“A very strong resemblance. Theodore always admitted that he had tried to write like the judge, and of late years the resemblance was very close.” “Still you are confident as to the handwriting of the statement that has been produced here?” “Absolutely confident.” “When you hold this statement up to the light, do you discover any water-mark?” “Yes, a sheaf of something that looks like wheat with a circle around it.” “I hand you a blank sheet of paper. Has that any water-mark?” “It has the same water-mark.” “That will do. Mr. Trafford will take the stand. “I hand you this blank sheet of paper, which Mrs. Parlin has just stated contains the same water-mark as that on which the purported statement of Judge Parlin is written. Have you ever seen this sheet before?” “Yes. I took it from Mr. Theodore Wing’s writing-desk on the morning of May twelfth. It was one of a number of similar sheets I found there.” “Call Mr. Marmaduke. “You are the head of the stationery firm of Marmaduke & Co.?” “I am.” “Did you supply the late Theodore Wing with writing paper?” “I did.” “Is this a sheet of the paper you furnished him?” “It is a sheet of the paper I furnished him for his home use. I never furnished it to him for office use.” “How long have you sold paper with this water-mark?” “About four years.” “Never before that?” “Never. I do not think it was made with that water-mark until about four years ago. At least, I never heard of it.” “Did you furnish paper to the late Judge Parlin, for home or office?” “For both.” “Did you ever furnish him, either for home or office, with paper bearing this water-mark?” “Never. I didn’t have paper with that water-mark for sale until nearly a year after Judge Parlin’s death. I got it at the special request of Mr. Wing, and that was after Judge Parlin’s death.” After consultation, the inquest was again adjourned. There was a general expectation that a warrant would issue for Oldbeg’s arrest, but neither the coroner nor the county attorney felt justified in so overt an act. The public might try, condemn, and all but execute a man on mere suspicion, but larger responsibility rested on the officers of the law. In consultation, Trafford was appealed to and agreed fully with the decision reached. He was not wholly pleased with the coroner’s haste in bringing out certain facts that in his opinion could have been left with safety to the adjourned session. The strength of his own work lay in minimising, rather than exaggerating, the importance of unsupported facts, which were almost sure to lead to wrong conclusions. CHAPTER VI Mrs. Matthewson and Trafford