ou at work, Miss Harnden, I eliminate carelessness
and stupidity as the reasons for the books being as they are. That's the
way I'm going at this thing--by the process of elimination. I'm going to
say more! I'm eliminating you as being consciously responsible for any
of the wrongdoing in this bank. That's about as far as I've got in the
matter of elimination." He thumped his fist on a ledger. "It looks to me
as if somebody had started to put something over by mixing these figures
and had been tripped before finishing the job."

Then Mr. Starr, as if to show his appreciation of a worthy young woman
whom he had treated in rather cavalier fashion at their first meeting,
made her clerk to the receiver; the receiver was Almon Waite, an amiable
old professor of mathematics, retired, who had come back to Egypt to
pass his last days with his son. Examiner Starr, having taken it upon
himself to put the Egypt Trust case through, had found in Professor
Waite a handy sort of a soft rubber stamp.

Every afternoon, day by day, Starr had remarked casually to Vaniman,
"Seeing that we have so many things to talk over, you'd better lodge
with me at the hotel to-night!" And daily Vaniman agreed without
a flicker of an eyelid. In view of the fact that both of them kept
sedulously off the bank business after hours, there was a perfect
understanding between the examiner and the cashier as to what this
espionage meant. And Vaniman knew perfectly well just why a chap named
Bixby was in town!

Having a pretty good knowledge of Starr's general opinions and
prejudices, the cashier had squared himself to meet things as they came
along. Once or twice Starr gave the young man an opportunity to come
across with explanations or defense. Vaniman kept silent.

The cashier explained his sentiments to Vona. "It's mighty little
ammunition I've got, dear! All I can do now is to keep it dry, and wait
till I can see the whites of the enemy's eyes."

He refrained from any comment on the identity of the enemy. He did not
need to name names to Vona. The attitude of Tasper Britt, who kept by
himself in his own office; who offered not one word of suggestion or
explanation or consolation; who surveyed Vaniman, when the two met at
the tavern, with the reproachful stare of the benefactor who had been
betrayed--Britt's attitude was sufficiently significant. Vaniman was
waiting to see what Britt would do in the crisis that was approaching.
"At any rate, I must kee