The Democratic advocate., 1898-03-26

want THESE tnlnS n piece Vi cloalll hote
paper-yet it from your oook-a steel pen,
ink and specimen of your husband sig
nature Please get these things youself,
and let no one know Nov, tell me-
who is in this house p
''Myself--you mean usually? Well,
Mr.. Cox, myself, the secretary. three
male and five female servants.
They all live here ?
Except the secretary-yeS
This gentleman, has been in your eln
ploy long p
''Three years.
1--WE might get some information from
him, perhaps. However for the present,
I'll see no one. Will you please get me
those things p
Mrs. Cox went out, and returned after
few minutes with what had asked for.
smiled as [ saw the note paper. Though
it was not the same make it was very like
what had been used for the check for
f10,
"What are you goin. to do p Mrs.
Cox asked.
Il can do much until o clock so |
am going to try little experiment.
took from her the specimen Of her
husband signature and examined it.
From my pocketbook [ drew piece Of
tracing paper, and this | laid upon Mr.
Cox signature, which went over care
fully some thirty or forty times Then [
took the sheet Of note paper and calmly
forged the millionaire $ name, making a
queer little curl at the tail Of the X
similar to what had noticed in the sigma
ture of the f10, 900 check, which was
not to be seen in the specimen signature
before me.
Mrs. Cox watched me with an air Of
profound mystifcation as put the sheet
Of paper bearing only the name, &c. Col
lins-Cux, upon the table and covered it
up in such a way that no other part Of the
paper was visible.
Now" [ said, will you be good
enough to summon every one in the house,
and let them remain in the room until
call them 2
She went away and in few minutes
later returned, saying that every one was
in the room adjoining the one in which |
sat.
Very well, then. want them to
come i'll here one at time. Begin with
the secretary"
ASK Mr.. Stainer to come here, said
Mrs. Cox.
Mr.. Stainer came He was tall, gen.
tlemanly man of 80, wearing gold-rimmed
spectacles.
:'Of course" | said to Mrs Cox in an
undertone, but loud enough to be heard,
as he came forward, IF it's genuine you
must change it, and do as instructed. 1t
will cost you cool fl0, 900. but that
can be helped.
Mr. Stainer, and ! turned to him
quickly, can you tell me if this is Mr.
Cox $ signature
Yes, it is. =
BE sure, please. It's highly i'm
portant matter. Look at it closely
He leant over it and examined it like Il
near sighted man, for some moments I
watched him, noticing his hands trembling
and his lips twitch nervously.
Yes he said, quietly. I'm swear
to that. But | fancy he was unwell
when he wrote it, for it is very shaky for
Mr. Cox"
All the the others were brought in in
turn, but no one else was able to identify
the signature.
II want a cab, | said, smiling
\ cab was called and | went out, gave
the driver d note, with instructions to take
it to the Yard and await an answer. Then
| returned to the room and drew Mrs Cox
aside
DON breathe word to any one, .
[ said; ''but does it not strike you as
strange that the man who best knows your
husbands $ writing should be the one to
say most emphatically that my forgery was
written by your husband p
YES she said, in ii whisper.
Ten minutes later, the cab returned and
landed one of our men. He was shown
in to me; and AT my request, all the ser
wants were recalled When they were as
sembled, | turned to our man and said:
''Chambers, you will remain i'll this
house until 9 o clock to night You will
allow no one but Mrs. Cox to leave while
you are here, and you will see that moth
ing whatever is passed out Of the house
by any one to any one, and that n" com
munication whatever is held by the inmates
with outsiders, not even with tradespeople.
You will make it your duty, if anybody
| say anybody-attempts to break these
rules to Immediately arrest them. You
understand
.'Yes.
At this Stainer looked the picture Of
confusion and very pale.
4 shall be here at : o clock, l said
in whisper to Mrs. Cox. Have an old
dress, cloak and hat Of yours ready for
me, and room at my disposal, if you
please Then to Chambers | said in the
same tone. "Pay particular attention to
Mr.. Stainer. He interests me. And
then [ came away
At about 7.30 the same evening Il
woman, tall, agile and we'll but quietly
dressed, with a rather thick veil that hid
her face, which, for the first time in eigh
teen months had been denuded of a brown
silken beard and mustache, left Mr.. Cox S
house in Carlton House Terrace, and walk
ing to Waterloo place, got into cab.
She gave the driver an address, with
instructions for it to be reached by round
about route, and placed beside her on the
seat Of the cab black handbag. The cab
eventually stopped in Oxford street
The woman sprang out, paid the driver
and hurried eastward Presently she en-
countered four or five cabs plying for hire
at the curb. With quick glance around
her she sprang into once of these. gave the