asked, not noticing that he dozed.

"Did you speak to me?" he inquired, rousing himself.

"You said something about it's being easier to pay than to explain,"
she answered.

"Did I? Must have been dreaming. Has Ellen come home?"

"Not yet, but I'm looking for her. Of course she started for home as
soon as she could after hearing the news."

"What time is it?"

"Twenty minutes of four," she answered, glancing at the clock.

"I wonder why Henry doesn't come."

"He'll be here soon."

"Has any one heard from Mrs. Brooks?"

"No. I would have gone over there, but I couldn't leave you."

"You are a noble woman, Caroline." She was arranging his pillow and he
was looking up at her. "You are too good for me."

"Please don't say that," she pleaded.

"I might as well say it as to feel it. Isn't it time for Henry to
come?"

"Yes, I think so. He'll be here soon, I'm sure."

"I hope I shan't have to lie here to-morrow. I can't, and that's all
there is about it."

He lay listening with the nervous ear of eagerness until so wearied by
disappointing noises that he sank into another doze.

CHAPTER XXVI.

TOLD IT ALL.

Witherspoon started. "Ah, it's you. Did you bring the evening papers?"

"Yes, here they are," Henry answered.

"What do they say? Can't you tell me? Got the papers and can't tell me
what they say?"

"They say a great deal," Henry replied. "Brooks has made a
confession."

In an instant Witherspoon sat on the edge of the bed, with the covers
jerked about him. He opened his mouth, but no word came forth.

"When he was told that Mrs. Colton had made a statement he gave up,"
said Henry. "The confession is not a written one, but is doubtless
much fuller than if it were. I will take the _Star's_ report. They are
all practically the same, but this one has a few pertinent questions.
I will skip the introduction.

"'I confess,' said Brooks, 'that I killed the old man, but I did not
murder him. I was trying to keep him from killing me. I had gone into
a losing speculation and was in pressing need of money. I knew that it
would be useless to ask him to help me; in fact, I didn't want him to
know that I had been speculating, and I decided to help myself. I knew
that he kept money in the safe at home; I didn't know how much, but I
thought that it was enough to help me out, and I began deliberately to
plan the robbery. I knew that it would have to be done in the most
skillful manner, for the old m