"That is true," he murmured, all eagerness at once. Then in a lower tone and with a significant gesture: "There is something, then, which has never been made known? Edith was right when she said you did not steal the bonds out of your father's desk?"
As he paused and looked me in the face, I was obliged to make some reply. I chose one of the non-committal sort.
"Don't ask me!" I murmured, turning away with every appearance of profound agitation.
He did not suspect the ruse.
"But, my boy, I shall have to ask you; if I am to help you out of this scrape, I must know the truth. Yet if it is as I suspect, I can see why you should hesitate even now. You are a generous fellow, Joe, but even generosity can be carried past its proper limits."
"Uncle," I exclaimed, leaning over him and whispering tremulously in his ear, "what are your suspicions? If I hear you give utterance to them, perhaps it will not be so hard for me to speak."
He hesitated, looked all about us with a questioning glance, put his mouth to my ear, and whispered:
