be necessary. I
hate to say it, Elijah, but,--you took fifty thousand dollars of the
company's money. That's embezzlement. It's a crime." Helen voiced her
long suppressed suspicion. "You smoothed it over by putting in its place
your note for the amount, secured by your stock in the company."

"Have you been through my private papers?" Elijah burst out.

"That's not to the point; but no, I haven't."

"Then how do you know this?"

In spite of herself, in spite of her growing horror at the weakness of
this man who had seemed so strong, Helen could not repress a touch of
womanly sympathy in her reply.

"Because, Elijah, I know you."

Elijah was not to be turned easily from a real wrong. It was good to
feel a just cause of resentment.

"You have no right to pry into my private affairs. I have given you no
warrant for it."

"Yes, you have given me a right. I am associated with you in this
business and I have a right to know. I wish you would tell me if I am
right in my guess."

The impulse was strong in Elijah to attempt to deceive Helen even as he
had long deceived himself, but there was a look in her eyes that
weakened the impulse.

"Why?"

"Because that would square you with yourself. You could hunt a way out
then, and I'm ready to help you. But you haven't answered my question
yet. Am I right?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Ralph and Uncle Sid were in to see you this morning."

"What about?"

"Seymour will be here soon--"

Elijah interrupted.

"Who's told Seymour?"

"When he comes," Helen went on, "he'll ask questions. He won't be
particular about the questions; but he'll be mighty particular about the
answers. You know what he'll ask, and you know what you'll be obliged to
answer. Do you want to get ready, or do you want him to fall on you in a
heap?"

Elijah could not conceal his agitation. He moistened his dry lips with
his tongue. As he had argued with himself, so he began to argue now; not
to Helen, but to the vision she had forced his eyes to see.

"I saved the company from loss. If Mellin had not been a friend of mine,
he never would have warned me that the Pacific was going to fail. I
saved the money for the company. I wanted the money, I needed it to
carry on my work. I didn't embezzle it, I gave the company my note. It
is secured at twice its value, by my entire holdings in the Las Cruces
company." Elijah's face was drawn; his eyes had an eager, hunted look.

Was this pitiful creatu