didn’tknow——Whew！Idon’tknowWHATIdidn’tknow！Butwhatonearthhasshegonetothestorefor？Andlastnighttoo，yousay？“
“Yes。Shadrach，I’vebeenthinkin’andallIcanthinkofisthat——
that——“
“Well——what？“
“That——thatshesuspicionshowthingsarewithus——somebodythatdoessuspicionhasdroppedahintandshehas——hasgoneupto——“
“Todowhat？Chuckitoverboard！Speakitout！Todowhat？“
“Tolookatthebooksorsomethin’。Sheknowsthecombinationofthesafe，yourecollect。“
CaptainShadrach’seyesandmouthopenedsimultaneously。Hemadeadiveforthehooksonthebedroomwall。
“Jumpin’fireofbrimstone！“heroared。“Givememyclothes！“
Ahalf-hourlateraninterestedperson——and，sofarasthatgoes，atleasteverysecondpersoninSouthHarnisswouldhavebeeninterestedhadheorshebeenawareofwhatwasgoingon——aninterestedand，ofcourse，unscrupulouspersonpeepinginundertheshadesofHamiltonandCompany’swindowwouldhaveseenacurioussight。Thispersonwouldhaveseentwoelderlymensittingoneuponawoodenchairandtheotheruponawoodenpackingcaseandwearingguilty，nottosayhang-dog，expressions，whileayoungwomanstandinginfrontofthemdeliveredpointedandpersonalremarks。
CaptainShadrachandZoeth，followingtheirniecetothestore，hadpeepedinandseenhersittingatthedesk，thesafeopen，andaccountbooksandpapersspreadoutbeforeher。AboardintheplatformcreakedbeneaththeCaptain’sweightytreadandMarylookedupandsawthem。Beforetheycouldretreatormakeuptheirmindswhattodo，shehadruntothedoor，thrownitopen，andorderedthemtocomein。Neitheranswered——theycouldnotatthemoment。
Thecertaintythatsheknewwhattheyhadtriedsohardtoconcealkeptthemtongue-tied。
“Comein！“repeatedMary。“Comein！Andshutthedoor！“
Theycamein。AlsoCaptainShadrachshutthedoor。Justwhyheobeyedorderssomeeklyhecouldnothavetold。Hisniecegavehimlittletimetothink。
“Ididnotexactlyexpectyou，“shesaid，“but，onthewhole，Iamgladyoucame。Nowsitdown，bothofyou，andlistentome。Whatdoyoumeanbyit？“
Zoethsat，withoutaword。Shadrach，however，madeafeebleattempttobluster。
“WhatdoWEmeanbyit？“herepeated。“WhatdoYOUmean，youmean！
Perusin’uphereinthemiddleofthenightwithoutawordtoyourUncleZoethandme，and——andhaulin’openthatsafe——and——“
AgainMaryinterrupted。
“Bestill，UncleShad！“shecommanded。“Sitdown！Sitdownonthatboxandlistentome！That’sright。Nowtellme！Whyhaveyoubeentellingmefibsforalmostayear？Answerme！Whyhaveyou？“
ZoethlookedatShadrachandthelatterlookedathim。
“Fibs？“stammeredMr。Hamilton。“Fibs？Why——why，Mary-’Gusta！“
“Yes，fibs。Imightuseastrongerwordandnotexaggerateverymuch。Youhaveledmetothinkthatbusinesswasgood，thatyouweredoingaswellorbetterthanwhenIwasherewithyou。Iaskedyouoverandoveragainandyouinvariablygavemethatanswer。AndnowIknowthatduringallthattimeyouhavescarcelybeenabletomakeendsmeet，thatyouhavebeenworryingyourselvessick，thatyou——“
CaptainShadcouldstanditnolonger。
“Weain’t，neither！“hedeclared。“Ineverwasbetterinmylife。
Iain’thadadoctorformore’nayear。AndthenIonlyhadhimfortheheaves——forthehorse——ahorsedoctor，Imean。Whatareyoutalkin’about！Sicknothin’！IfthatswabofanIsaiahhas——“
“Stop，UncleShad！Itoldyoutolisten。Andyouneedn’ttrytochangethesubjectortopretendIdon’tknowwhatIamtalkingabout。Idoknow。Andasforpretending——well，therehasbeenpretendingenough。Whatdoyoumean——youandUncleZoeth——bysendingmeofftoschoolandtoEuropeanddeclaringupanddownthatyoudidn’tneedmehereathome？“
“Wedidn’tneedyou，Mary-’Gusta，“vowedZoetheagerly。“Wegotalongfust-ratewithoutyou。AndwewantedyoutogotoschoolandtoEurope。Yousee，itmakesusfeelproudtoknowourgirlisgettin’afineeducationandseein’theworld。Itain’tanymorethanshedeserves，butitmakesusfeelawfulpleasedtoknowshe’sgettin’it。“
“Andasforthestore，“brokeintheCaptain，“Ical’lateyou’vebeenpawin’overthembooksandthey’vekindof——kindofgonetoyourhead。Idon’twonderatit，thistimeofnight！HamiltonandCompany’sallright。Wemaybealittlemitebehindinsomeofourbills，but——er——but……DON’Tlookatmelikethat，Mary-’Gusta！
Whatdoyoudoitfor？Stopit，won’tyou？“
Maryshookherhead。
“No，UncleShad，“shesaid，“Ishan’tstopit。IknowallaboutHamiltonandCompany’scondition；perhapsIknowitbetterthanyoudo。ThisisthefifthnightthatIhavebeenworkingoverthosebooksandIshouldknow，atleast。“
“TheFIFTHnight！Doyoumeantosay——“
“ImeanthatIknewyouwouldn’ttellmewhatIwantedtoknow；I
hadtoseethesebooksformyselfandatnightwastheonlytimeI
coulddoit。Butnevermindthatnow，“sheadded。“We’lltalkofthatlater。Otherthingscomefirst。UncleShadandUncleZoeth，I
knownotonlyabouttheaffairsofHamiltonandCompany，butaboutmyownaswell。“
Zoethleanedforwardandstaredather。Heseemedtocatchthesignificanceoftheremark，forhelookedfrightened，whereasShadrachwasonlypuzzled。
“You——youknowwhat，Mary-’Gusta？“falteredZoeth。“Youmean——“
“Imean，“wentonMary，“thatIknowwherethemoneycamefromwhichhaspaidmyschoolbillsandformyclothesandmytravelingthingsandalltherest。IknowwhosemoneyhaspaidallmybillseversinceIwassevenyearsold。“
Shadrachrosefromhischair。Hewasasfrightenedashispartnernow。
“Whatareyoutalkin’about，Mary-’GustaLathrop？“heshouted。“Youknow！Youdon’tknownothin’！Youstopsayin’suchthings！Whydon’tyoustopher，ZoethHamilton？“
Zoethwasspeechless。Marywentonasiftherehadbeennointerruption。
“Iknow，“shesaid，“thatIhaven’tapennyofmyownandneverdidhaveandthatyoutwohavedoneitall。Iknowallaboutit——atlast。“
Ifthesetwomenhadbeencaughtstealingtheycouldnothavelookedmoreguilty。If，insteadofbeingremindedthattheirniecehadspenttheirmoney，theyhadbeenaccusedofmisappropriatingherstheycouldnothavebeenmoreshakenordumbfounded。CaptainShadrachstoodbeforeher，hisfaceafieryredandhismouthopeningandshuttinginvainattemptsatarticulation。Zoeth，histhinfingersextendedinappeal，wasthefirsttospeak。
“Mary-’Gusta，“hestammered，“don’ttalkso！PLEASEdon’t！“
Marysmiled。“Oh，yes，Ishall，UncleZoeth，“shesaid。“Imeantodomorethantalkfromnowon，butImusttalkalittlefirst。I’mnotgoingtotrytotellyouwhatitmeanstometolearnafteralltheseyearsthatIhavebeendependentonyouforeverythingIhavehad，homeandluxuriesandeducationandopportunities。Irealizenowwhatsacrificesyoumusthavemade——“
“Weain’t，neither！“roaredtheCaptain，infranticprotest。“Weain’t，Itellyou。Somebody’sbeentellin’lies，ain’tthey，Zoeth？
Why——“
“Hush，UncleShad！SomeoneHASbeentellingme——er——fibs——Isaidthatatthebeginning；butthey’renotgoingtotellmeanymore。I
knowthetruth，everybitofit，aboutFather’slosinghismoneyinstocksand——UncleShad，whereareyougoing？“
CaptainShadwashalfwaytothedoor。Heansweredoverhisshoulder。
“I’mgoin’home，“hevowed，“andwhenIgetthereI’mgoin’tochokethatdummedtattle-taleofanIsaiahChase！I’lltalktoYOUafterI’vedoneit。“
Maryranafterhimandcaughthisarm。
“Comeback，UncleShad！“sheordered。“Comeback，sitdown，anddon’tbefoolish。Idon’twantyoutotalktome！Iamgoingtotalktoyou，andI’mnothalfthroughyet。Besides，itwasn’tIsaiahwhotoldme，itwasJudgeBaxter。“
“JudgeBaxter！Why，theeverlastin’old——“
“Hush！Hecouldn’thelptellingme，Imadehimdoit。Bestill，bothofyou，andI’lltellyouallaboutit。“
Shedidtellthem，beginningwithhermeetingwithMr。GreenattheHowedinner，thenofherstopatOstableandtheinterviewwithBaxter。
“SoIhavefounditallout，yousee，“shesaid。“I’mnotgoingtotrytothankyou——Icouldn’t，ifIdidtry。ButIamgoingtotakemyturnattheworkandtheworry。Tobeginwith，ofcourse，youunderstandthatIamthroughwithBostonandschool，throughforever。“
Therewasanexcitedandvolubleprotest，ofcourse，butshepaidnoheedwhatevertocommandsorentreaties。
“Iamthrough，“shedeclared。“Ishallstayhereandhelpyou。I
amonlyagirlandIcan’tdomuch，perhaps，butItrulybelieveI
candosomething。Iamasortofsilentpartnernow；youunderstandthat，don’tyou？“
Shadrachlookeddoubtfulandanxious。
“IfIhadmyway，“hedeclared，“you’dgostraightbacktothatschoolandstaytherelong’swecouldrakeorscrapeenoughtogethertokeepyouthere。AndIknowZoethfeelsthesame。“
“Isartindo，“agreedZoeth。
Marylaughedsoftly。“Butyouhaven’tyourway，yousee，“shesaid。
“YouhavehaditforeversolongandnowIamgoingtohavemine。
Yournewsilentpartnerisgoingtobegintobossyou。“
Forthefirsttimesinceheenteredthedoorofhisstorethatnight——ormorning——Shadrachsmiled。Itwasn’tabroadsmilenoraverygayone，butitwasasmile。
“Um——ya-as，“hedrawled。“Iwanttoknow，Mary’-Gusta！Iamgettin’somealonginyears，butmymemoryain’tfailedmuch。IfI
couldrememberanydayorhourorminutesinceZoethandmeh’istedyouintotheoldbuggytodriveyoufromOstablehere——ifIcouldrememberaminuteofthattimewhenyouHADN’Tbossedus，I——well，I’dputitdowninthelogwitharedinkcirclearoundit。No，sir-ee！You’vebeenOURskipperfromthestart。“