Captain Elisha, regarding him intently, nodded.
"I judge it's sort of hard for you to go on, Mr.Sylvester," he said.
"I'll help you all I can.

You and Mr.Kuhn and Mr.Graves here have found out somethin' that ain't exactly straight in 'Bije's doin's?
Am I right ?" "Yes, Captain Warren, you are." "Somethin' that don't help his character, hey ?" "Yes." "Somethin's he's, done that's--well, to speak plain, that's crooked ?" "I'm afraid there's no doubt of it." "Humph!" The captain frowned.

His cigar had gone out, and he idly twisted the stump between his fingers.

"Well," he said, with a sigh, "our family, gen'rally speakin', has always held its head pretty high.
Dad was poor, but he prided himself on bein' straight as a plumb line.
And, as for mother, she...." Then, looking up quickly, he asked, "Does anybody outside know about this ?" "No one but ourselves--yet." "Yet?
Is it goin' to be necessary for anybody else to know it ?" "We hope not.

But there is a possibility." "I was thinkin' about the children." "Of course.