"Give it to me!" he ordered. "'And it over now, or I'll bash you good
and 'ard."

Azuba merely smiled. "You'll bash nobody," she declared. "You're a
thief, that's what you are--a low-down thief. I've always cal'lated you
was one, ever since I laid eyes on you; now I know it. Don't you dare
shake your fist at me. If my husband was here he'd--"

Hapgood interrupted, savagely consigning the Ginns, both male and
female, to a much hotter place than the kitchen. Captain Dan strode into
the room.

"Here!" he said sharply. "What's all this? You," addressing Hapgood,
"what, do you mean by shakin' your fist at a woman?"

Mr. Hapgood's bluster collapsed, like a punctured toy balloon. He
cringed instead.

"W'y, sir," he pleaded, "it wasn't anything. I lost my temper a bit,
sir, that's all. She"--with a malignant snarl at Azuba--"she's got a
letter of mine. She stole it and won't give it up. I was angry, sir,
same as any man would 'ave been, and I forgot myself. Make 'er 'and over
my letter, sir."

The captain turned to the defiant Mrs. Ginn.

"Have you got a letter of his, Zuba?" he demanded.

Azuba laughed. "I have," she declared, "and I'm glad of it. I've been
waiting to get somethin' like it for a long spell. Stealin'! HE accuse
anybody of stealin'! Here, Daniel Dott, you read that letter. Read it
and see who's been doin' the stealin' around here."

She extended the letter at arm's length. The butler made a snatch at it,
but Captain Dan was too quick. He unfolded the crumpled sheet of paper.
It bore the printed name and address of one of Scarford's newer and more
recently established grocers and provision dealers, and read as follows:

EDWARD H. HAPGOOD,

SIR:--Our order clerk informs us that you expect a higher percentage of
commission on goods ordered by your household. We do not feel that we
should pay this. While we, being a new house, were willing, in order
to obtain your business, to allow a fair rate of commission to you for
putting it in our way, and while, during the past three months, we have
paid such commission, we do not feel--

Daniel tossed the note on the floor. He marched to the door leading to
the back yard and threw it open. Then he turned to the butler.

"See that door?" he inquired, pointing toward it. "Use it."

Hapgood did not seem to comprehend.

"Wh-what, sir?" he faltered.

"Use that door. Get out! Out of this house, and don't you dare show your
nose inside it again. Here!" ste