“Oh yes—I see it clearly; but I don't believe you could do what I could in your place?”
“Nobody is free from vanity, for everybody seems to be a natural monopolist when it comes to brains. You are kidnapped at this very moment, aren't you?”
“People know I am here—”
“Oh yes! We expect to have you telephone McWayne presently not to expect you to lunch, and that we have extended every facility to his detectives for having this house under surveillance. We kidnapped the great Garrettson and kept him out of reach of the great world of finance long enough to enable us to cash in. Not only that, but he never told how we did it. You remember when Steel broke to—”
“You didn't do that!” exclaimed E. H. Merri-wether.
“Oh yes, we did; and I'll tell you how.” And the man briefly outlined the case for him.
E. H. Merriwether listened with much interest. When the man made an end of speaking, the financier shook his head skeptically, which made the man ask: “You don't believe it?”
“No!” answered Mr. Merriwether.
“Nevertheless, it is so. We also might have engineered in your case some deal such as that by which we compelled Ashton Welles to disgorge some of the money he had no business to have.” And he proceeded to enlighten the financier.
“Very clever!” said Mr. Merriwether.