note your father made out turnin' all his property over to that
Akrae Company. I'll get that note and I'll burn it up. Then--_then_
you'll have to take the money, because it'll be yours. Every bit of
evidence that'll hold in law is gone, and nobody but you and Steve'll
have the shadow of a claim. I'll do it, so sure as I live! There! now
you can make up your mind."

He turned, strode to the door and out of the room. A moment later they
heard a scream from Miss Baker in the kitchen: "'Lisha Warren, what ails
you? Are you crazy?" There was no answer, but the back door closed with
a tremen