The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-08-10
CHAPTER XlV-continued.

Eyes. Precisely. And there were
many just as valueless. But we have
been gradually getting those out Of
the way and listing and appraising the
remainder. 1t was a tangle. Your
brothers business methods, especially
of late years, were decidedly unsys-
tematic and slipshod. 1t may have
been the condition of his health which
prevented his attending to them as he
should. Or" he hesitated slightly, sit
may have been that he was secretly in
great trouble and mental distress. At
all events, the task has been a hard
one for US. But, largely owing to
Graves and his patient work, our re-
port was practically ready a month
ago."
He paused. Captain Elisha, who had
been listening attentively, nodded.
"Yes," he said; you told me twas.
What does the whole thing tot up to?
What's the final figger, Mr.. GravesT
"Never mind them now, Graves" in
terrupted Kuhn. "The amount, rough
ly speaking, is close to over our orig
inal estimate, half million"
The captain drew a breath Of relief.
SWELL" he exclaimed, that's all right
then, amt 1t? That's no poorhouse
pension"
Sylvester answered. "Yes," he said,
that's all right as far as it goes"
"HumphI Well, I cal'late could
make it go to the end of the route
and then have enough left for re-
turn ticket. Say" with another look
at the solemn faces of the three, what
liz the row? If the estate is with ha'f
q million what's the matter with it?"
'That is what we are here this morn
ing to discuss, captain. A month ago,
as 1 said, we considered our report
practically ready. Then we suddenly
happened on the trail of something
which upon investigation upset all our
calculations. If true it threatened,
not to mention its effect upon the es-
tate, to prove so distressing and pain
full to US, Rodgers Warren's friends
and legal advisers, that we decided not
to alarm you, his brother, by disclosing
our suspicious until we were sure there
was no mistake. did drop you hint,
you will remember
~ remember. Now we're comm to
the rock!"
Sylvester was evidently disturbed.
Captain Elisha, regarding him intent
Iy, nodded.
II judge it's sort of hard for you to
go on, Mr.. Sylvester" he said. 'T'n
help you all can. You and Mr.. Kuhn
and Mr.. Graves here have found out
somethin' that amt exactly straight
In Bije's doin's-somethin's he's done
that's-well, to speak plain, that's
crookedY
"I'm afraid there's no doubt of it."
"Humphr The captain frowned
His cigar had gone out, and he idly
twisted the stump between his fin
gers. "WeI," he said, with a sigh,
'our family, centrally speakin', has al
ways held its head pretty high. Dad
was poor, but he prided himself on
bein' straight as plumb line And, as
for mother. She = Then, look
ing up quickly, he asked, Does any
body outside know about this?"
"No one but ourselves-yet."
yet? Is it goin' to be necessary
for anybody else to know itY'
ave hope not. But there is posi-
bility.'
~ was thinkin' about the children"
"Of course. So are we ALL"
"Um-hm. Poor Caroline! She put
her father on a sort of altar and bow
ed down afore him, as you might say.
ANY sort of disgrace to his name would
about kill her. AS for me-" with an
other sigh. 81 amt so much surprised
as you might think. 1 know that
sounds tough to say about your own
brother, but I've been afraid all along.
You see, Bile always steered pretty
close to the edge of the channel. He
had ideas about honesty and fair deal
In in business that didn't jibe with
mine. We split on just that, as told
you, Mr.. Graves, when you and / fust
met. He got some South Denboro folks
to invest money along with him-sort
of savins account, they fggered it
but / found out he was usin' 1t to
speculate with. So that's why we had
our row. took pains to see that the
money was paid back, but he and ]
never spoke 'fterward. Fur as my
own money was concerned, / hadn't
any kick. but . - However, In,
talkin' too much. Go on, Sylvester
I'm ready to hear whatever you've got
to say"
THANK you, captain. You make IL
easier for me. 1t seems that your
brothers first step toward wealth and
success was taken about nineteen
years ago. Then somehow or other
probably through combination OF
tuck and shrewdness, he obtained o
grant, a concession from the Brazilian
government, the long term lease OF a
good sized tract Of land on the upper
Amazon. 1t was very valuable be
cause Of its rubber trees.