the
apostrophe that marks the elided _g_ in such words as "talkin',"
"comin'," &c.

Very difficult and troublesome is the letter written throughout in
imitation printed characters. The expert has to rely upon the curved
lines, accidental punctuation marks and unpremeditated flourishes and
hand-gestures; but, broadly speaking, such a letter is beyond the skill
of the expert if unaided by accidental betrayal. If, as sometimes
happens, the writer is ingenious enough to adopt an alphabet formed
completely of straight lines and angles--an easy task--he may boast of
having produced a detection-proof writing; that is, if characters formed
with the aid of a rule can be called writing, for it defies detection,
because there are none of the signs essential for comparison, and is
less easy of identification than an incomplete skeleton. In the absence
of external clues, an expert would refuse to do more than offer a very
guarded opinion, and it would be wiser to decline to offer any comment
whatever.

Another trick that has been resorted to by some persons is writing with
the hand constricted by a tight-fitting glove. This produces a very
effective disguise; but if the student will practise with the same
impediment, he will discover many useful rules for guiding him on the
road to penetrating this entanglement.

It should be remembered that the less control a writer has over his pen,
the more likely is he unintentionally to revert to those forms to which
he is habituated, for, left by itself, the hand steers the more
familiar course. Disguise, alteration and variation on customary forms
are the result of premeditation. When the mind is occupied more with the
subject than the formation of characters, the latter naturally assume
that shape to which the force of custom has bent them.

CHAPTER XIV.

FORGED LITERARY AUTOGRAPHS.

The collection of autographs, letters, and documents of literary and
historical interest has for many years been a prominent feature in the
collecting world, but at no time was the quest more keen or conducted on
more systematic lines than to-day. The records of the leading sale rooms
often supply matter for surprise, the prices asked and obtained for rare
and choice specimens being such as to excite both wonder and amazement,
sometimes tempered with scepticism.

It is, therefore, not surprising that this profitable and growing market
should have attracted the fraudulent, for the prizes when wo