“It seems to me that you played a pretty high-handed game,” I continued to Whiteley; “about like the burglary committed on my dwelling and on my safe.”
“I wanted the ten thousand five hundred still missing,” replied Whiteley. “I had reason to believe the money was in your safe.”
“But you were mistaken,” said I, scornfully. “The thief who stole the government money and bought my bonds didn’t pay me but ten thousand. How much was missing?”
“A matter of twenty thousand dollars.”
“I suppose you’d been after me just as hard if your thief had bought twenty bonds of me and passed over the whole twenty thousand dollars?” said I, with an attempt at a little sneer, though not wishing to play the game I was playing too far.
“Well, it looks as if you were the victim of circumstances, Miles,” said the colonel; “but it’s too late now.”
“Not to get my money back,” said I, firmly.
“Yes, too late for that,” was his reply and just as firmly.
“You mean that I can’t have the ten thousand dollars that rightfully belongs to me?”
“That’s it, Miles. The money was stolen from the government. It has been identified by the proper authorities. You had it in your possession. That you came honestly by it I shall not dispute. I’m taking your word for that. If I didn’t, you’d have to produce the man who bought the bonds, and perhaps you’d have to go farther and prove what bonds you had to sell.”