r. Drake," Bojo began carefully, "I have not been in to see you
because--because I did not know just what to say. Mr. Drake, I've been
terribly upset by this Pittsburgh & New Orleans deal!"

"What, upset by making a cool quarter of a million?"

"Yes, that's it," he said firmly, never losing an expression on the
older man's face. "You know, of course, that Forshay, who committed
suicide, was in my office."

"What, in your office?" said Drake, with a start. "No, I didn't know
that!"

"That's rather shaken me up. He ruined himself on Pittsburgh & New
Orleans. And then that night--when I got home one of my chums was pretty
close to the same thing."

"I told you not to take any one into your confidence, Tom," said Drake
quietly.

"That's true, you _told_ me that. Mr. Drake, answer me this, didn't you
expect me to tell--some one?"

Drake looked at him quickly, then down, drumming with his fingers.

"What's the point?"

Bojo had no longer any doubts. The transaction had been as he had
finally divined. Yet the words had not been spoken that meant to him the
renunciation of all the luxury and opportunity that surrounded him in
the tapestried wealth of the great room. He hesitated so long that Drake
looked up at him and frowned, repeating the question:

"What's the point, Tom?"

"Mr. Drake, you knew I would tell others to sell Pittsburgh & New
Orleans--you _intended_ I should, didn't you? That was part of your
plan--a necessary part, wasn't it?"

"Tom, I expressly told you not to jump to conclusions," said Drake,
rising and raising his voice. "I expressly told you not to let the cat
out of the bag."

"Won't you answer my question? Yes or no?" said the young fellow, very
quiet and quite colorless.

"I have answered that."

"Yes, you have answered," said Bojo slowly. "Now, Mr. Drake, I won't
press you any further. I know. I can't accept that money. It is not
mine."

"Can't accept? What's this nonsense?" said Drake, stopping short.

"I can't make money off the losings of my friends, whom I have ruined to
make your deal succeed."

"That's a hard word!"

"And there's another reason," said Bojo, ignoring his flash of anger. "I
was not honest with you. The night I came here I was ruined myself."

"I knew that."

"But you didn't know that I had used the fifty thousand dollars pledged
to your pool and that if you had been operating as I thought and wiped
out, I should have owed you thirty-five thousand dollars