Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-07-23

that tive of the papers might be stick
ing together.
There is no promisSory note fol that
amount here" SAID. But what is this
blank sheet Of paper doing here ?'
And | took up a ship of white paper
that / found among the documents.
Il don't know"
"Who is the man that gave you the
note?'
alexander Bronton, the druggist"
| knew Alexander Bronton very well.
He was wealthy and penurious, and
had the name of being very tricky. |
was satisfied that Mr. Campbell was
telling the truth. was rs well con-
unced that Alexander Bronton was not
man who would be likely to forget
having borrowed such a large sum rs
six thousand dollars, and Jumped to
the conclusion that he had played
some cunning trick to wrong the con
tiding mechanic out of the fruits <of
many years Of labor. Bat what was
the trick? Tuis was the question: that
puzzled me.
"Have you had shiS pocketbook in
secure place ever since he gave you the
note?' | asked.
Eyes, under lock and key, where no
one could touch it but myself"
care you sure that it has ever since
been impossible for anyone to find ii 10
purloin the note?'
II am perfectly sure of that. the
lock of nay desk, N which | have kept
it, is one that | made myself. There is
L., -, ha haf will
it, and mere it Is" he said, producing
from his pocket Il bright steel key OF
very odd outline. Not a thing has
ever been disturbed in that desk"
unused minutes as | again casually
overhauled the papers, then said
"Mr. Campbell, don't mean to say
that Bronton is dishonest, but might he
not have handed you this blank piece
of paper and slipped the note in his
pocket-book with the money you lent
him?'
mo, that is out of the question. | ex-
amined the note again after | reached
home. before | put my pocketbook
away TO see that no mistake had been
made; found it all right, plain rs day.
in every letter and figure, and remem'
Der it as well as though it had been yes
terday; | even remember noticing how
clear and bright the ink was; it had a
kind of reddish tinge."
Twas in the act of handing the pock-
etbook back to him as he said this, but
a thought suddenly struck me and |
opened it again.
"Mr. Campbell" | said, earelessly,
&c IL t,ar nh OIL ar hn to
was filled out on blank form or not?'
at was not; he wrote i, out in full
himself, on the top Of n sheet of fools
CAP, and cut it of with n pair of scs-
sCrs. | remember everything about 1t
very clearly, for 1t was about all | had
III the world, and to me it was Il very
essential affair"
| examined the strip of white paper,
for a startling idea was already taking
shape in my mind, and perceived that
it had been cut from the top Ota page OF
foolscap, evidently with a pair of scis-
sOrs.
"Do you know how you happened to
place this slip of white paper III here p
No, | don't remember of placing it
there; | might have done SO, thinking
it would come handy to figure on"
"Will you let me have it?'
Certainly" he replied, somewhat
surp rised at my modest request.
well" ! said, as laid the slip on
the table, and set my inkstand on 1t,
" | am going to make an effort to re-
cover your money for you; | shall
bring suit against Bronton at once, and
have him summoned to appear before
Judge D.. You can, Of course,
swear that you lent him the money,
and the note he gave you is misslng?
eyes. with clear conscience; |
could not be mistaken about il"
Then call on me tomorrow morning
at nine O'Clock"
" | vii"
He left me, and took up the slip of
paper and examined it closely. tt
seemed to be nothing but stray frag-
ment of foolscap, but it occurred TO
me that it might have history; it was
here that my chemical knowledge
came in play. | remembered that
Alexander Bronton was a chemist; and
| also remembered certain chemical
trick with which | had often amused
myself | remembered that an ink
could be made with anytime, iodine OF
ammonia, and chloride of zinc, in GER
tain proportions which had a fresh,
reddish tlnge, and that it would fade
entirely out within four days, leaving
no mark on the paper Bronton no
doubt knew this secret, that he used to
to swindie the mechanic out Of his
earnings. The more / considered this
subject the more | became convinced
,aat such was the case. The note had
been written with fading ink.