"
"This is no jest, sir," said Adrien, and he looked at Mortimer Shelton,
who sat, white and bewildered, opposite to him.
"I am arrested on a charge of forging Shelton's signature to a bill for
ten thousand pounds."
"Good Heavens!" exclaimed his friend, starting up in horror. "But it is
impossible that they should think you--"
"Shelton," continued Adrien steadily, "has written a letter saying that
the signature is a forgery."
"I wrote last week, not knowing; but, of course"--he laughed
scornfully--"it is all a mistake, which can soon be rectified. The idea
of coming to you for such a thing! I hope you don't believe, my dear
Adrien, that I had any hand in this monstrous accusation?"
"Of course, I know that," replied his friend, holding out his hand. "But
the writing has a distinct resemblance to mine, I admit; and two
witnesses are ready to prove, so the inspector tells me, that they saw
me enter the office of a certain 'Harker's,' I think it is, where the
bill was signed, and also that my motor was standing at the door. While
a third witness, a clerk at the office, has filed an affidavit that he
actually saw me writing on the bill, there.
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