st into a chair by the fire. "Yes, yes," he said as he seated
himself; "we know all about that, my boy; but I'm afraid, Dick," he
added regretfully, "that the Colonel wouldn't let you in. He's very
bitter."

Dick groaned. He was calmer now. "You're right, Major," he said
steadily; "it hurt so at first that I didn't think. I can't go now."
He leaned forward anxiously. "The Cotesville Bank--?" he questioned
abruptly.

"Crashed in the autumn--in September." Dick bit his lip, and the Major
added: "He was heavily interested?"

Dick stared at the fire. "It was all he had," he said.

"I see." The Major's quiet voiced gave no hint of his own emotion. "I
didn't know. Of course I heard he had lost something; we all did; but
I thought he had other money."

"No. Tell me, Major, you've been going to Brierwood this winter just
as usual?"

"Of course; every Wednesday night. The Colonel and I are too old to
alter the habit of a lifetime, and besides we both love that long
evening playing chess. There's always a roaring wood fire and a
steaming pot of coffee, and your mother always plays Beethoven for us
just before I go."

A look of relief shone in Dick's eyes. "'Always a fire,'" he repeated.
"I'm glad of that. There was no suggestion of--of want?"

"Heavens, no!" The Major's deep voice was full of assurance. "Last
week," he added thoughtfully, "the coffee was pretty weak, but it never
occurred to me that--" he stopped abruptly, rose from his chair with
sudden energy, violently blew his nose, and tramped down to the end of
the hall and back. "Damn the Fairfax pride!" he exclaimed fiercely.
"Here Uncle Noah has been coming into the library Wednesday nights and
telling the Colonel that the stock had all been bedded down for the
night when all the time there's been nothing left but this confounded
old turkey gobbler we've been hearing about. He swore last week that
somebody had stolen the silver teapot. Abominable old liar! He must
have sold it." The Major threw out his arms with a wrathful gesture.
"All this comedy, if you please, for my benefit. Here I've been there
every week, and never suspected, thanks to the infernal stratagems of
that black fiend of an Uncle Noah. Damn the Fairfax pride!"

The Major sat down as suddenly as he had risen, and, bending over,
attacked the fire with vicious energy.

"Tell me, Major," Dick presently asked, "have you ever mentioned me to
the Colonel since I went North