ody accuses Hayne of that, do you?"
asked Ross, in amaze.

"I do,--_just_ that. Only, I say this to you, it has but just come to
light, and only one or two know it. To prove it positively he's got to
be allowed more rope; for he got her out of the way last time before we
could clinch the matter. If he suspects it is known he won't repeat it;
if kept to ourselves he will probably try it again,--and be caught. Now
I charge you all to regard this as confidential."

"But, Captain Buxton," said Ross, "this is so serious a matter that I
don't like to believe it. Who can prove such a story?"

"Of course not, Mr. Ross. You are quite ready to treat a man as a thief,
but can't believe he'll do another thing that is disreputable. That is
characteristic of your style of reasoning," said Buxton, with biting
sarcasm.

"You can't wither me with contempt, Captain Buxton. I have a right to my
opinion, and I have known Mr. Hayne for years, and if I _did_ believe
him guilty of one crime five years ago I'm not so ready to believe him
guilty of another now. This isn't--isn't like Hayne."

"No, of course not, as I said before. Now, will you tell me, Mr. Ross,
just why Mr. Hayne chose that ramshackle old shanty out there on the
prairie, all by himself, unless it was to be where he could have his
chosen companions with him at night and no one be the wiser?"

"I don't pretend to fathom his motives, sir; but I don't believe it was
for any such purpose as you seem to think."

"In other words, you think I'm circulating baseless scandal, do you?"

"I have said nothing of the kind; and I protest against your putting
words into my mouth I never used."

"You intimated as much, anyhow, and you plainly don't believe it."

"Well, I don't believe--that is, I don't see how it could happen."

"Couldn't the woman drive out from town after dark, send the carriage
back, and have it call for her again in the morning?" asked Buxton.

"Possibly. Still, it isn't a proved fact that a woman spent the night at
Hayne's, even if a carriage was seen coming out. You've got hold of some
Sudsville gossip, probably," replied Ross.

"I have, have I? By God, sir, I'll teach you better manners before we
get through with this question. Do you know who saw the carriage, and
who saw the woman, both at Hayne's quarters?"

"Certainly I don't! What I don't understand is how you should have been
made the recipient of the story."

"Mr. Ross, just govern your tongue, s