The Washington herald., 1912-11-10

could not know any more than coiling'
wood could the struggle that was sure
ly shaking the man .of his coldly ID
justed mental poise. Logic more thar
ever told him that Peggy mas guilty
Instinct shouted above the voice o1
logic that she was most surely inno.
cent. His visit and Col1ingwoodi
were the final blows that destroyed tht
fabric Of his legal training.
But, as we say, Ellerdine could mol
know this. Therefore, he gave him.
self up once more to the pain of think.
ing and reverted to IN idea. that had
occurred to him even a Peggy sank
to the floor and the court room wal
cleared.
He knew now that Peggy could no,
have had anything to do with the de.
liberate plan to miss the train at Bou.
logne. Some one beside Collingwood
must have known, because he did moi
believe that Collingwood had written
the damning letter. Suspicion, he felt
rested on him and Lady Attwill Il
was his duty to clear up the mystery
of the letter. With a weary sigh, he
started the slowly revolving wheels oi
his mind once more. He promised
himself brain fever to certainty aftes
it should be all over.
As he walked along the Embark
ment after leaving Admission, Dickey
began working out plan of campaign
He remembered that Sir Robert had
said that the letter had been submitted
to every well-known handwriting ex-
n 1.l1s, ,.1 xt.A Il
had been able to throw any light on
the question of its authorship. II had
been compared with the handwriting oi
every one in their party and every one
connected with them. The experts
could do nothing.
Now, more brilliant man than e.
lerdine would have at once abandoned
this line of investigation and attempt
ed TO approach the solution of the
mystery by an untried route. This
plan would necessarily have entailed
the invention of new system of pro-
cedure, something that was entirely
beyond the mental powers of Lord e.
lerdine. Wherefore, he continued to
cogitate on the subject of handwriting.
and after an hour or two he bethought
him that a year or two before an
American had detected the author Of 4
forged check by means of which the
said author had looted Ellerdine's slen-
der bank account.
This American was only a profess
sional expert on demand, and was not
we'll known in London. and Dickey
thought it probable that he had not
been consulted. He hailed a cab, toiled
through his notebook, and at last dis
covered the address in a row of rather
expensive flats. He quickly followed
his card into the experts library. and
was greeted with smile and hand
clasp.
Il hope it is not another professional
visit? said Mr.. Brewster. the expert.
But it is, my dear fellow" protest.
ed his lordship. solemnly.
"lndeed" he exclaimed and looked
instantly concerned. He drew a chair
up, facing Ellerdine's Not another
clumsy raid on your funds?"
Worse than that" replied his lord
ship, pulling at his mustache. He felt
a gentleman's natural reluctance to 60
into so delicate matter with COM
parative stranger.
We'll, anything l can do, Lord e.
lerdine-" He paused and waited,
leaning languidly back in his chair.
With much hesitancy and circumlocu-
ton. Dickcy told the story. and before
he was fairly into it the American was
sitting on the forward edge of his
chair, his brows drawn together. fol-
lowing every word.
"And you say the London experts
could do nothing with II :"
Not a blasted thing" affirmed his
gloomily. SO you see we're
all in beastly mess until we find who
did write it.
you don't know the names of the
experts Sir Robert consulted?"
NO; | never thought about their
silly names. | was in deuce of a
hurry. l thought you could help US
right away. Now, old fellow. can't
you tell me who wrote the blasted
thing!"
A fsin smile twitched Mr.. Brew
stels thin lips.
I am afraid" he said, that ! can't
tell you thing about it until l have
seen the letter"
Dickey stared at him a moment and
blinked, twice. "Oh," he exclaimed
Il never thought about
that. Will You wait right here till I
go and get it?'
Mr.. Brewster smiled and nodded. Il
will be glad to-" he replied.
At the court a new difficulty arose
The authorities respectfully declined to
let the. letter leave the building, and in
this dilemma a clerk suggested a pho
tographer who had an establishment a
few doors away. The clerk assured
Lord Ellerdine that a Photographic re-
production would do almost as well.
In less than two hours he was once
more in Mr.. Brewsters library, amazed
at himself. He could remember no
previous occasion when he had dis
played anything like his present energy.
Contrary to the clerks opinion, Mr..
Brewster frowned doubtfully at the
at is almost impossible to obtain
my accurate data from a photograph,