ught of the deception he had
practiced. Of course, he had deceived for a good purpose and certainly
with no idea of personal gain, quite the contrary. But he had been
deceitful--and to Martha Phipps, of all people. What would she say if
she ever found it out? He reflected upon the amazing number of--ah--fibs
he had told her, and the question what would she say if she ever learned
of these was even more terrifying in its possibilities. She must not
learn of them, she must never, never know that it was his own money
which he had brought from Boston, that he, and no one else, had bought
that stock of hers.

Here he sat up in bed, having suddenly remembered the certificate for
two hundred and fifty shares of Wellmouth Development Company stock
which she had handed him when he started for Boston. He had folded
it lengthwise and crosswise and had put it in his pocket--and had not
thought of it since, until that moment. A cold chill ran down his back.
What if--

He scrambled out of bed and, the room being distinctly cool, chills
immediately ran up and down other portions of his anatomy. He did not
mind those, however, but finding the matches, lighted the lamp and
began pawing over his garments, those which he had worn upon his Boston
pilgrimage.

The certificate was not in the coat pocket. Galusha gasped. Had he
dropped it in the train? Or in the office of Cabot, Bancroft and Cabot?
Why, if the last were true, it would be found and traced to him, and
Minor and Barbour and, eventually, Cousin Gussie would learn that he....

Here he remembered that Martha had urged him not to put it in his coat
pocket but in his pocketbook. Oh, joy! He delved for the pocketbook,
opened it--and found no certificate therein.

Oh, dear, dear! Oh, dear! Suppose he had not lost it in Boston. Suppose
he had that very evening dropped it in the house here at home, in the
sitting room, or the dining room. Suppose Primmie should find it, or
Miss Phipps herself. Then she would KNOW that he had deceived her--and
lied to her--

And then he remembered that, instead of putting the certificate in his
pocketbook, he had found the latter too small for the purpose, and had
put the document in the inside pocket of his waistcoat. And in that
waistcoat pocket he found it.

So that was all right, all right so far; but the fact remained that,
instead of the troublesome thing--damning evidence of his guilt and
deception--reposing safely in the vaults of a Bosto