Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-15
THE SLAVE OF Su ENCE
BY FRED NJ. WHITE.


and Field was on his way to London with
Acton for his companion.
Mr.. Fleming was in the Office disengaged
ana would see Inspector Field at once. He
glanced at the latter's companion but said
nothing.
II have been very successful" Field said
without preamble. Il have made some inn
portant discoveries. For instance, 1 have
found the gentleman who engrossed that
deed. 1t was engrossed early this morning
at house in Park road, Wandsworth, by
my companion. If you will show him the
deed he will be able to identify it at once "
But Mr.. Fleming did not do business in
that way. He took two deeds and folded
them so that portion of each could be
seen. Then he laid them both on the
table and asked Acton to pick out the one
that he had done. All law stationers' writ
ing is very much alike, but Acton had not
the slightest difficulty in picking out his.
That is the one. SIR he said That
is the one that 1 wrote today"
Fleming admitted that the choice was a
correct one. He spread out the deed now
and proceeded to examine it gravely through
his glasses. did you put in the date?" he
asked
mo, SIR Acton replied '"There was nc
date. That is forgery. 1t is not badly
done, but you can see that it does not quite
tally with the body of the deed. Besides
the ink is slightly darker. Look at that
e, too. in the word nine 1 never write
that kind of 'e'-you will not find one like
1t in the body of the deed
Fleming was bound to admit that such
was the case. Field thanked Acton for
the trouble he had taken, and dismissed
him. Then he came back to the office.
well, sir are you quite satisfied now?'
he asked. rs there any reasonable doubt
that
No doubt that the deed purporting to
have been signed so long ago was only
you have proved your case up to the hilt
Field Nobody is going to gain anything
by the publication of that deed. But there
is one thing that sticks, and l cannot get 1t
down at all-the genuineness of that sig
nature
1T does look like a real signature" Field
admitted. But you want to suggest that
Sir Charles came back from the grave today
to write it? 1 wonder if there is something
new in the way of forgery-some means
whereby genuine signature could be trans
formed from one paper to another without
1nJuring the ink in the slightest. They say
they can take all the paint off picture and
place 1t on new canvas without so much
as injuring a brush mark. That being the
case, why couldn't it be done with man s
Signature?'
Fleming bit the end of his pen thought
fully.
ut may be possible that some cunning ras-
cal has invented an entirely new process, "
he said. But anyway, I'm prepared to swear
to the genuineness of this signature There
is only one other way to account for the
whole business, and as sane man who
has long come to years Of discretion, 1 am
almost afraid to mention it to business
man like yourself
Field looked up quickly.
Il have little hesitation also" he said,
because you may have laughed at me. Is
1T possible, sir, that you and have hit upon
the same theory?'
The two men looked at each other and
there was long silence between them.
Go be continued tomorrow