!" exclaimed Minnie, as though abashed at
the mere suggestion. "But I did hear--and I can not tell where I heard
it--that he was involved financially, and that, perhaps--well, you know
some men have a horror of facing the world poor and--"

"That can't be true!" declared Viola stoutly. "While I do not know
anything about my father's financial affairs, I know he had no fear of
failure--no fear of becoming poor."

"I do not believe he would have feared to face poverty if there was
need. But there was not, I'm sure. Minnie, who told you this?"

"I--I can not tell!" said Minnie, with a memory of the insinuating
manner in which LeGrand Blossom had spoken. Bearing in mind her promise
to him not to mention the matter, she began to wish that she had not
spoken.

"But you must tell!" insisted Dr. Lambert. "This amounts to an
accusation against a dead man, and you owe it to Viola to give the
source of your information."

"No, Doctor, I can not! Please don't ask me, Viola. Oh, I shouldn't have
spoken, but I thought only to help you solve the problem."

"You have only made it harder, unless you tell us more," said Dr.
Lambert gently. "Why can not you tell us, Miss Webb?"

"Because I--I promised not to. Oh, can't you find out for yourselves--in
your own way, about his affairs? Surely an examination--"

"Yes, of course, that would be the proper way," said Dr. Lambert gravely.
"And it must be done, I suppose."

"It will lead to nothing--it will prove nothing," insisted Viola. "I am
sure my father's affairs were not involved. Wait, I'll call Aunt Mary.
She was in close touch with all the money matters of our household.
Father trusted her with many business matters. Call Aunt Mary!"

Her eyes red with weeping, but bearing up bravely withal, Miss Mary
Carwell joined the conference. She, it seemed, had guessed something
when Dr. Lambert and Dr. Baird were closeted so long with Captain Poland.

"We must face the facts, however unpleasant they are," said Dr. Lambert,
in a low voice. "We must recognize that this will be public talk in
a little while. A man--so well-known a character as was my old friend
Horace Carwell--can not die suddenly in the midst of a championship golf
game, and let the matter rest there."

"The papers will take it up," said Dr. Baird.

"The papers!" broke in Viola.

"Yes, even now I have been besieged by reporters demanding to know
the cause of death. It will have to come out. The report of the county