"Where did you get these?" He flung the question at Rollins.
The informer had been standing behind Luke, as if seeking his shelter. His breath came heavily.
"I found them in the office-files," he mumbled.
"He stole them," said Luke quietly.
"Oh, Mr. Huber, if you're going to talk like that——"
"He stole them," Luke pursued—"or so he says. The only question in my mind is: are they genuine?"
Rollins showed signs of resenting this suggestion more keenly than the declaration that he was a thief. Leighton, however, interrupted: he was squinting at the letter that Luke had read in full.
"No," he said, "this is real enough. I know the signature."
"You know it?" Luke was surprised.
"Yes, yes." Leighton read the letter through; then turned upon Rollins with a resumption of his cross-examining manner. "How much d'you want for these?"