"But—but—" I stuttered.
"Yes? Anything that I haven't made clear?"
"Anything? Why! if all this yarn of yours is so—.... But it can't be so! Why did Mary burn that letter?"
"She didn't."
"But she said she did."
"I know. Well, Cap'n, if you'll remember when we talked, the three of us, yesterday, I hinted that unless you were cleared of blame in this affair you might be removed from office."
"I know, but.... Hey? You mean that she lied and put the blame on herself, so as to save me? So's I'd keep my job?"
"Looks that way to a man up a tree, doesn't it?"
"But why? Why should she sacrifice herself for—for me?"
Peters bit the end off of a cigar. "That," says he, "don't come under the head of government business."