rs. I am staying at the Charing Cross Hotel and should
feel very much obliged if, when you leave here, you would come round for
a few minutes."

"With pleasure, sir, but I shall not get away till seven."

"That will do very well," Cuthbert said. "I would not have troubled you
had it not been important."

A few minutes past seven the clerk was shown into Cuthbert's room. After
asking him to take a chair Cuthbert said--

"As you are aware, Mr. Harford, my loss of the Fairclose estates arose
from the unfortunate circumstances of my father having taken a few
shares in the Abchester and County Bank. The matter has always been a
puzzle to me. I have been abroad for the last eighteen months, and now,
having returned, am anxious to get to the bottom of the matter if I can.
The transfer of the shares from Cumming, the manager of the bank, to my
father, was signed at Mr. Brander's office, I fancy. At any rate, you
and Mr. Levison were the attesting witnesses to my father's signature.
Have you any memory of the transaction, and would you object to tell
what took place?"

"I remember about the transfer, Mr. Hartington, because, when the crash
came, everything connected with it was talked over. In point of fact, we
did not see Mr. Hartington's signature actually attached. He called at
the office one day, and just after he had left Mr. Brander called us in
and said, 'Please witness Mr. Hartington's signature.' Of course, we
both knew it very well and witnessed it. I did not notice the names on
the body of the transfer, though, of course, I knew from the appearance
of the document what it was, but Mr. Brander just pointed out where we
were to sign and we signed. The only thing I noticed was that as I wrote
my eye fell on the top line, and I saw that it was dated ten days
earlier."

"Was that unusual?"

"No, documents are often dated at the time they are drawn up, although
they may not be signed for some days later. Of course it is not exactly
regular, but it often happens. A form is filled up and one or other of
the parties may be away or unable to sign. I happened to notice it, but
it did not strike me in any way."

"And were you often called upon to attest signatures in this way without
seeing them written?"

"There was nothing unusual in it. As a general rule we were called into
the room when a signature had to be witnessed, but it occasionally
happened, in the case where it was a well-known client and we were
perfectly