Uncle Josiah would not have to lose his
place."

"Gosh!" was the inelegant reply. "You're a brick!"

His brow puckered.

"Won't that save him?" she asked with concern.

"Sure. But how did you know that Uncle Josiah was a party to this
mix-up?"

"Father told me that."

"You should have been the lawyer of this family. I never saw any one
like you for finding things out." Still apparently worried, he added:
"But your check will give you away. What if that happens to fall into
Dad's hands?"

"I didn't use my check. I went to our bank first, and drew out all my
money. I didn't have enough left to put back, so I--well, I didn't put
it back."

"What under heaven did you do with it?"

"I went down to an East River fish wharf, and----"

"Took a corner on fish?"

"Harold, don't think me foolish. Uncle Josiah had sold his boat,
thinking to pay Father off and save his place. I----"

"You bought back the old fellow's boat!"

She nodded.

Harold did not laugh. Instead, he turned toward his desk and busily
fumbled papers. When he spoke there was a note of tenderness in his
voice. "You're the best little sport in seventeen States."

"Well, that doesn't keep me from starving."

"You didn't come for anything else?"

"No, except that I did want to talk with you. We can do that while we
eat."

"I'd rather you would ask me any questions before we go out. State
secrets have been known to leak out from restaurant tables."

"Tell me where this Adoniah Phillips lives."

"Whew! You don't pick the easy ones, do you? You certainly go right
after what you want, Bets. But why do you ask?"

"Because I want to know."

"You'll have to think up a better reason than that."

"If he is one of your clients, why don't you make him pay that
interest?"

"Lawyers may advise, but they can't drive unless they hold the reins of
litigation."

"You are just as exasperating as all lawyers," she said with a show of
impatience. "Do you know that your client has fallen heir to a very
large fortune? And do you know that he could pay the principal as well
as the interest?"

"Good Lord, Sis! You're a wonder! How on earth did you ferret all this
mess out?"

"That doesn't matter. The thing that matters is what Father and that
Phillips person are trying to do to Uncle Josiah. We must stop them. If
you know the truth about the transaction between Father and Mr. Phillips
you have no right to allow this thing to go on."

Harold's eyes nar