The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-05-05

Sdllsly NouIstli upon lnls point.
Greatly interested. MIR. Benson took
the pencil from the pen.rack and
wrote some words upon piece Of
paper. Doctor Leonard and Doctor
Hills leaned over the table to note
results. but no one else stirred
You are quite right" said Mr.
Benson. this message was not writ.
ten with this pencil But what does
that prove?"
1T proves nothing" said Fcsscn.
den calmly. but it is pretty strong
evidence that the message was not
written at this table last night.
For had there been any other pencil
on the table. it would doubtless
have remained Assuming. then. that
Miss Van Norman wrote this message
elsewhere. and with another pencil.
1t loses the specia Importance com.
monty attributed To the words OF
enc about to die"
1t does.' said Mr. Henson. inn.
pressed by the fact. but at loss
to know whittier the argument was
leading
believing. then went on the law
yer, that this paper had not been
written in this room last evening.
began 30 conjecture whore it had
been written. For one would scarce.
ly expect a message of that nature to
be written in one place and carried 10
another. was so firmly convinced
that something could be learned on
this point, that just before we were
summoned to this room asked
permission of Mrs. Markham to
examine the appointments Of Miss
Van Norman's writing desk in her
own room. and | found i'm her
desk no soft pencils whatever There
were several pencils. OF gold and of
silver and of ordinary wood, but
the lead in each was as hard as
this one on the library table Urged
on by what seemed to me import
ant developments, | persuaded Mrs.
Markham TO let me examine all of
found but one soft pencil, and that
was in the desk of Miss Dupuy. Miss
Van NCrman's secretary. II is quite
conceivable that Miss Van Norman
should write at her secrctary's desk.
but found myself suddenly con.
fronted by another disclosure. And
that Is that the handwriting of Miss
Van Norman and Miss D,ipuy are
so similar as to be almost identical
In view OF the Importance of this
written message. should it not be
more carefully proved that this
writing is really Miss Van Norman's
own?"
1T should indeed" declared Coro-
ner benson. who was by this time
quite ready TO agree to any sus.
gestion Mr.. Fessenden might make
will somebody please ask Miss
Dupuy to come here?"
Il will" said Miss Morton. and,
rising, she quickly rustled from the
room.
or course, everyone present imme-
diately remembered that Miss Dupuy
had left the room in fit of hyster-
ical emotion. and wondered in wha,
frame of mind she would return.
Miss Morton's officiousness. What
ever errand was to be done. she
volunteered to do it. quite as If she
We're prominent member or the
household, instead OF lately ar.
rived guest.
This similarity OF penmanship is a
very important point" observed Mr.
Benson. IA very important point in.
deed. am surprised that 1t has
not been remarked socner."
i've often noticed that they wrote
/ alike said Kitty French mpulsiye-
/ ly. 'Uut | never thought about it
before in tDis matter. You sce"-she
involuntar'ly addressed herself to the
| coroner. who listened with interest
you see, Madeleine instructed
! Cicely to write as nearly as posi-
Bile like she did. because Cicely was
her social secretary and answered
all her notes and wrote letters for
her, and sometimes Cicely signed
Madeleine's name to the notes. and
the people who received them thought
Maddy wrote them herself She didn't
mean to deceive, only sometimes peo,
| pie don't like 10 have their notes
answered by O secretary, and so it
/ saved a lot OF trouble. | confess,