ence; then carrying them to
the light he examined them with minute care before bringing them back to
the bank president.

"This is the first I have heard of these transactions," he said.

"You mean--"

"That the signatures are clever forgeries." His statement was heard with
gravity. Taylor exchanged a meaning look with the New Yorker.

"You mean your signature is a forgery," he suggested. "Rochester had a
peculiar gift of penmanship."

Kent sprang up. "Do you accuse Philip Rochester of signing these checks
and inserting my name to them?"

"I do," calmly. "I am not familiar with your signature, Kent, but that
Rochester wrote the body of those four checks and put his own signature
at the bottom I will swear to in any court of law. To make them valid he
had to add your name."

"But, d--mn it, man!" Kent stared in bewilderment at his three
companions. "Rochester was honorable and straight-forward--"

"And addicted to drink," put in Harding. "But not a forger," retorted
Kent firmly. Harding's only rejoinder was a skeptical smile as he turned
to address Clymer.

"So Rochester not only has taken his own money, but withdrawn that
belonging to the firm of Rochester and Kent without the knowledge of his
junior partner; it looks black, Mr. Clymer," he remarked. "Especially
when taken in consideration with his other involved financial
transactions."

"Where will we find Rochester, Kent?" asked Taylor, before the bank
president could answer the New Yorker.

Kent paused in indecision. What reply could he make without further
involving Rochester in trouble? He had not the faintest idea where
Rochester was, but to state that he was missing could not but add to the
belief that he had made away with all the money he could lay his
hands on. The noon edition of the Times had hinted at Rochester's
disappearance but had stated they could not get the statement confirmed
from Police Headquarters; obviously Harding and Taylor had not seen the
newspaper.

Was it just to the men before him to keep them in the dark? If their
claims were true, and Kent never doubted that they were, they had
already lost money through Rochester's extraordinary behavior. Kent
turned sick at the thought of his own loss--his savings swept away.
Would Barbara wait for him--was it fair to ask her?

Taylor broke the prolonged silence.

"I met Detective Ferguson on my way here," he stated. "He told me that
the police were looking for Rochester."

"What