It wasn’t working out as I expected and because it wasn’t and because Roger was giving it his full attention, I felt more irritated.
“Didn’t I tell you he’d fallen into bad company?”
“You did and I’ve taken it into consideration, but—”
“Roger, this isn’t a legal investigation. You’re not trying to break up the beef trust or impose a fine on Standard Oil. It’s just a simple question of right and wrong.”
“I’m glad you think it’s simple. This person with any amount of character fell under a bad influence?”
“That’s it—he was undermined, and though he was, as I said, a fine person, quite noble in some respects, he didn’t think stealing was so wicked as the average respectable citizen does.”
Roger put the other foot on the fender and looked at me with increasing concentration.
“I don’t understand at all. Let me try and get to the bottom of it. What did he steal?”
For a moment I stared at him blankly without answering.
He went on. There was no doubt about his giving me his full attention, it was getting fuller every moment.