ind as in front. I didn't hear much, but I
heard enough to let me know that you'd been takin' money from that girl
right along. And I think I know why."

"You do, hey?"

"Yup."

Then Mr. Saunders asked the question that a bigger rascal than he had
asked some years before. He leaned back in his chair, took a pull at his
cigar, and said sneeringly, "Well, what are you goin' to do 'bout it?"

"I'm goin' to stop it, and I'm goin' to make you give the money back.
How much has she paid you?"

"None of your d--n bus'ness."

The Captain rose to his feet. Mr. Saunders sprang up, also, and reached
for the coal shovel, evidently expecting trouble. But if he feared a
physical assault, his fear was groundless. Captain Eri merely took up
his coat.

"Maybe it ain't none of my bus'ness," he said. "I ain't a s'lectman
nor sheriff. But there's such things in town, and p'raps they'll be
int'rested. Seems to me that I've heard that blackmailin' has got folks
into State's prison afore now."

"Is that so? Never heard that folks that set fire to other people's
prop'ty got there, did you? Yes, and folks that helps 'em gits there,
too, sometimes. Who was it hid a coat a spell ago?"

It was Captain Eri's turn to start. He hesitated a moment, tossed the
pea jacket back on the settee and sat down once more. Mr. Saunders
watched him, grinning triumphantly.

"Well?" he said with a sneer.

"A coat, you say?"

"Yes, a coat. Maybe you know who hid it; I can guess, myself. That coat
was burned some. How do you s'pose it got burned? And say! who used to
wear a big white hat round these diggin's? Ah, ha! Who did?"

There was no doubt about the Captain's start this time. He wheeled
sharply in his chair, and looked at the speaker.

"Humph!" he exclaimed. "You found that hat, did you?"

"That's what I done! And where do you think I found it? Why, right at
the back of my shed where the fire started. And there'd been a pile of
shavin's there, too, and there'd been kerosene on 'em. Who smashed the
bottle over in the field, hey?"

Captain Eri seemed to be thinking. "Web" evidently set his own
interpretation on this silence, for he went on, raising his voice as he
did so.

"Did you think I was fool enough not to know who set that fire? I knew
the night she burned, and when I met Dr. Palmer jest comin' from
your house, and he told me how old Baxter was took sick goin' to the
fire--oh, yes, GOIN'--I went up on that hill right off, and I hunte