The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-02-23
FOULP Y,
by cHAs. READB AND DION BoUc1cAUIT,
CHAPTER LvIIT.
a N Ov II l..

He rose and turned towards her po-
| litely-a pale, fair man, with keen
gray eye and a pleasant voice and man
ner: Il am Edward UndercliG. You
come by appointments
Yes, SIR
"A question of handwriting2'
Not entirely, sir. Do you remember
giving witness in favor of young cler-
gyman, Mr.. Robert Penfold, who was
accused of forgery?'
Il remember the circumstance, but
not the Details
%, dear! that Is unfortuuate,' said
Helen, with deep sigh; she often had
to sigh now.
why, you sec,' said the expert, I am
called on such a multitude of trials.
However, take notes of the principal
ones. What year was it imp
In 1861
Mr.. Undercliff went to set OF draw
ers arranged chronologicallY, and
found his notes directly. 1T was a
forged bill, madam, Endorsed and pre-
sented by Penfold. 1 was called to
prove that the bill was not in the hand
| writing of PenfOld. Here is the fac
smile of the Robert Penfold Endorsed
upon the bill by the prisoner He
handed it to her, and she examined it
| with interest. And here are fac.sim-
lies of genuine writing by John Ward
law; and here is copy OF the forged
note.'
He laid it on the table before her
She started, and eyed it with horror. It
was long Cime before she could speak.
AT length she said, And that wicked
piece OF paper destroyed Robert Pen
fold:'
mot that piece of paper, but the origi-
nal; this is a fac-simile, 80 far as the
writing is concerned. 1t was not neces-
sary in this case to initiate paper and
color. Stay, here is sheet on which
have Autographed the three styles:
that will enable you to follow my com
interest you. Helen had the tact to say
it would. Thus encouraged, the Elk
pert showed her that Robert PenfOld's
writing had nothing in common with
the forged note. He added. 4 also de-
tected in the forged note habits which
were entirely absent from the true
writing of John Wardlaw. You will
understand there were plenty of I'M
doubted specimens in Court to go by.
Then, o SIR said Helen, Robert
PenfOld was not guilty
Certainly not of writing the forged
note. swore that, and 1'll swear it
| again. But when it came to questions
whether he had passed tho note, and
whether he knew it WAS forged, that
was quite out of my province
4 can understand that, said Helen;
| but you heard the trial you are very
intelligent, sir, you must have formed
some opinion as to whether he was
guilty or not
The Expert shook his head. Madam
said he, mine is profound and diff
cult art, which aims Mt certainties.
Very early in my career l found that
to master that art I must be single
minded, and not allow my ear to intiu-
ence my eye. But purposelv avoiding
all reasoning from external c!rCum-
stances, l have distanced my competi-
tors in expertise; but l sometimes
think l have weakened my powers of
conjecture through disuse. Now, If my
mother had been at the trial, she would
give you an opinion of some value on
| the outside facts. But that is not my
| line. If you feel sure he was innocent,
and want mc 10 aid you, you must get
hold of the handwriting ofevery person
who was likely to know old Wardlaw' g
handwriting, and so might have imi-
tated it; ali the clerks in his Office. to
begin With. Nail tho forger that is
your only chance
what, sir = said Helen, with sur
prise, 'if you saw the true handwriting
of the person who wrote that forged
note, should you recognize it?'
why not 2 1t is difficult; but have
done 1t hundreds FITNESS
'Oh! Is forgery 90 commOn?'
mo: but am In all the cases; and,
besides, do great deal In business
that requires the same kind of expert
ise,-auonymOus letters. l detect as
sassins OF that kind by the score. A
gentlemen or lady, down in the coun-
try. gets Il poisoned arrow by the post,
or perhaps a shower of them. They are
ALWAYS in disguised handwriting; those
who receive them send them up to me,
with writings of all the people they
suspect. The disguise is generally
more or less superficial; i've or six I'M
conscious habits remain below it, and
often these undisguised habits are the
true characteristics OF the writer. And
I'll tell you something curious, madam;
it is quite common Tor all the suspected
people to be innocent; and then L write
back, Send me the handwriting of the
people you suspect the least; and
amongst them often find the assassin
'OMr. Underclitf,' said Helen, you
make my heart SICK
%, it is vile world, for that matter
said the the Expert; and the country
no better than the town. for all 1t looks
so sweet with its green fields and purl'
ing rills. There they SOW anonymous
letters like barley: the very girls wrote
ANONYMOUS letters that make my hair
stand on end. Yes, it is vile world
Don't you believe him, miss, said
Mrs. Undercliff, appearing suddenly.
Then, turning TO her son, chow can
you measure the world? You live in
little one of your own,-a world of for
gers and anonymous writers; you see
so many OF these, you fancy they are
common as dirt; but they are only
common to you because they all come
your way
%, that is it, is it?' said the Expert,
doubtfully.
Yes, that is it, Ned, > said the old lady,
quietly; then after pause she said, Il
want you to do your very best for this
young lady,
I always do,' said the Artist. But
how can I judge without materials?
And she brings me none.'
Mrs. Underclif turned to Helen, and |
said: "Have you brought him nothing |
at all, no handwritings-in your bag?' |
Then Helen sighed again. Il have
no handwriting except Mr.. Penfold's;
but have two printed reports OF the
Printed reports said the Expert,
'thev are no use to me. All here is an |
outline 1 took of the prisoner during
the trial. You can read faces tell the
lady whether he was guilty or not, and
he handed the profile to his mother
with an ironical look, not that he
doubted her proficiency in the rival art
of reading faces, but that he dobted the
existence of the art.
Mrs, Undercliff took the profile. and |
coloring slightly, said to Miss ROLES
ton. 1T is living faces profess to read; |
there 1 can see the movement OF the
eyes and other things that my son here
has not studied Then she scrutinized |
the profile. 1T is q very handsome
face, said she.