here?" she faltered.

"I came after my papers--and I got them sooner than I anticipated,"
answered Mr. Bartlett, and there was a tone of triumph in his voice.

"Are those your papers?" asked the girl, trying to appear innocent.

"You know they are."

"I do not. I--I found them."

"I know better. You took them from where Mrs. Bangs hid them."

"Well, she didn't have any right to them."

"I know that well enough."

"I--I was going to send them to you," faltered the girl. She scarcely
knew what to say.

"Really," returned Philip Bartlett, dryly. "Well, I will save you the
trouble."

"It's a shame to suspect an innocent girl like me," said Mamie Jackson,
bursting into tears.

"My sister never did anything wrong," put in the other woman.

"As I have my papers I won't argue with you," returned Mr. Bartlett.
"But when the proper time comes you may have to explain how you
happened to get the papers."

"Are you going to haul Mr. Bangs into court?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, I will tell what I know about them, if it will do any good. Mrs.
Bangs and a man named Tuller plotted to keep the papers out of your
reach. They opened the safe and took the papers out just before you
came with that constable."

After that Mamie Jackson seemed anxious enough to confess and told her
whole story, omitting to state how she had asked Mrs. Bangs to pay so
much a month to her for keeping silent.

"We may as well go back to the town, and take the stage for Riverport,"
said Mr. Bartlett to Randy. "I will then telegraph to Mr. Robinson to
come on, and we will settle with Bangs, Tuller & Company in short
order."

"Will you make him give up the control of the iron company?"

"Either that or have him arrested for fraud."

The journey to Riverport was quickly made, and the telegram sent to Mr.
Robinson. The bank official sent word back that he would be on in the
morning. Then Mr. Bartlett went to a hotel and Randy hurried home.

"Why, Randy, is it really you!" cried his mother as she kissed him.
"This is certainly a surprise."

"I didn't expect to come home," said he. "How are you and how is
father?"

"I am real well as you see, and your father is doing splendidly. He
says he feels better now than for three years back."

"That is good news."

"But what brings you?"

"I will tell you," said Randy, and sitting down he told his story, just
as I have related it here. In the midst of the recital Mr. Thompson
came in, and he listene