shut the door tightly and stood in front of it.

"What do you want?" demanded Nat. He did not like the looks of Rufus
Cameron. The fellow's face was dissipated.

"You got my aunt to sign a certain document, didn't you?"

"What if I did?"

"I want to see that paper."

"If you do, you'll have to see my employer about it."

"You've got the paper right here. Why can't you show it to me?"

"Because I have no authority for so doing," answered our hero, firmly.

"Humph! It won't hurt you to let me look over the paper," growled Rufus
Cameron.

"I have my orders."

"Did John Garwell tell you not to show me the paper?"

"He told me to have it signed, and to bring it right back."

"Well, I want to see it, and I'm going to do it before you leave this
house."

"Are you going to take the paper away from me!" cried Nat, in alarm.

"I only want to look at it. As soon as I've read it, I'll give it back
to you."

"I can't allow the paper to go out of my possession, Mr. Cameron."

"Mrs. Parloe isn't entirely responsible for what she does. I must see to
it that everything is all right."

"Well, you had better call on Mr. Garwell."

"No, I must see the document while you have it here. Come! hand it
over."

"I will not."

Nat had scarcely spoken when Rufus Cameron caught him roughly by the
shoulder.

"Look here, boy, I am not a man to be trifled with!" he whispered,
fiercely. "Let me see the paper, and it will be all right. But if you
won't, I'll make a whole lot of trouble for you."

"Let go of me!" and Nat tried to pull himself away.

"You stole this ring while you were upstairs," said Rufus Cameron,
quickly, and, putting his hand in Nat's side pocket, he brought it out
again with a diamond ring.

"I--I never saw that ring before," gasped Nat.

"You stole it, I say, and unless you behave yourself, I'll have you
arrested," went on Rufus Cameron, coldly.

Nat was dumfounded, but like a flash he saw through the trick that the
man wanted to play on him.

"You can't fool me, Mr. Rufus Cameron," said he, sharply. "Let me go, or
I'll have you hauled up in court for this. Your dirty trick won't work
with me."

Rufus Cameron fell back, crestfallen. He had not anticipated such
bravery on our hero's part. He was a coward at heart, and too much
liquor had somewhat muddled his brain.

"Then you won't show me the document?" he muttered.

"No."

As Nat uttered the word, Rufus Cameron picked up a sea shell lying o