u once lived there, I made inquiries about you in the
village. I saw the house where you lived for many years. Judge of my
surprise when I learned that you were always in extreme poverty. Then I
recalled your story of having lent my father ten thousand dollars, in
payment of which you took the bulk of his property. I mentioned it, and
found that it was pronounced preposterous. I discovered that on the
other hand, you were frequently the recipient of money gifts from my
poor father. In return for this you have attempted to rob his son. The
note which you presented against the estate was undoubtedly a forgery.
But even had it been genuine, the property of which you took possession
must have amounted to at least twenty thousand dollars."

Stephen Watson had not interrupted Kit by a word. He was panic stricken,
and absolutely did not know what to say. He finally succeeded in
answering hoarsely: "This is an outrageous falsehood, Christopher
Watson. It is an ingenious scheme to rob me of what rightfully belongs
to me. You must be a fool to think I am going to be frightened by a
boy's wild fiction. Leave my house! I would have allowed you to stay
till Saturday, but this is too much. If you come here again, I will
horsewhip you!"

But even when he was making this threat his face was pallid, and his
glance uneasy.

At this moment the bell rang.

Kit himself answered the call, and returned with his friend, Henry
Miller.

"Why, it is Mr. Miller!" said Stephen Watson, who had not forgotten that
Miller was very wealthy. "When did you return from California?"

"Kit, have you told your uncle?" asked Henry Miller, ignoring this
greeting.

"Yes, and he orders me to leave the house."

"Hark you, Stephen Watson!" said Henry Miller sternly. "You are in a bad
box. For over a week Kit and I have been looking up matters, and we are
prepared to prove that you have outrageously defrauded him out of his
father's estate. We have enlisted a first class lawyer in the case, and
now we come to you to know whether you will surrender or fight."

"Mr. Miller, this is very strange. Are you in the plot too?"

"Don't talk of any plots, Stephen Watson. Your fraud is so transparent
that I wonder you dare to hope it would succeed. You probably presumed
upon Kit's being a boy of an unsuspicious nature. But he has found a
friend, who was his father's friend before him, and who is determined
that he shall be righted."

"I defy you!" exclaimed Steph