Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-04-16
Dick sighed heavily.

NOEdu Is ner sister, 50 that IL seemed best
TO tell you all myself. Perhaps Calista may
be spared the pain Of ever learning thi
dreadful thing. As for the actual forger.
cannot yet speak But l have proofs as t.
the presentation of two checks out of the
hve.n
"Proofsl Nothing but the clearest proof
will 'at.sfy me!'
You shall be satisfied. then. What dc
you think Of this for one proof2 The cir
described by the bank CLERK as having pre-.
sented one Of the checks was Norah herself,
FOR proof send for thu clerk when she i
here. He will be able to identify her,
dare say. That is my first proof. Now fol-
the second: The young gentleman who pre-.
sented and cashed the chack llss THURSDAY
at one o'clock was no other than her brother.
young Hyacinth Cronan-Da.folil. He
must have gone to the bank just Eefore one
O'Clock, because he came here a few minutes
after one, and we went out to dinner together.
We went to Crosby Hall and sat there till two.
The clerk you know, gave one O'Clock as the
hour. have no doubt but he will identify
Daffodil as well. 1t will be perfectly easy"
The checks may have been given 10
Them
by the actual forger2 Very possible.
But in this case unlikely. Because who
would do it for them2'
Go on" The case was getting blacker.
A regards the character of D~af-Imean
Hyacinth-for steadiness, l am afraid we
cannots say much. He is, as you know per-
haps, at University College hospital, and no
belongs to a fast set. They pay billiards,
smoke together, have parties in each others
rooms, and go to theatres and music halls''
all this was strictly true, and yet-poor
Datfodil!-"worse still, he goes to a gaming
den. 1t is a place open every evening for
playing baccarat and every kind of gam
bling game. dare say, when they do moth
ing else they play pitch and toss. l remem-
oered your recommendation to use every
means in order to find out the truth, and |
went with him. We went twice last week"
This also, as we know, was literally true.
Il have also learned that he is in money
difficulties" Daffodil had shown Dick
a letter from his tailor ~intimating that
something on account woul1 be desirable.
Altogether, l think my theory will prove
r1ght-Norah took the checks with a view to
help her brother. OF course she knows very
well your custom of drawing twelve pound
checks for private purposes. Therefore she
hlled these up for that amount, confident
That they would then pass without suspicion,
and might even escape your notice. She
initiated your signature; and she gave them
every one to her brother, except that which
she cashed herself, presumably also for him.
l am quite sure she did it for her brother.
whether he knows how she got the checks,
whether he stands in with her, | cannot tell.
Iha will be seen when he is confronted with
Tie bank clerk, and charged with presenting
Lhe check. You will judge by what he re-
plies to the charge
HAS the girl loverF'
She has been engaged for the last week
or so only"
"Who is the man?'
His name is Hugh Aquila. He is resi-
dent medical officer at the Children's Hos
pital. was at school with him But you
need not inquire about him. He has got
nothing to do with it."
How do you know thatp'
Because his mother has money. Nine.
Aquila was a professional singer, who made
money and retired from the profession.
NDi IN I'LL OOu uOlullg DuU HIS
work. He has as much money as he wants.
and he never was in debt or any trouble.
Why should he stand imp
He is not a man who bets and gambles?'
mot at ALL"
"Humph. Give me the paper. There's a
nest of villainy somewhere about the place.
Dick folded it neatly. and handed it over
With the air of the undertaker's man hand
ing the gloves at a funeral.
"Of course you are prepared to swear to
tnis statement~
Certainly" This with perfectly steady
syes.
''Of course l trust it will not be neces-
Very we'll. There remains the man who
presented the three creeks. l have not vet
laid my hands upon him. No doubt if
Norah confesses, she will tell you who he is.
If not, you have enough 10 satisfy YOU"
II have enough when l have all. Go now
or stay-where are the checks and the
book that l left in your handsW
'They are locked up in my private drawer
the other room. will get Them He
vanished, but returned in a m ''They
IRE gone!" he cried. THE checks are goneln
'Gone!n
"They are gonel On Saturday l left them
in my private drawer. Now they are gone.n
"Was the drawer locked2'
1T is always locked. Here is the kew
which has just unlocked it. Indeed, l am
sure they were in the drawer on Saturday"
MIR. Murridge went into the outer office |
The private drawer contained nothing but a
unimportant papers. The drawer, in
Iced, might just as well have been unlocked
for the forged checks and the check book,
which Dick said were left there on Saturday,
lad disappeared.
'Who has been in this office, boy" asked
Mr.. Murridge, ''besides yourself, since Sat-
Irdayf" nssu
Only Miss Cronan, sir. and Mr.. Richard
,o-dav, sir. Nobody came yesterday, sir"
What time did you leave the place on
Saturday,
mot till three o'clock, sir. Miss Cronan
with you when you brought me out the
to copy and to post"
"Norah was working with me on Satur-
lay afternoon" said Mr.. Murridge, until
four o'clock. remember. Then she went
away. | worked here alone till six. Have
you a bunch of keys at all, you boyW
mo. sir; l haven't got anything to lock
Up. Search me, if you like"
Have you seen Mr.. Richards drawer
landing openi Idolt want to search Won.
What the devil should 1 search you forgi
mo, sir. The drawer is never open that 7
Of, except Mr.. Richards in his chair"
Have you ever tried to open that drawer
with a key or withoutr'