Roebuck's face grew stern. “You bought two hundred thousand dollars of the last issue of government bonds, they tell me, with your two years' profits from the Western Railway Construction Company.” “I bought no bonds,” blustered Walters. “What money I have I made out of speculating in the stock of my road--on legitimate inside information.” “Your uncle in Wilkesbarre, I meant,” pursued Roebuck. Walters reddened, looked straight at Roebuck without speaking. “Do you still deny?” demanded Roebuck. “I saw everybody--_everybody_--grafting,” said Walters boldly, “and I thought I might as well take my share. It's part of the business.” Then he added cynically: “That's the way it is nowadays. The lower ones see the higher ones raking off, and they rake off, too--down to conductors and brakemen. We caught some trackwalkers in a conspiracy to dispose of the discarded ties and rails the other day.” He laughed. “We jailed _them_.” “If you can show that any director has taken anything that did not belong to him, if you can show that a single contract you let to a construction or a supply company--except, of course, the contracts you let to yourself--of them I know nothing, suspect much--if you can show one instance of these criminal doings, Mr. Walters, I shall back you up with all my power in prosecution.” “Of course I can't show it,” cried Walters. “If I tried, wouldn't they ruin and disgrace me, perhaps send me to the penitentiary? Wasn't I the one that passed on and signed their contracts? And wouldn't they--wouldn't you, Mr. Roebuck--have fired me if I had refused to sign?” “Excuses, excuses, Walters,” was Roebuck's answer, with a sad, disappointed look, as if he had hoped Walters would make a brighter showing for himself. “How many times have you yourself talked to me of this eternal excuse habit of men who fail? And if I expended my limited brain-power in looking into all the excuses and explanations, what energy or time would I have for constructive work? All I can do is to select a man for a position and to judge him by results. You were put in charge to produce dividends. You haven't produced them. I'm sorry, and I venture to hope that things are not so bad as you make out in your eagerness to excuse yourself. For the sake of old times, Tom, I ignore your angry insinuations against me. I try to be just, and to be just one must always be impersonal.”