The $500 Check — page 276: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BERT OBTAINS AN EMPORTANT CLEW. 257 dated about two years previous, and ran as follows : Drak Siz: I have received your letter, and am sur prised that you should have the boldness to write to me for money. I am sorry to hear that you have been in bad luck, but I presume it is your own fault. You are able to earn good wages, and ought to pay your own way without depending on anybody. Look atme! i was once a common workman like you, but, thanks to my energy and enterprise, I am now the owner of a large factory, and abie to live in comparative luxury. [ don’t know why you should expect me to support you. I have a family of my own to care for, and my first ae is to them. You intimate that you are in possession of a secret which, if made known, will injure me. I suppose I know what you mean. I don’t think, however, that you will find any one to believe what you may say to my disadvantage, and I warn you to be careful what you do, or I may testify that you yourself took the miss- ing bonds. Don’t trouble yourself to write to me again, for it will be time thrown away. ALBERT MARLOWE. Underneath the signature were a few lines, evidently written by Ralph Harding: Who would believe that the writer of this letter is a thief, and that the capital on which he started in busi- Gomichoo <S (E(@) m