"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