“DEAR MR. BLEFKEN: “You will be suprised to receive this note from me. Take it seriosly. Tell no one! “There is great danger. I cannot tell you where. I know, and yet I do not know. I must see you, but am afraid. Not for myself, because I have passed that stage of apprehension. For you. “I have tried to warn others. My warnings mean death. So keep this to yourself, I beseech you. I am afraid to write what I want to say, because you would not believe it. “I shall come to your home to-morrow night. Be there unless you see danger. Then be away. I leave it to your judgment. GERALD MIDDLETON.”
“WHAT do you make of it, Joe?” questioned Blefken.
“A strange letter.” Cardona’s reply was thoughtful. “Strange, from a man like Middleton. He’s worth money! Educated! A traveler! I thought he was back in town. Have you inquired?”
“No, indeed,” replied the attorney promptly. “I took the letter seriously, Joe. I’m leaving it to you to investigate.”
Cardona nodded. He was still studying the letter. Now he shook his head, in a puzzled way.
“What is it, Joe?” asked the attorney.
“Bad spelling,” commented Cardona. “He writes ‘surprised’ without the first ‘r.’ Also, ‘seriously’ without putting in the ‘u’—”
“I noticed that,” responded Blefken. “But notice such words as ‘apprehension’ and ‘beseech.’ The whole letter appears to be the work of an intelligent man, whose mind ran faster than his pen, except when he wrote unusual words. They are more carefully inscribed than the others.
“I know something of handwriting, Joe! A scrawl like that shows education. An ignorant faker would have avoided certain words. An intelligent forger would have been more careful.
“See, also, how the sentences change. All the man’s thoughts are not registered. A lot can be implied.”