with--a quiet lot, was they?"

Sylvester hesitated. "Why--why--not particularly so," he admitted.
"Nothing crooked about them, of course. You see, a stock-broker's life
is a nerve-racking, rather exciting one, and--"

"And 'Bije and his chums were excited, too, hey? All right, you needn't
go any further. He was a good husband while his wife lived, wa'n't he?"

"Yes. Frankly, Captain Warren, so far as I know, your brother's personal
habits were good. There was nothing against his character."

"I'm mighty glad to hear it. Mighty glad. Is there anything else you can
tell me?"

"No. Our next move, provided you decide to accept the trust, the
executorship, and the rest, is to get together--you and Graves, if he is
well enough; you and I if he is not--and begin a careful examination of
the stocks, bonds, assets, and debts of the estate. This must be done
first of all."

"Graves hinted there wa'n't any debts, to amount to anything."

"So far as we can see, there are none, except a few trifling bills."

"Yes, yes. Hum!" Captain Elisha put down his coffee spoon and seemed to
be thinking. He shook his head.

"You appear to be puzzled about something," observed the lawyer, who was
watching him intently.