“Yes—oh, yes, Cap'n Jeth, I said it. PLEASE don't!”
“And you pretended my dead wife's spirit said it, didn't you?”
“Yes. Yes, she did. Oh—oh—”
“She did not! Listen, all of you!” with scornful disgust. “Listen! That four hundred shares of Development stock this—this critter here says Julia knows I've got and wants me to sell to Raish Pulcifer I SOLD two months ago. Yes, by the everlastin', I sold 'em! And—eh? Yes, there he is. I sold 'em to that Bangs man there. He knows it. He'll tell you I did.... And now this swindler, this cheat, she—she—Who put you up to it? Who did? Was it Pulcifer?”
Marietta began to sob. “Ye-es, yes,” she faltered. “He—he said he—”
“I thought so. And you pretended 'twas my—my Julia, my wife.... Oh, my God! And you've been pretendin' all the time. 'Twas all cheatin' and lies, wasn't it? She—she never come to you. She never told you nothin'. Ain't it so?”
Poor, publicity-loving, sensation-loving Marietta's nerve was completely gone. She sobbed wildly.
“Oh—oh, I guess so. I—I guess likely 'twas,” she wailed. “I—I don't know. I only—”
Captain Jethro took his hand from her shoulder. He staggered a little.
“Get out of my house!” he ordered. “Out of my house—all of you. You're all liars and cheats together.... Oh, Julia! Oh, my Lord above!”