te! I don't know much about corporations, of
course--that's more in your line than 'tis in mine--but I want to
ask one question. You say this what-d'ye-call-it--this Akrae
thingamajig--was sold out, hull, canvas and riggin', to a crowd in
Brazil? It's gone out of business then? It's dead?"

"Yes. But--"

"Wait! Ain't it customary, when a sale like this is made, to turn over
all the stock, certificates and all? Sometimes you get stock in the new
company in exchange; I know that. But to complete the trade, wouldn't
this extry hundred shares be turned in? Or some sharp questionin' done
if 'twa'n't?"

He addressed the query to Sylvester. The latter seemed more troubled
than before.

"That," he said with some hesitation, "is one of the delicate points in
this talk of ours, Captain Warren. A certificate for the missing hundred
shares _was_ turned in. It was dated at the time of the original issue,
made out in the name of one Edward Bradley, and transferred on the back
by him to your brother. That is, it was presumably so transferred."

"Presumably. Pre-sumably? You mean--?"

"I mean that this certificate is--well, let us say, rather queer. To
begin with, no one knows who this Bradley is, or was. His name appears
nowhere except on that certificate, unless, of course, it did appear on
the stub where the scratching has been done; we doubt that, for reasons.
Nobody ever heard of the man; and his transfer to your brother was made,
and the certificate signed by him, only three years ago, when the Akrae
Company sold out. It will take too long to go into details; but thanks
to the kindness of the Para concern, which has offices in this city--we
have been able to examine this Bradley certificate. Experts have
examined it, also. And they tell us--"

He paused.

"Well, what do they tell?" demanded the captain.

"They tell us that--that, in their opinion, the certificate was never
issued at the time when, by this date, it presumes to have been. It was
made out no longer ago than five years, probably less. The signature of
Bradley on the back is--is--well, I hate to say it, Captain Warren, but
the handwriting on that signature resembles very closely that of your
brother."

Captain Elisha was silent for some moments. The others did not speak,
but waited. Even Graves, between whom and his client there was little in
common, felt the general sympathy.

At length the captain raised his head.

"Well," he said slowly, "we ain't c