The Argosy — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Grace. gt joking manner, that the bill was undoubtedly Charles Baumgarten® and might have been accepted in his sleep. Charles was busy all day. After snatching his dinner in the evening, he went out to call upon the elder of the two Jephsons ; for, in spite of his assertion that he should do nothing, the affair was giving him concern, and he determined to look into it. Godfrey Jephson lived in the neighbourhood of Lincoln’s Inn ; a keen, grasp- ing man was he, quite a contrast to his brother Herbert. He was in his dining-room, but came out of it at once to Mr. Baumgarten. “Tt is incomprehensible to me how you can deny the signature,” he said, entering upon the matter at once. “If you saw my signa- ture, or Herbert’s, you would know them, would you not?” “Ves, But ” ‘‘ And we, in the same way, know yours,” he interrupted. ‘I re- cognised it the moment I saw it. White is a respectable man ; there’s mot a more upright tradesman in the city of London; he is not one to say you accepted the bill, if you did not. It is most strange that you should disown it, Mr. Baumgarten.” ‘Did White tell you I accepted it ?” ‘He told Herbert. I have not had time to see him.” ‘‘Go with me to him now,” suggested Charles. “ He will not say to my face that I have bought jewellery of him and paid him with a bill I never saw the man in my life to my knowledge and never was inside his shop.” Godfrey Jephson, his interest and curiosity aroused, agreed to the proposal; and they proceeded in the dusk of the spring evening to the jeweller’s, in one of the leading thoroughfares. A shopman was standing at the door. “Mr. White in?” asked the lawyer. "Yes, sir.” “You go forward first,” whispered Charles, “and enter upon it. I should like to watch his countenance. I'll come and confront him at the right time.” A smile, that caused Charles to knit his brow, crossed Mr. Jeph- son’s face as he advanced to the jeweller. The shop was brilliant with gas. Charles sat down near the entrance, as if to wait for his friend. “This bill,” began Godfrey Jephson, taking it from his pocket-book, “was due to-day, and presented for payment. Mr. Baumgarten refuses to take it up. He says it is a forgery.” ‘But how can Mr. Baumgarten say that?” returned the jeweller, after a few moments given to what looked like astonishment. ‘“ He accepted the bill in my presence.” ‘‘Mr. Baumgarten says that he does not know you, and that he never was in your shop to his recollection,” continued the lawyer. ‘Why, how is it possible that he can assert so palpable a false- hood?” retorted Mr. White. ‘He was here when he bought the comichooks.con