"Yes. I talked personally with him, Heppy."
"What did he say?" urged the woman.
"Why, he couldn't say nothin' yet. Not till the bank's books was gone over. It's bein' done."
"Tobias, that's only an excuse. We'll never see a penny of our money again!" And his sister broke into passionate sobs.
"Dad fetch it!" ejaculated Tobias, "I give it as my opinion that there ain't never been such a unanimity of opinion on one subject in this community since Noah stepped ashore from the ark. You folks have got it all settled that Arad Thompson is so crooked that he can't lay straight in bed. Oh, sugar!"
It was a very gloomy afternoon and evening at the Twin Rocks Light. The men got what little supper there was. Heppy went to bed still weeping and with a hot brick at her feet.
"An' I give it as my opinion, 'Zekiel," said the lightkeeper to the younger man, with frank disgust in his tone, "that Heppy can think with that hot brick just as good as she can with her head. There ain't no mortal sense in her fussin' and fumin' the way she does."
"But, Tobias! if the money is gone?"
"Oh, sugar!" snorted Tobias. "Mourning over it won't bring our money back. If we've got to lose it, we've got to—that's all."
"But—eight—thousand—dollars!"