This gave her strength for the moment. Her
first act was to destroy the note. Next she strove to repress the
wild throbbings of her heart, and to assume a calm exterior. Vain
efforts! She was too weak for the trial; and who can wonder that she
was?
Mr. Johnson was sitting in his store about half past three o'clock
that afternoon, when a man came in and asked him for the payment of
a note of five thousand dollars. He was a Notary.
"A protest!" exclaimed Mr. Johnson, in astonishment. "What does this
mean?"
"I don't understand this," said he, after a moment or two. "I have
no paper out for that amount falling due to-day. Let me see it?"
The note was handed to him.
"It's a forgery!" said he, promptly. "To whom is it payable?" he
added. "To Mortimer, as I live!"
And he handed it back to the Notary, who departed.
Soon after he saw the father-in-law of Mortimer go hurriedly past
his store. A glimpse of his countenance showed that he was strongly
agitated.
"Have you heard the news?" asked his son-in-law, coming in, half an
hour afterwards.
"What?"
"Mortimer has been detected in a forgery!"
"Upon whom?"
"His father-in-law.
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