The Opelousas courier., 1898-06-04

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things yourself, and let no one know
Now, tell me-who is in this house?
"Myself-you NEAR usually? Wei.
Mr.. Cox, myself, the secretary, tire
male and five female servants"
"They all live hfS~
Except the secretary@ses."
"This gentleman, has Etheen il
your ar employ 9ya long: -,
eve might ge- Some information
from him, perhaps. However for tn
present, I'll see no one. Will you
please get me those things?"
Mrs. Cox wsnt out, and returned
after a few minutes with what I hat
asked for. I spilled as I saw the mote
paper. Though it was not the sam.
make it was very like what had beer
used for the check for 91O, 900.
"What are you going to do?" Mrs
Cox asked.
II can't do much until s o'clock, SC
I am going to try a little experiment.
I took from her the specimen of he1
husbands signature and examined it.
From my pocketbook I drew a piece
of tracing paper, and this I laid upon
Mr.. Cox's signature, which I went
over carefully some thirty or forty
times. Then I took the sheet of note
paper and calmly forged the Million
aires name, making a queer little
curl at the tail of the tx" similar to
what I had noticed IN the signature of
the 910, 900 check, which was not to be
seen in the specimen signature before
me.
Mrs. Cox watched me with an air of
profound mystification as I put the
sheet of paper bearing only the name,
&c. Collins-Cox," upon the table and
covered it up in such a way that no
other part Of the paper was visible.
"Now," I said, twill You, be good
enough to summon every one in the
house, and let them remain in the
room until I call them??'
She went away and in a few minutes
later returned, saying that every one
was in the room adjoining the one
in which I sat.
Every we'll, then. I want them to
come in here one at a time. Begin
with the secretary"
"Ask Mr.. Stainer to come here"
said Mrs. Cox.
MI. Stainer came. He was a tall,
gentlemanly man of 80, wearing gold
spectacles.
"Of course" I said to Mrs. Cox in
IN undertone, but loud enough to be
heard, as he came forward, eff it's
genuine you must change it, and do as
instructed. 1t will cost you a c3ol
e10, 900, but that can't be helped.
"Mr. Stainer," and I turned to him
"can you tell me if this is
Mr.. Cox's signature?"
eyes, it u.s."
"Be sure, please. It's a highly i'm
matter. Look at it closely"
He leant over it and examined it
ike a near-sighted man, for some mo-
nents. I watched him, noticing his
lands trembling and his lips witch
lervously.
eyes," he said, quietly. "I'll swear
o that. "But 1 fancy he was unwell
When he wrote it, for it is very shaky
Or Mr.. Cox"
All the others were brought in in
urn, but no n else was able to iden-
ify the signature.
II want a cab," I said, smiling.
A cab was called and I went out,
ave the driver a note, with instruc-
ions to take it to the Yard and await
answer. Then T returned to the
Dom and drew Mrs. Cox aside.
Don't breathe a word to any one,"
said; "but does it not strike you as
that the man who best knows
our husbands writing should be the
ne to say most emphatically that my
was written by your hus-
eyes," she said, in a whisper.
Ten minutes later, the cab returned
landed one of our men. He was
.own in to me; and at my request,
IL the servants were recalled. When
aey were assembled, I turned to our
and said: |,
chambers, you will remain in this
until 8 o'clock tonight. You
i'll allow no one but Mrs. Cox to leave
lille you are here, and you will see
lat nothing whatever is passed out of
le house by any one to any one, and
lat no communication whatever is
cid by the inmates with outsiders, ,
ot even with tradespeople. You will .
AXE it your duty, if anybody say Z
lybody-attempts to break these
lies to Immediately arrest them. You ,
aderstand?"
eyes"
At this stainer looked the picture .
confusion and very pale. =
II shall be here at 7 O'clock" I said y
a whisper to Mrs. Cox. "Have an ;
d dress, cloak and hat of yours ready =
r me, and a oom at my disposal, if
u please" Then to Chambers I \
in the same tone, "Pay particular !;
tenfion to Nj. Stainer. He inter :,
me-" And then I came away. !
- +
At about 7.3O the same evening o =
'man, tall, agile and we'll but quiet
dressed. with q rather thick uail