"
"Captain," Sylvester leaned forward now; "Captain," he repeated, "it is
that sale and the dividends which are troubling us. I told you that the
Akrae Company was organized with two hundred and fifty shares of stock.
Your brother held one hundred in his own name and fifty transferred to
him by his dummy, Craven. What I did not tell you was that there were
another hundred shares, held by someone, someone who paid ten thousand
dollars for them--we know that--and was, therefore, entitled to
two-fifths of every dollar earned by the company during its existence,
and two-fifths of the amount received for the sale of the lease. So far
as we can find out, this stockholder has never received one cent."
The effect of this amazing announcement upon the uniniated member of the
council was not as great as the lawyers expected it to be. "You don't
tell me!" was his sole comment.
Graves broke in impatiently: "I think, Captain Warren," he declared,
"that you probably do not realize what this means. Besides proving your
brother dishonest, it means that this stockholder, whoever he may have
been--"
"Hey? What's that? Don't you know who he was?"
"No, we do not. The name upon the stub of the transfer book has been
scratched out."
Captain Elisha looked the speaker in the face, then slowly turned his
look upon the other two faces.
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