ve-board about her father's dealings. Surely, there can be no
reason for this extraordinary secrecy, particularly as the newspapers
had given to the world at large the unauthorized statement, from a
source unknown to Miss Lawton or myself, that Pennington Lawton died a
bankrupt!"

The young man drew himself up sharply, as if fearful of having said
too much, and for a moment there was silence. Then Mr. Mallowe leaned
back easily in his chair and, removing his tortoise-shell rimmed
eyeglasses, tapped the desk thoughtfully with them as he replied:

"That was regrettable, of course, Mr. Hamilton. It must have been
distressing in the extreme to Miss Lawton, coming just at this time,
but it would have had to be revealed sooner or later, you know--such a
stupendous fact could not be hidden. There is no extraordinary secrecy
about the matter. When the attorneys have completed their settlement
of the estate, everything will be clear to you and Miss Lawton. I must
naturally decline to give you any explanation which would be, just
now, merely an uncorroborated opinion. I appreciate your feelings in
this sudden, almost overwhelming trouble which has come to Miss
Lawton, and I sympathize with both of you most heartily; but one must
have patience. You will pardon me, but you are both very young, and
that is the hardest lesson of all for you to learn."

His watery eyes beamed in fatherly benevolence upon Ramon, and Anita's
fiance felt his gorge rising. The older man reminded him irresistibly
of a cat licking its chops before a canary's cage, and it was with
difficulty he restrained himself to remark coldly:

"You told me at the beginning of this interview, Mr. Mallowe, that
I did well in coming to you, since you could give me a more
comprehensive idea of the circumstances than anyone else, yet you
have disclosed nothing beyond a few vague suggestions--to any other
man I should have said, insinuations--and generalities which we
were already familiar with. Can't you give me any real information?"

"My dear boy, I intend to tell you all that I know and can verify."
The silky smoothness of the magnate's tones had deepened in spite of
himself, with a steely undernote.

"I don't know when the project which spelled his ruin was first
conceived by Mr. Lawton, but I believe that he started to put it into
active operation over three years ago. He went into it with his usual
cold nerve, and then, when the pendulum did not swing his way he