"Of course，"said Joe."But without the keys it is not serviceable.If you drill through the steel doors you destroy their security.""True；but I may decide to do that.""If you do，sir，I'd like you to clear out the rubbish and papers and send them to me.They are family matters，and Idid not intend to sell them with the place.""You shall have them，Joe.""Just underneath the left end of the lower shelf you will find the sliding steel plate.It slides toward the front.In the drawer you will find the worthless stock and a picture of my mother.I'd like to keep the picture.""You shall，Joseph.How are you getting on？""Why，I'm a new man，Mr.Merrick，and today I'm feeling as strong as a buffalo—thanks to your kind guardianship.""Don't overdo，sir.Take it easy.There's a young ladycoming to see you today.""Ethel！"the boy exclaimed，his face turning crimsona."Yes，"returned Uncle John，tersely."You've treated thatgirl shamefully，Joseph Wegg.Try to make proper amends.""I never could understand，"said Joe，slowly，"why Ethel refused to answer the letter I wrote her when I went away.It explained everything，yet—""I'll bet the farm against your lame shoulder she never got your letter，"declared Uncle John."She thought you left her without a word.""I gave it to McNutt to deliver after I was gone.But you say she's coming today？""That is her intention，sir."Joe said nothing more，but his expressive face wassmiling and eager.Uncle John pressed the boy's hand and left him，promising to call again soon.
"Now，then，"muttered the little millionaire，as he walked down the street，"to beard the lion in his den."The den proved to be the hardware store，and the lion none other than Robert West.Mr.Merrick found the merchant seated at his desk in the otherwise deserted store，and，with a nod，helped himself to the only other chair the little of？ce contained.
"Sir，"said he，"I am here to demand an explanation.""Of what？"asked West，coldly.
"Of your action in the matter of the Almaquo Timber Tract Company.I believe that you falsely asserted to Captain Wegg and Mr.Thompson that the timber had burned and their investment was therefore worthless.The news of the disaster killed one of your confiding friends and drove the other mad；but that was a consequence that I am sure you did not intend when you planned the fraud.The most serious thing I can accuse you of is holding the earnings of the Wegg and Thompson stock—and big earnings they are，too—for your own bene？t，and defraudinga the heirs of your associates of their money."West carefully balanced a penholder across his fingers，and eyed it with close attention.
"You are a queer man，Mr.Merrick，"he said，quietly."Ican only excuse your insults on the grounds of ignorance，or the fact that you have been misinformed.Here is the newspaper report of the Almaquo fire，which I showed my friends the night of Captain Wegg's sudden death."He took a clipping from a drawer of the desk and handed it to Uncle John，who read it carefully.
"As a matter of fact，"continued West，"you are not cuttingthat portion of the Almaquo tract which this ？re refers to，and which Thompson and Wegg were interested in，but the north half of the tract，which they had never acquired any title to.""I suppose the stock will show that，"suggested Mr.Merrick.
"Of course，sir."
"I will look it up."West smiled.
"You will have some trouble doing that，"he said.
"Why？"
"Wegg and Thompson had transferred their entire stock to me before one died and the other went mad，"was the quiet reply.
"Oh，I see."The lie was so evident that Uncle John didnot try to refutea it.
"I am rather busy，Mr.Merrick.Anything more，sir？""Not today.Bye and bye，Mr.West."He marched out again and climbed into his buggy to drivehome.The interview with Bob West had made him uneasy，for the merchant's cold，craftya nature rendered him an opponent who would stick at nothingb to protect his ill—gotten gainsc.Uncle John had thought it an easy matter to force him to disgorged，but West was the one inhabitant of Millville who had no simplicity in his character.He was as thoroughly imbued with worldly subtletye and cunning as if he had lived amid the grille of a city all his life；and Mr.Merrick was by no means sure of his own ability to unmask the man and force him to make restitutionf.
