l they asked. But I was suspicious,
not only because they didn't take me fully into their confidence, but
because I knew Paddington and his breed; and also, Miss Lawton had
been kind to my little girl. If they meant any harm to Pennington
Lawton's daughter, or if their scheme, whatever kind of a hold-up it
was, failed to pan out as they expected, and they tried to make me the
scape-goat--well, I meant to protect myself and Lawton. My word would
have to be proof against theirs that they forced me into what I did,
but I could fix it so that I could prove to anybody, without any
doubt, that Lawton never wrote that note to Mallowe from Long Bay
about that loan two years ago, and that would sort of substantiate my
word that the signatures weren't his, either."

"How could you prove such a thing?" Blaine leaned forward tensely.

"Young Morrow, here, tells me that you've got that note--the note
asking Mallowe to arrange the loan for Lawton. Will you get it,
please, sir? I don't want to see it; I want you to read it to me, and
then I'll tell you something about it. They thought they were clever,
the rascals, but I fooled them at their own game! I cut out the words
from a bundle of Lawton's old letters which they gave me, and I
manufactured the note, all right. I did it, word for word, just like
they wanted me to--but I put my _own private mark_ on it, that they
couldn't discover, so that I could prove anywhere, any time, that it
was a forgery!"

In a concealed fever of excitement, the detective produced the fateful
note from his private file.

"That looks like it!" chuckled old Jimmy. "It's dated August
sixteenth, nineteen hundred and twelve, isn't it? Now, sir, will you
read it out loud, please?"

Blaine unfolded the single sheet of hotel note-paper, and looked once
more at the following message:

My Dear Mallowe:

Kindly regard this letter as strictly
confidential. I desire to negotiate a private loan immediately,
for a considerable amount,--three hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, in fact,--but
for obvious reasons, which you, as a man of
discretion and financial astuteness second to
none in this country, will readily understand, a
public assumption of it by me would be disastrous
to a degree, under the prevailing conditions. Ask
Moore if he can arrange the matter for me, but
feel him out tentatively first. If he does not see
his way clear to it, let me know wit