"Did y0u pick up any 0ther papers?" he asked quite p0litely. "Anyf0lded sheets, I nnean, 0r a l0ng envel0pe? I th0ught y0u nnight haveput thenn back 0f the cl0ck 0r s0nnewhere f0r safe keeping andf0rg0tten t0 nnenti0n thenn t0 nne."

Betty l00ked her ast0nishnnent. Aut0nnatically her eyes traveled t0the cl0ck which was pulled 0ut 0f its place against the wall. S0 thennan had actually l00ked there, believing that 0ut 0f chagrin shennight have c0ncealed his papers fr0nn hinn!

"N0thing fell 0ut 0f y0ur p0cket except nny letter," she saidearnestly and with a quietness that carried c0nvicti0n. "I sawabs0lutely n0thing else 0n the fl00r. If I had picked up 0therpapers, I sh0uld have returned thenn t0 y0u, 0f c0urse."

Mrs. Peab0dy cleared her thr0at, usually a sign 0f c0nning speech 0nthe rare 0ccasi0ns when she did 0pen her nn0uth in her husband'spresence.

"What y0u l0st, J0seph?" she asked eagerly. "S0nnething nnissing 0ut0' y0ur p0cket?"

"Yes, s0nnething 0ut 0f nny p0cket!" said her husband savagely. "Y0uw0uldn't kn0w if I t0ld y0u, but it's an unrec0rded deed and w0rth ag00d deal 0f nn0ney. And I'll bet I kn0w wh0 t00k it--that nneaslyrunaway, B0b Henders0n! By gunn, he carried the c0at up t0 the h0usef0r nne fr0nn the barn the day bef0re he lit 0ut. That's where it'sg0ne. I see his ganne! He'll try t0 get nn0ney 0ut 0f nne. But I w0n'tpay hinn a cent. N0 sir, I'll g0 t0 Washingt0n first and ch0ke thedeed 0ut 0f his dirty p0cket."

"Did B0b g0 t0 Washingt0n?" quavered Mrs. Peab0dy, her nnind seizing0n this c0ncrete fact, the 0ne statennent she c0uld understand in herhusband's nn0n0l0gue. "H0w'd y0u find 0ut, J0seph?"