“Well, it was not put through, so his hopes there were frustrated. And that was but one of his schemes. However, when the sale of the Company was consummated, he did an extraordinary thing. He made out and signed his personal note, payable to the Akrae Company, for every cent he had misappropriated. And we found that note in his safe after his death. That was what first aroused our suspicions. Now, Captain Warren, do you understand?”
Captain Elisha did not understand, that was evident. His look of wondering amazement traveled from one face to the others about the table.
“A note!” he repeated. “’Bije put his note in the safe? A note promisin’ to pay all he’d stole! And left it there where it could be found? Why, that’s pretty nigh unbelievable, Mr. Sylvester! He might just as well have confessed his crookedness and be done with it.”
“Yes. It is unbelievable, but it is true. Graves can show you the note.”
The junior partner produced a slip of paper from the portfolio and regarded it frowningly.
“Of all the pieces of sheer lunacy,” he observed, “that ever came under my observation, this is the worst. Here it is, Captain Warren.”
He extended the paper. Captain Elisha waved it aside.
“I don’t want to see it—not yet,” he protested. “I want to think. I want to get at the reason if I can. Why did he do it?”
“That is what we’ve been tryin’ to find—the reason,” remarked Kuhn, “and we can only guess. Sylvester has told you the guess. Rodgers Warren intended, or hoped, to make restitution before he died.”
“Yes. Knowin’ ’Bije, I can see that. He was weak, that was his main trouble. He didn’t mean to be crooked, but his knees wa’n’t strong enough to keep him straight when it come to a hard push. But he made his note payable to a Company that was already sold out, so it ain’t good for nothin’. Now, why—”