“I can’t get up, he has me down,” gasped Brown from somewhere within.
“What’s the matter?” I bawled. “Open the door.”
Anderson, probably seeing that I would force an entrance directly, went to the latch, and in a moment I entered the room. Brown was in the act of rising from the floor. He greeted me with a knowing look.
“Well, what’s the trouble?” I asked.
Anderson gave a deprecatory gesture with both hands and sat down at the desk. He evidently had nothing to say. Brown hesitated while he regained his composure. Then he spoke.
“You know what I went to sea for,” he began, “you know that I was accused of appropriating the firm’s money—”
He stopped a moment, and I nodded.
“Yes,” I said, “I had heard something to that effect.”
“Well, here is the culprit,” said he, and pointed to Anderson.
“I always thought as much,” I said, with some feeling, and as I spoke the man at the table turned upon me.