The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-10-30

but might he not have handed yOl
this blank sheet of paper and slip
ped the note into his. pocket bool
with the money you lent him?'
mo, that is out of the question
I examined the note again after
reached home, before l put tn,
pocket book away, to see that NJ
mistake had been made; found i
all right, plain as day in every let
ter and figure, AID l remember i
as we'll as hough it hsd been yes
terday; l even remember noticing
how brisk the ink was; it had quite
a reddish tinge."
was in the act of handing the
pocket book back to him as he said
this. but a thought suddenly struck
me, and 1 opened it again.
''Mr Campbell" l said careless.
ly, "do you remember whether the
note was filed out on a blank form
or not?''
ut was not; he wrote it out in
full himself, on the top of a piece OF
foolscap, and cut it off with pair
of scissors. l remember everything
about it very clearly, for it was
about all had in the world, and to
me it was very essential affair
1 examined the strip of white pa
per, for a startling idea had already
taken shape in my mind, and l per-
ceived that it had been cut from
the top of foolscap, evidently with
pair of scissors.
Did you know how you happen
ed to place this strip of white paper
in here?"
mo, 1 don't remember placing it
there; / might have done so, think
ing it would sometime come handy
to figure on.'
"Will you let me have it?'
Certainly" he replied, some
what surprised at my modest re-
quest.
"Well," said, as 1 laid the pa
per on the table, and set the ink
stand on it, Il am going to make
an effort to recover your money for
you; shall bring suit against Boil
ton at once, and have him sum
moned to appear before Judge
You can, ofcourse, swear that you
have lent him the money, and the
note he gave you is missing
eyes, with q clear conscience; I
could not be mistaken about it,"
"Then call on me to morrow morn
ing, at 9 o'clock"
II will"
He left me and 1 took the slip of
paper and examined it closely.
1t seemed to be nothing but a
stray fragment of foolscap, but it
occurred to me that it might have
history; it was here that my
chemical knowledge came into play.
l remembered that Alexander
Bolton was a chemist; and 1 also
remembered that an ink could be
made with analIne, iodide of ammo
MIA and chloride of zinc, in certain
proportions, which had a fresh, red
dish tinge and that it would fade
out entirely in four days, leaving no
mark on the paper. Bolton, no
doubt, knew this secret, that he u.s.
ed to swindle the mechanic out of
his earnings.
The more 1 considered this sub
ject, the more l became convinced
that such was the case. The note
had been written with fading ink.
But there was another chemical
secret which probably Bolton did
not know, as 1 had discovered it
myself by accident. This treacher-
GUS ink, on fading out, leaves the
zinc in invisible atoms in the paper
so that every line traced may be re-
stored by the application of GER
tain solution of salpbate ofiron and
hydrate of calcium. So, no sooner
had Mr.. Campbell left my Office
than 1 hurried to drug store, where
I obtained the solution.
Returning to my office, 1 saturat-
ed a piece of blotting paper with a
drop of it, and applied it to the cor
ner of the blank paper. The result
made me jump up, clap my hands
and yell with delight, for fresh and
clear the dollar-mark came out. /
knew not what hidden words the pa
per contained, and placed it in my
pocket-book, corked up the vial
which was destined to prove a vial
of wrath to Mr.. Bolton-and went
Immediately and brought suit
against him for the recovery. of the
amount of the note, with interest
and costs.
A few days later Alexander Boil
ton stood at the bar of justice, to
answer in his own behalf. 1t seem
ed so easy to him that he did not
deem it necessary to employ any
counsel.
Mr.. Campbell swore to the facts
he had related to me concerning the
loan. Mr.. Bolton answered, on oath,
that he had no recollection of ever
borrowing any money of the plain
tiff. If he did, where was the note?
He would thank anybody to pro-
duce it.
'Your honor" said 1, addressing
the judge, 81 think L can produce
the note in question
Il understood you that it was
not to be found" said Judge D.,
somewhat surprised.
at has never been lost" 1 said,
as L took from my pocket the blank
slip of paper and passed it to him.
This is it.
II hope you are not trihing with
the court" he said, as he glanced al
both sides and perceived that it was
blank.
Il am not, your honor" said l, as
l proceeded at once to explain tC
him the chemical fact have alrea
dy described.
l watched Alexander Bolton as
did so, and noticed he turned very
pale. When L had concluded,
took from my pocket the vial con
tanning the solution, saturated +:
piece of blotting paper with it, anC
pressed it upon the blank slip o.
naDer that Law upon the Judges ia