obeyed.

"It's in regard to those disks! They are coat weights!"

Starr fished out his souvenir once more and inspected it; his face
showed that he had not been illuminated especially.

"Women understand such things better than men, of course," she went on.
"Dressmakers stitch those weights into the lower edges of women's suit
coats to make the fabric drape properly and hang without wrinkling."

"You're a woman and you probably know what you're talking about on
that line," admitted the examiner. "But because you're a woman I don't
suppose you can tell me how coat weights happen to be the main
cash assets of this bank!" Mr. Starr's manner expressed fully his
contemptuous convictions on that point.

"I certainly cannot say how those weights happen to be in the bank, sir.
But I feel that this is the time for everybody in our town to give in
every bit of information that will help to clear up this terrible thing.
I'm taking that attitude for myself, Mr. Starr, and I hope that all
others are going to be as frank." She gave President Britt a fearless
stare of challenge. "My father has recently had a great deal of new
courage about some of the inventions he hopes to put through. He has
told me that Mr. Britt is backing him financially."

"Your father is everlastingly shinning up a moonbeam, and you know it,"
declared Britt.

Starr shook his hand, pinching the disk between thumb and forefinger.
"Young woman, I'm interested only in this, if you have any information
to give me in regard to it."

Vaniman was displaying an interest of his own that was but little short
of amazement.

"The information I have is this, sir! My father said that Mr. Britt's
help had enabled him to start in manufacturing a patent door which
requires the use of many washers with small holes, and he was saying
at home that he'd be obliged to have them turned out by a blacksmith.
I happened to be making over something for mother and I had some coat
weights on my table. I showed them to my father and he said they were
just the thing. He found out where they were made and he ordered a
quantity--they came in little kegs and he stored them in the stable.
That's all, Mr. Starr!"

"All? Go ahead and tell me--"

"I have told you all I know, sir! That's the stand I'm taking, whatever
may come up. If you expect me to tell you that these are the disks my
father stored in the stable, I shall do no such thing. The kegs and the
disks may be there right now