she had raised, all certified, and totaling some thousands more.

His own check for twenty-five thousand was now honored. The relief
which he felt was tremendous after the weeks of grueling anxiety. At
once he hurried to a broker's and placed an order for the stocks he
had used on which to borrow. He could now replace everything in the
safe, straighten out the books, could make everything look right to
the systematizer, could blame any apparent irregularity on his old
system. Even ignorance was better than dishonesty.

Constance, meanwhile, had installed herself in the little office
they had hired, as stenographer and secretary. Once having embarked
on the hazardous enterprise she showed no disposition to give it up
yet An office boy was hired and introduced at the bank.

The mythical realty company prospered, at least if prosperity is
measured merely by the bank book. In less than a week the skilful
pen and brush of Constance had secured them a balance, after
straightening out Carlton's debts, that came well up to a hundred
thousand dollars, mostly in small checks, some with genuine
signatures and amounts altered, others complete forgeries.

As they went deeper and deeper, Constance began to feel the truth of
their situation. It was she who was really at the helm in this
enterprise. It had been her idea; the execution of it had been
mainly her work; Carlton had furnished merely the business knowledge
that she did not possess. The more she thought of it during the
hours in the little office while he was at work downtown, the more
uneasy did she become.