The Republican journal., 1915-09-02

room, unannounced, the second day
after his return from Mexico.
Il was just on the point of calling
you up" continued Mitchell
Saved you nickel, then" drawled
Christopher Poe. dropping into a
chair, and beginning to fan himself
slowly with his hat. Whats new?
You look as though you'd just side
stepped bomb"
Something interesting" Mitchell
announced, glancing uneasily at the
door, a trifle open. Rising abruptly,
he stepped over, and shut it securely.
Coming back, he reached out mechan-
ically, as though he had made the
same motion a hundred times that
day, and drew from a pigeon-hole a
handful of crisp five-dollar bills, thrust
ing them into Poe's fingers with nerv-
GUS quickness.
Is this hush money, or donation
to the head office 10y of the Bankers
Protective, which capacity l so hum
bly, fill?" asked Poe, lifting a highly
arched eyebrow, and holding it CULVER
ering for questioning moment.
Look it over" said Mitchell, turn
ing sidewise, and drumming nervously
on magnifying- glass he had dropped
at Poe's entrance.
Christopher Pee separated one of
the bills from the package, held it first
to the light, started slightly, and then
quickly turned the bill face up, and
smoothed it over his knee, berding
close to examine it. Quick as though.
he snatched the magnifying- from
NIitchells fingers, and studied the bill
for full minute. Then he looked up
and smiled
Why, it's at least a millimeter
out. Nobody's ever been able to get
old General Jackson's jaw just right,
except the man who made the genuine
plate. It's been tried often, hasn't it,"
There are two other counterfeits
of that bill" answered Mitchell
Neither of them any good at all But
this is different. They found out the
bill was bad by that lengthy jaw But
that bills been slipping through sew
eral banks for week or more. Think
of it! Just discovered today. Good
looking bill, isn't it? Paper fine, print
has the proper snap; everything right
but that jaw; it's just hair less than
a millimeter too long, as you noticed.
/ knew it wouldn't escape you"
How much of the stuff is out?"
Nearly twenty thousand is I'M"
cried Mitchell. It's fine mess God
knows how much is out. Think of it,
Think of New York banks being fooled
on punches of this stuff; they've
taken in twenty thousand dollars, and
the roll you have there contains sam
pies of it all"
But it's the best paper I've ever
scent" exclaimed Christopher Poe,
slightly flushed, having turned again
to the bill. The counterfeiter hasn't
missed on thing but that jaw, and
how any man could duplicate that is
more than l can tell. President Jack
sons jaw was lucky thought on that
'O7 note; nobody could ever copy his
head exactly as it's reproduced on the
bill. It's lantern jaw, so shaped that
1t can stand the extra millimeter and
escape notice. But that paper is what
worries me. 1t looks just like the real
thing. That fellow must have got
hold of batch of the real stuff some
where. Measurements are exactly
right The two scatter-silk lines run
ming through the bill are correct By
George, here's a mystery worth
mans trouble,"
It's a remarkable BILL replied
Mitchell. DO you notice the web
stitching on the back is exactly right,
too?"
Poe turned the certificate over.
"Remarkable!" he exclaimed, hav-
ing examined the green and white
webbing, put on with the effect of
fan-tracery in the cathedrals. in in
tricate design, difficult to initiate.
There's nothing else out of proper
ton but Jackson's Jaw" queried
Christopher Poe, glancing at the fine
printing on the green back of the
note, which begins: This note is a
legal tender at it's face value"
mo. they didn't report anything
else, and l haven't found thing.
Poe paid no attention to the reply;
he seemed deeply interested in the
printing, reading it carefully through
the magnifier. Suddenly, right at the
end, he stopped, and looked at Mitchell
quizzically.
Handing Mitchell the bill and point
ing to the printing, he queried:
Have you read this?"
No, dare say that's all right The
fellow wouldn't likely be such
shrewd engraver and make any mis-
take on the plain printing"
Suppose you read it, then" Poe
handed him the bill and picked IN
another. holding it far from his eyes,
and staring at it absently.
Meanwhile Mitchell read the follow.
ing usual form, printed on the back
of the 1907 fve-dollar note:
This note is Legal tender at its
face value for all debts public and
private, except duties on Imports and
Interest on the Public Debt Coun-
terfeiting or altering this note or pass
ing any Counterfeit or alteration of It.
or having inspossession any false or
counterfeit plate or impression of it.
or any paper made in imitation of the
Paper on which it is printed is Eel
ony, and is punishable by Five Thou