When Ralph Le Baron entered Mr. Stuart’s apartment to keep his appointment, he did not look into his sister’s face. He merely inquired coldly: “How are you, Mollie?” and sat down near the small wood fire which was burning cosily in the open grate. Not once did he glance at Barbara, though she kept her eyes fixed steadily on him. He was a tall, thin man, with high cheek bones and a nose like an eagle’s.
“Mrs. Thurston,” began Mr. Stuart, “your brother does not claim that he paid to you or your husband the five thousand dollars which he undoubtedly borrowed. When I first spoke to him of the matter he declared he had never been loaned any such sum. He had great difficulty in recalling the incident until I showed him his note which I still have in my pocket. He explained afterwards, however, that the matter had passed entirely out of his mind after your husband’s death.”
Mrs. Thurston looked at her brother questioningly. “It seems very strange to me, Ralph, that you could have forgotten,” she declared. “But perhaps it is all for the best! We need the money more now than we ever have before.”
Mr. Le Baron did not answer his sister.
“I think you will find it the wisest plan, Mr. Le Baron,” continued Mr. Stuart, breaking the silence, “to pay over this money to Mrs. Thurston and her daughters as soon as you conveniently can.”
Ralph Le Baron knit his brows. Barbara was watching him closely. There was no love lost between Bab and her uncle. She had long looked for some difficulty to arise out of his management of her mother’s affairs, but nothing so serious as this.
Mr. Le Baron’s voice sounded cold and hard as steel.
“Do not deceive yourselves,” he said, with a sneer. “I mean you, Mollie, and Mr. Stuart, who seems to be taking an unusual interest in your affairs. I have not the slightest intention of ever paying back the money!”
Mrs. Thurston’s manner changed. She spoke firmly. “I should be exceedingly sorry, Ralph, to have any trouble with you over the matter; but the law must compel you to pay your debt.”
“Not so fast, sister,” smiled Mr. Le Baron, sarcastically. “You are coming into a remarkable business knowledge all at once, but you do not yet know quite enough. The law does not compel me after six years to pay a debt which has not been presented to me within that time. Perhaps you have never heard of the statute of limitation. Perhaps your friend, Mr. Stuart, will make it clear to you. You should have asked me for this money five or six years ago. The New York law does not require a debt to be paid unless a request has been made for its settlement within six years after the time it was contracted. The money was loaned to me by your husband eleven years ago, as we all know by the date on the note. I have no further concern in the matter.”