"I believe you came into the room while mother was gone."
"So I did," answered Mrs. Marlow, with engaging frankness. "I went in to see if your dear sister wanted anything done."
"You found her asleep?"
"She waked up just as I entered the room. She was only having a cat nap. I told her why your mother had gone out, she seemed so alarmed like."
"And then you went to the table drawer and took out the purse."
"It was in the bureau drawer——"
Here Mrs. Marlow stopped short, feeling that she had betrayed herself.
"You are right. You have good reason to know. You went to the bureau drawer and took out the purse."
"It's a lie, whoever says it," exclaimed the widow. "You're in good business, Rupert Rollins, to be comin' round accusin' a poor woman of stealin'—me that's as honest as the babe unborn."
"It may be so, Mrs. Marlow, but where did you get the gold piece you paid to Mr. Graves?"