第27章

"No-o. No, I wouldn't want to say that. They're young and--and, well, I ain't the kind they've been used to. Caroline's a nice girl. She is, sure. All she needs is to grow a little older and have the right kind of advice and--and friends.""How about the boy?" Mr. Sylvester had met young Warren, and his eyes twinkled as he spoke.

"Steve? Well," there was an answering twinkle in Captain Elisha's eye; "well, Steve needs to grow, too; though I wouldn't presume to tell him so. When a feller's undertakin' to give advice to one of the seven wise men, he has to be diplomatic, as you might say."The lawyer put back his head and laughed uproariously.

"Ha! ha!" he crowed. "That's good! Then, from your questioning of the children, you've learned--?""Not such an awful lot. I think I've learned that--hum! that a good guardian might be a handy thing to have in the house. Areg'lar legal guardian, I mean. Otherwise--""Otherwise?"

"Otherwise there might be too many disinterested volunteer substitutes for the job. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.""Have you made up your mind to be that guardian?""Not yet. I haven't made up my mind to anything yet. Now, Mr.

Sylvester, while we're waitin' for what comes next--you've ordered enough grub to victual a ship--s'pose you just run over what your firm knows about 'Bije. That is, if I ain't askin' too much.""Not at all. That's what I'm here for. You have a right to know.

But I warn you my information isn't worth much."He went on, briefly and with the conciseness of the legal mind, to tell of A. Rodgers Warren, his business and his estate. He had been a broker with a seat on the Stock Exchange.

"That seat is worth consider'ble, ain't it?" interrupted the captain.

"Between eighty and one hundred thousand dollars.""Yup. Well, it reminds me of a picture I saw once in one of the comic papers. An old feller from the backwoods somewheres--good deal like me, he was, and just about as green--was pictured standin' along with his city nephew in the gallery of the Exchange.

And the nephew says, 'Uncle,' says he, 'do you realize that a seat down there's wuth seventy-five thousand dollars?' 'Gosh!' says the old man, 'no wonder most of 'em are standin' up.' Ho! ho! Is that seat of 'Bije's part of the five hundred thousand you figger he's left?""Yes, in a way it is. To be truthful, Captain Warren, we're not sure as to the amount of your brother's tangible assets. Graves made a hurried examination of the stocks, bonds, and memoranda, and estimated the total, that's all.""I see. Well, heave ahead."

The lawyer went on. The dead broker's office had been on Broad Street. A small office, with but two clerks. One of the clerks was retained, and the office, having been leased for a year by its former tenant, was still open pending the settlement of the estate.

A. Rodgers Warren personally was a man who looked older than he really was, a good liver, and popular among his companions.

"What sort of fellers were his companions?" asked Captain Elisha.

"You mean his friends in society, or his companions down town in Wall Street?""The Wall Street ones. I guess I can find out something about the society ones. Anyhow, I can try. These Wall Streeters that 'Bije chummed with--a quiet lot, was they?"Sylvester hesitated. "Why--why--not particularly so," he admitted.

"Nothing crooked about them, of course. You see, a stock-broker's life is a nerve-racking, rather exciting one, and--""And 'Bije and his chums were excited, too, hey? All right, you needn't go any further. He was a good husband while his wife lived, wa'n't he?""Yes. Frankly, Captain Warren, so far as I know, your brother's personal habits were good. There was nothing against his character.""I'm mighty glad to hear it. Mighty glad. Is there anything else you can tell me?""No. Our next move, provided you decide to accept the trust, the executorship, and the rest, is to get together--you and Graves, if he is well enough; you and I if he is not--and begin a careful examination of the stocks, bonds, assets, and debts of the estate.

This must be done first of all."

"Graves hinted there wa'n't any debts, to amount to anything.""So far as we can see, there are none, except a few trifling bills.""Yes, yes. Hum!" Captain Elisha put down his coffee spoon and seemed to be thinking. He shook his head.

"You appear to be puzzled about something," observed the lawyer, who was watching him intently.

"I am. I was puzzled afore I left home, and I'm just as puzzled now.""What puzzles you? if I may ask."

"Everything. And, if you'll excuse my sayin' so, Mr. Sylvester, Iguess it puzzles you, too."

He returned his host's look. The latter pushed back his chair, preparatory to rising.

"It is all so perfectly simple, on the face of it, Captain Warren,"he said. "Your brother realized that he must die, that his children and their money must be taken care of; you were his nearest relative; his trust in your honesty and judgment caused him to overlook the estrangement between you. That's the case, isn't it?""Yes. That's the case, on the face of it, as you say. But you've forgot to mention one item.""What's that?"

"'Bije himself. You knew him pretty well, I can see that. So did I. And I guess that's why we're both puzzled."Captain Elisha folded his napkin with care and stood up. Sylvester rose, also.

"Come downstairs," he said. "We can enjoy our cigars more comfortably there, and go on with our talk. That is, unless you're in a great hurry.""No, I ain't in any special hurry. So I get up to Caroline's in season for supper--er, dinner, I mean--I don't care. But I don't want to keep you. You're a busy man.""This is business. This way, Captain."

The big lounging room of the club, on the first floor, Fifth Avenue side, was almost empty when they entered it. The lawyer drew two big chairs near the open fire, rang the bell, and ordered cigars.

After the cigars were lighted and the fragrant clouds of tobacco smoke were rising, he reopened the conversation. And now, in an easy, diplomatic way, he took his turn at questioning.