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Rh you to disturb the household of a man who is almost on his death-bed."

"I was there for the man's own good."

"I don't think so; and I am pretty certain Mrs. Bartlett doesn't think so, either."

"You talk as if you knew the Bartletts pretty well," sneered the angry young man.

"I have become fairly well acquainted with them since my arrival in Tien-Tsin."

"I suppose you—that is—you overheard some of my talk," continued Nuggy, showing that he was much disturbed.

"I did overhear all I wanted to."

"See here, Pennington, perhaps we had better come to an understanding. I know what you are up to."

"And I know what you are up to, Polk."

"What am I up to?"

"You are going to try to cheat Mr. Bartlett out of his shares in the Richmond Importing Company, just as your father cheated my mother out of the most of what was coming to her after my father died."

"It's not so. I—I am trying to save Mr. Bartlett's money for him."