He had turned the original envelope and seen the writing upon it.
“Well,” muttered the fellow, after a few moments. “I’m rather clever at imitating handwriting, so I’ll see what I can do in this case.”
Finding pen and ink, he set about the task. At first he imitated on a sheet of paper the writing on the original envelope. The first trial was not perfectly satisfactory, so he made another attempt.
“There,” he said, as he examined it, “if I can do as well as that on the envelope it will be a first-class job.”
Without delay he set at work on the envelope, and the result was greatly to his liking.
“It’s all right,” he decided, as he blotted it. “I believe it would fool Merriwell himself.”
He destroyed the sheet on which he had been practising, and then placed the envelope containing the message in his pocket, where it would be safe.
“Now to get the five hundred!” he laughed, as he picked up the other envelope. “Hamlet’s ghost! but won’t Mr. Anton Mescal be hot under the collar when he opens this and finds nothing but blank paper in it!”
There was a slight sound at the door. A key turned in the lock, and Packard leaped to his feet, turning in time to see the door swing open. Quick as a flash, he thrust the envelope into his pocket.
Oliver Packard stepped into the room.